Subsea Commercial Services Ltd.
Partnership puts reusable cable repair and low-volume manufacturing capability directly in the hands of subsea operators worldwide
Subsea Commercial Services Ltd (SCS) has secured global commercial exclusivity, excluding the manned submersibles sector, for Dead Reckoning Engineering’s (DRE) innovative subsea cable mould systems, giving operators and technology developers worldwide access to a compact, reusable solution for subsea cable repair and low-volume cable manufacture.
The partnership brings a practical new capability to SCS’s international customer base: the ability to repair and manufacture micro-circular subsea cable assemblies in-house, in the field and when required, rather than relying on specialist manufacturers and potentially lengthy lead-times.
DRE’s reusable mould systems are designed specifically for micro-circular subsea cables and are a proven solution in applications including ROV lighting and camera cables, pan & tilt cables, ADCP communications, datalogger-to-sensor connections and battery-pack extensions.
Reducing downtime at the point of need
For subsea operators, a damaged cable or requirement for a small number of bespoke cable assemblies can create a disproportionate impact on project schedules.
Offshore mobilisation, vessel time, logistics and specialist manufacturing lead times can all add cost and delay to what may otherwise be a relatively straightforward engineering requirement.
The DRE system is designed to change that equation.
Compact, reusable and field-deployable, the Cable Mould puts cable repair and low-volume manufacturing capability directly into the hands of the operator.
The system can be deployed where it is needed, enabling operators to respond to cable requirements without necessarily waiting for a replacement assembly to be manufactured and shipped.
One kit can potentially pay for itself the first time it prevents a day of offshore downtime.
“This is exactly the type of practical technology that SCS wants to bring to the subsea market,” said Callum Magee, Managing Director of Subsea Commercial Services Ltd.
“It isn’t simply about supplying another piece of equipment. It is about giving our customers the capability to solve a problem themselves, when and where that problem occurs.
“For offshore operators, avoiding even a single day of unnecessary downtime can have a significant financial and operational impact. These are field-proven, reusable solutions that can help limit downtime and de-risk testing programmes and subsea projects.”
Reusable mould. Replaceable insert. Maximum flexibility.
A key feature of the DREsystem is its interchangeable insert technology.
Standard inserts cover cable diameters from 7–12mm, while blank inserts can be drilled by the user on-site to accommodate non-standard cable diameters.
Crucially, the mould body itself does not need to be modified.
This means operators can retain the value of the reusable mould while adapting the system to different cable diameters by changing out the low-cost insert.
The result is a system designed to be faster, more flexible and more economical for operators working with different cable diameters and low-volume requirements, with the current offeringincluding both straight inline and Y-splice reusable mould kits, with replacement inserts available separately. The mould kits can include client company logos to deboss the logo onto the cable mouldfurther enhancing the offering.
SCS to supply complete moulding materials
As part of the new partnership, SCS can also supply customers with all the consumable materials required to produce the cable moulds, providing a complete solution rather than simply supplying the mould hardware.
This enables customers to source the mould system and associated materials through a single specialist subsea supplier, helping to simplify procurement and ensure the required resources are available when the system is deployed.
Designed for the real-world subsea environment
The technology is particularly suited to organisations operating ROVs, subsea instrumentation, marine science equipment, environmental monitoring systems and other subsea technologies incorporating micro-circular cables.
DRE says its systems are designed to enable low-volume cable products to be produced quickly and field repairs to be undertaken offshore, helping operators take greater control over their cable supply chain.
For SCS, the partnership represents an expansion of its specialist subsea technology portfolio and its ability to provide customers with practical tools designed to address operational challenges at source.
“The philosophy behind this technology fits extremely well with what we are trying to achieve at SCS,” added Magee.
“Subsea projects are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but some of the most frustrating delays can still come from relatively small components or repairs. Giving operators the ability to manufacture or repair a cable themselves can remove an unnecessary dependency from the project.”
“We are delighted to be able to make this capability available to our global customer base.”
Global availability through SCS
Under the agreement, SCS will provide global commercial access to the mould technology, with the manned submersibles sector excluded from the exclusivity agreement.
The partnership is expected to support customers across the offshore energy, marine science, ocean technology, hydrographic survey, ROV, environmental monitoring and subsea engineering sectors.
Review Cable Mould product page here