Material handling manufacturer called on to modernise Hoover Dam controls
27 October 2014Power, motion and radio controls firm Magnetek has sealed a $1m-plus order to modernise the controls on four 300-ton power plant cranes for the Hoover Dam.
The company is partnering with Nevada-based Precision Crane & Hoist Services on the project with Magnetek controls set for installation on each of the four cranes over a seven-month period. The first installation is scheduled for December, 2014.
Dan Beilfuss, director of sales at Magnetek, said: "Along with our partner on the project, we are very pleased to be able to assist the Bureau of Reclamation with the modernization of the cranes used in the Hoover Dam Power Plant.
"The new crane control systems we are designing will utilize our technologically advanced drives and radio controls, providing crane operators at the Hoover Dam Power Plant with improved productivity, safety and reliability."
Magnetek will retrofit aging AC static crane controls with its own technology that includes adjustable frequency drive panels and radio remote controls.
In addition, Magnetek will provide "complete control systems engineering and integration" in order to meet the specifications of the Bureau of Reclamation, which is the operator of the Hoover Dam.
"The Hoover Dam has two power plant wings, one located in Nevada and one located in Arizona. Each power plant wing is 650 feet long and rises nearly 300 feet above the foundation of the power plant," said Magnetek.
It added: "Two 300-ton cranes are located inside each power plant wing and are used to move and maintain the 17 main vertical hydraulic turbines housed in the wings.
"The Hoover Dam Power Plant, one of the country's largest hydroelectric installations, generates approximately 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power on average each year, enough to serve 1.3 million people in Arizona, Nevada, and California."
