Nexans Cables Meet Changing Needs of ROV Manufacturers

Nexans, a worldwide expert in the cable industry, at Oceanology 2012 showcased its wide range of cable solutions developed to meet the specific needs of workclass ROV manufacturers and operators.

Visitors to stand D250 could find out how Nexans is building on many years of experience in the subsea marine industry to utilize new designs and materials to produce tailor-made cables capable of deployment at ever increasing depths. Examples of some of the different types of ROV cables offered by Nexans were on show, including lift umbilicals that can take the strain of onboard winching and flexible tether cables that ensure maximum mobility subsea.

 ROV Umbilicals – for depths down to 7,000 metres

Nexans is a well established supplier of cables for the global ROV market, with the capability to draw on a wide range of standard electrical and fibre elements that, combined with customized armouring packages, create highly dynamic, torque balanced, compact solutions that deliver the essential reliability and robustness required for subsea applications.

Nexans’ specialized ROV cable manufacturing facility in Norway can produce steel armoured umbilicals for vehicles commonly used for trenching, ploughing, maintenance and drill support applications. The cables are typically designed with a two or three layer torque balanced armouring and 3 phase power supply, instrumentation and fibre optics. The typical depth rating is 2000 to 4000 metres.

Deep water umbilicals are designed for dynamic deep water applications rated down to 7000 metres and the conductors and fibre optics are armoured with special aramid yarns providing high strength. They are used typically in deep water mining.

The umbilical cables are easy to maintain in salt water environments through simple cleaning, hosing and greasing and offer the versatility to operate with complete reliability in harsh environments.

ROV tethers – designed for durability

Nexans flexible and durable TMS (Tether Management System) cables are designed for use with ROVs deployed in tethered applications or directly from the surface for smaller ROVs. They are strong, lightweight, neutral and positively buoyant and are suitable for use in a variety of underwater applications.

Layers of high strength, lightweight armouring yarns provide the ideal combination of tensile and torque strength.

Innovation through experience

Nexans is able to call on many years of experience in combination with a high level of technical expertise to work in partnership with ROV manufacturers and operators to develop the ideal cable solution for every application, with the emphasis on reliability, long-life and minimized TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). The development and manufacturing process is supported by extensive mechanical, electrical and optical testing in Nexans’ own in-house facilities and external facilities that are able to carry out additional qualification tests as required.

As part of its extensive service support package, Nexans can provide customers with training and advice on how best to handle and maintain dynamic ROV cables to ensure their reliability and longevity.

 Spooling service

In response to the growing demand for a ready to use product, Nexans is now able to offer spooling on to a customer’s own winch drum for delivery direct to their operating vessel. This not only saves time, Nexans’ experience with handling ROV cables enables it to guarantee the quality of the spooling operation, eliminating the risk associated with third-party spooling.

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Offshore Nieuws  Staff, March 26, 2012; Image:  Nexans