HARRISBURG, Pa., May 6, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Worldwide industrial services and engineered products company Harsco Corporation (NYSE:HSC) announced today that its Harsco Rail unit has received new orders totaling close to $6 million for the Company's innovative Drone Tamper, a new and industry-unique configuration that enables railways to increase their track maintenance efficiency and reduce costs.
Ballast tamping is one of the most widely used methods for restoring track roadbed, but until now has required the use of multiple tamping machines and operators. Harsco's Drone Tamper incorporates two-way wireless Ethernet technology to work behind a conventional lead tamper as an unmanned, fully automated chase vehicle that can tamp track roadbed without an operator onboard. A radar-controlled warning system mounted on the Drone alerts track crews when they enter the unit's safety zone. Harsco engineers also designed the unit so that parts are interchangeable between the lead tamper and the Drone, resulting in sizable life-cycle cost savings for the customer.
The new units will be constructed at Harsco Rail's U.S. production facilities and delivered in three batches. The first units will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2010, the second shipments will follow in the first quarter of 2011 and the final units will ship in the first quarter of 2012. Harsco Rail is the largest provider of railway track maintenance of way services and equipment in North America and the second largest in the world. Its operations include facilities in the U.S., U.K. and Australia.
Harsco Corporation is one of the world's leading diversified industrial services and engineered products companies, serving major industries that play a fundamental role in worldwide economic growth and development. Harsco's common stock is a component of the S&P MidCap 400 Index and the Russell 1000 Index. Additional information can be found at www.harsco.com.
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