November 2013 Tube Products International
9
business & market news
Prisma wins ‘red dot’ award
for product design
The skills and expertise of Sonatest
Ltd, in partnership with LA Design,
impressed the 37-strong jury of industry
experts who judged the ‘red dot award:
product design awards in 2013’ with the
new Prisma.
Those who succeed in winning their
class group are able to associate
themselves with the red dot branding
and positioning within an internationally
recognised field of product design
appreciation and expertise. This year
the red dot competition received 4,662
entries in 19 different categories.
Designed for non-invasive material
testing in extreme environments,
the Prisma incorporates advanced
real-time imaging and 3D scanning,
making flaw interpretation easier,
and reducing technician time on-site.
Design features include advanced heat
dissipation, shock-absorbing over-
moulding, anti-vibration mounts, high-
end waterproofing, user ergonomics
and a highly engineered skeleton for
enhanced robustness.
These integral design features,
combined with advanced software
and multiple inspection modes, enable
the Prisma to step up to all testing
applications in a variety of challenging
environments, from oil pipelines to
aerospace components.
With integral data recording and
automatic PDF report generation,
the Prisma has wireless and Ethernet
connectivity, allowing the unit to be
easily upgraded or diagnosed remotely.
Prof Dr Peter Zec, initiator and CEO
of red dot, has pointed out that strong
design competence and economic
success go hand-in-hand: “The winners
of the ‘red dot award: product design
2013’ are the protagonists of a highly
developed design culture and design
industry. These days it is becoming
more and more difficult to distinguish
between well-designed products. It is
often only in the details that the special
qualities become apparent. However,
those product creations that pass
the test before the critical eyes of the
international red dot jury will not fade
into the crowd and will be able to fend
off global competition.”
Winners of the red dot recognition
also benefit from their products being
displayed in the red dot design museum.
With around 2,000 products spread
over an area of more than 4,000m
2
, the
museum houses the largest exhibition of
contemporary design worldwide.
Sonatest Ltd
– UK
Sonatest’s Prisma is a 2013 red dot
award winner
Contract for pipelay support vessels
A joint venture formed by Technip and
DOF has been awarded by Petróleo
Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) eight contracts,
covering the construction of four new
pipelay support vessels (PLSVs) and
operation in Brazilian waters to install
flexible pipes. The combined value for
Technip is approximately €1.35bn.
Two of the PLSVs will have a 300-
ton laying tension capacity and will be
fabricated in Brazil with a high national
content. The other two vessels will
be designed to achieve a 650-ton
laying tension capacity, enabling the
installation of large diameter flexible
pipes in ultra-deepwater environments,
such as the Brazilian pre-salt.
Vard Holdings Limited, one of the major
global designers and shipbuilders of
offshore and specialised vessels, will be
in charge of the design and construction
of the four PLSVs.
Under the joint venture agreement,
Technip will manage flexible pipelay,
and DOF will be responsible for marine
operations. Delivery of the PLSVs is
scheduled for 2016-2017. Contracts will
last eight years from start of operations,
and could be renewed for another eight-
year period.
Frédéric Delormel, Technip’s executive
vice president and chief operating
officer subsea, commented, “This
strategic contract reinforces our subsea
leadership in Brazil and our long-
term relationship with Petrobras. We
are confident that these new state-of-
the-art PLSVs, including two with the
most important flexible pipelay tension
capacity in the world – 650 tons – will be
key assets for our client to successfully
achieve its projects offshore Brazil.”
Mons S Aase, DOF’s chief executive
officer, added, “The contracts confirm
that our cooperation with Technip on
the Skandi Vitória and Skandi Niterói
has been successful, and reinforces our
position as a leading provider of offshore
vessels to the Brazilian O&G industry. It
comes as a result of our long-term
focus on the Brazilian market and is an
acknowledgment of the expertise of our
people.”
Roy Reite, Vard’s chief executive officer
and executive director, commented, “I
look forward to working with Technip
and DOF on these milestone projects.
Vard yards both in Europe and Brazil
being chosen to build these vessels
illustrates the value of having a
global presence when working with
international clients, and bringing
leading edge technology to new
markets.”
Technip
– France
