WCA September 2013

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20 Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2013
International rope manufacturer
Bridon has launched a state-of-the-art
facility for the development of the
world’s most advanced offshore ropes.
The Bridon Technology Centre (BTC)
houses a range of purpose-built
equipment to test rope properties and
performance, enabling Bridon to refine
complex rope constructions and
optimise their design. The facility is
set to develop the largest and most
sophisticated rope products ever made
available to offshore customers.
Bridon has cited offshore industry
demand as a key reason for the
centre’s development, noting the
sector’s need for stronger, more
sophisticated ropes that can perform
at the highest levels in the world’s
most punishing environments.
Bridon has invested £5 million in the
centre’s custom-made testing and
analysis equipment, which is designed
to evaluate advanced rope
constructions for their suitability in
even the most challenging conditions.
The facility has the capacity to test
samples from ropes that will weigh
hundreds of tonnes, assessing their
strength under extreme loads, their
endurance against bend fatigue, their
rotational characteristics, and their
response to repeated layering on
smaller, more economical spools.
It is also invested with the latest 3D
microscope technology to examine
ropes in minute detail, allowing for
some of the most rigorous
examinations ever conducted.
BTC also affords Bridon the
opportunity to work with customers on
selected technical projects. Over the
coming months, the company is
expected to enter talks with major
operators looking to optimise a rope
for their equipment or application.
The launch of the Bridon Technology
Centre follows the opening of Bridon
Neptune Quay in November 2012 – a
state-of-the-art manufacturing facility
capable of producing the largest and
most complex ropes in the world.
Bridon chief executive Jon Templeman
said: “BTC will be a high-tech hub for
next generation rope development,
where the finest minds in rope
technology use sophisticated testing
equipment to validate the designs of
the largest and most complex ropes
ever made.
“Following the launch of BTC and
Bridon Neptune Quay, Bridon now
operates the world’s most advanced
rope development, manufacturing and
testing facilities – giving us both the
brains and the brawn required of a
global technology leader.”
Bridon International Ltd – UK
Website:
New advanced offshore rope development facility
❍
❍ The world’s most advanced ropes will
come from Bridon’s facility