ALERON ACHIEVE OPERATIONAL AND COST EFFICIENCIES
FOR ROV MANIPULATOR OPERATIONS
ROV Owners & Operators are seeking cost and operational efficiencies more than ever before, due to the current global subsea climate. The ROV industry relies on dedicated research and technical innovation from its engineering suppliers, to identify these cost management opportunities.
Due to the harsh environment of Subsea operations, Offshore project managers are often met with the issue of significant ROV Manipulator repair or replacement costs following task completion. Despite the project budget having been determined and the ROV performing well, following demobilisation the operator can be faced with a five-figure repair charge, due to the harsh environment, heavy lifting, and sudden movements from the ROV in operation. To mitigate this recurring concern, many ROV Operators have decided to utilise Schilling Atlas 7R (rate controlled) arms alongside Schilling T4 7P (position controlled) Manipulators. The pairing of the two 7 function arms allows a lot more flexibility compared to the traditional combination of the T4 7P and 5 function grabbers. The Atlas 7R is stronger and more robust than the T4 and can be used where heavy-duty work could lead to harm of the T4. This pairing is becoming more
Courtesy of Aleron Limited
popular with ROV Operators who can see the advantages and realise the potential costs savings as well as reduced damage. Previously, it has been recognised that a limiting factor of the Atlas 7R was smooth control. Aleron identified this limitation following discussions with customers, ROV pilots, peers & partners, and set out to bring innovative solutions to market to address the issues and improve control to better support their client’s objectives. Often ROV Operators may not be selecting the most appropriate manipulator for the task in hand. The high value, high specification T4 is often beyond requirement and not suited to certain heavy and high vibration jobs. The T4 can be damaged when used for the wrong task or used incorrectly completing that task. Some ROV Operators have also commented on
Courtesy of Aleron Limited
ROVplanet | 53
