HAN-TEK Awarded NY Power Authority Contract to Repair and Rebuild 275-Ton Cranes at St. Lawrence Control Dam

Project Worth More Than $2.5 Million is HAN-TEK's Largest Ever

(VICTOR, N.Y., April 18, 2005) – HAN-TEK, Inc., has been awarded a contract by the New York Power Authority to modernize two 275-ton gantry cranes at the Long Sault Control Dam in Massena, part of the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project.

The Long Sault Dam is used to control St. Lawrence water levels for the Moses-Saunders Power Dam, four miles downstream, on the rare occasions when the outflow of Lake Ontario exceeds the capacity of the Moses-Saunders turbine/generator units.

The contract, valued at more than $2.5 million, is the largest contract ever for the 44-year-old company. The contract calls for HAN-TEK to design, engineer, manufacture and install electrical and mechanical upgrades to the 50-year-old cranes that operate a series of gates on the Long Sault, a 2,960-foot curving dam.

HAN-TEK has completed other projects for NYPA, most recently upgrading a twin-trolley crane used to rebuild power-generating equipment for the Moses Power Dam.

One of the Long Sault’s cranes has been out of service since it was damaged in a storm, narrowing the margin of safety should a major weather or flooding event occur that required the dam’s operation.

“By federal law, at least one of the two cranes must be operational 12 months of the year,” says Jon Tobin, president of HAN-TEK. “With only one crane currently functional, the ability of the Long Sault Control Dam to control water levels could be compromised if this work were not completed soon.

“Restoring the damaged crane to service, bringing both cranes up to current industry standards, and installing radio controls that allow them to be operated from the dam level represent dramatic leaps in reliability, safety and efficiency for the Long Sault Dam,” Tobin adds. “Particularly important are the new AC inverter infinitely-variable-speed drives, which allow precise control of the cranes’ movements.”

HAN-TEK’s work also will include: new motors, controls and festoon system; rail brakes to prevent unwanted crane movement; new gearing in high-capacity hoist gearboxes; new wire ropes; and load cells to display the weight of items lifted and prevent the lifting of excess-capacity loads. HAN-TEK will also train NYPA workers to operate and maintain the cranes.

Further, the NYPA contract requires HAN-TEK to remove asbestos and to clean the cranes. In keeping with environmental standards, accumulated bird droppings will be disposed of using a “super sucker” so that contaminants will not enter the St. Lawrence River. New barriers will be installed to discourage birds from entering the crane area.

In addition, load testing – which requires some 86,000 gallons of water -- will rely not on chlorinated water but on river water that can be safely returned to the St. Lawrence.

HAN-TEK expects to complete refurbishment of the damaged north crane by November 2005 and to complete the entire project by the first half of 2006, weather permitting. The Moses-Saunders Power Dam will continue to generate normal amounts of electricity while the upgrades are being performed.

HAN-TEK, Inc., an ISO 9001:2000 registered company, customizes advanced automation technology to optimize manufacturing-assembly and product-distribution systems. Founded in 1961, HAN-TEK specializes in systems automation and robotics, integrated conveyors, overhead cranes, and controls.

To learn more about this project and other HAN-TEK capabilities, call 800-836-0237