Dynamic Load Monitoring (DLM) has expanded its range of line tension measurement technology, with a new device for measuring tension and creating holdback force on a single piece of subsea cable. The product combines the company’s Saddleback product with an additional Hold Back Tension element (SB-HBT).
The SB-HBT (it weighs 450kg) works by creating additional line tension on the subsea cable running through it, specifically for bundled cable lays. A Saddleback can measure line tension from 0 to 5,000kg and is suited for more delicate cable, including telecommunication cables or large cable where a Running Line Monitor is unsuitable. Moreover, a twin pair of Dunlop 18 x 7 SMO LCE tyres are connected to a hydraulic cylinder to clamp the two wheels together, and a disc braking system is used to control the rotational speed of the wheels on the SB-HBT. The device can create 750kg of clamping force between the wheels and holdback 500kg of line tension. On the top wheel there is an encoder to measure speed and distance. NKT is currently using the SB-HBT on a 22mm-diameter fibre optic cable.
