SMD is one of the world’s leading subsea equipment manufacturers committed to high quality and performance backed up by thorough engineering and solid support. SMD offers the largest range of subsea products, from work class ROVs to specialised trenching ROVs, ploughs and tracked vehicles.
Work class ROVs
The Q-series work class ROV range comprises three core vehicles – Quasar Compact, Quasar and Quantum – each offering different capabilities in areas such as torpedo recovery, IRM, submarine rescue and survey.
The Quasar Compact is currently the smallest hydraulic work class ROV on the market (similar in size to a large electric ROV). It is ideal for those who want the power of a work class ROV but are restrained by limited deck-space. The vehicle can run all standard work class hydraulic tooling and offers excellent in-current performance using its versatile hydraulic power source.
The Quasar is a general-purpose work class ROV suitable for those who wish to have the current holding capability and instrument interfaces of Quantum but in a smaller, more agile package. Quasar is ideal for survey and medium-duty underwater construction tasks.
The Quantum is a heavy-duty construction class vehicle designed for those seeking an ultra-stable platform capable of operating in high-current conditions. Quantum can carry a large payload and is designed to utilize a vast array of instruments and cope with power-intensive deepwater tasks.
Subsea winches
The work class ROVs can be rated for depths to 4,000m. As standard they are supplied as turnkey systems with SMD-designed tether management systems and launch and recovery systems.
Cable burial systems
SMD is recognised as the world leader in subsea earth-moving machines and cable burial systems. SMD offers a range of standard or bespoke trenching systems to suit specific ground conditions. These include ploughs, track-based mechanical cutters and ROV-based jetters.
Standard ploughs include the 80t bollard pull multi-depth 3m plough (MD3) which is designed to provide effective trenching capability from zero to 3m depth in a compact and light package. Its performance can be enhanced with jetting and rock ripping upgrades. The heavy duty 3m plough (HD3) offers higher cable protection capability through increased bollard pull, enabling deeper trenching in harder ground, including rock. Coupled with a tow winch, umbilical and LARS system, SMD is able to supply a turnkey cable burial solution.
SMD offers a range of ROV-based jetters. The smallest is a 150kW power machine for light cable maintenance up to 1m deep; we also supply a 300kW power machine for typical cable maintenance and installation needs up to 1.5m to 2m deep. Higher power 600kW and 900kW machines for deep burial to 3m are available, and the largest machine to date is the 2,100kW for ultra heavy duty trenching in hard ground. All can be supplied as turnkey systems with an SMD-designed umbilical and LARS.
SMD has built a number of bespoke track-based mechanical trenchers for the burial of cables and pipelines in clays and rock. It has also constructed many ploughs and mechanical trenchers which can carry reels of cable on the subsea machine, enabling safe and rapid deployment of short cables without the need for a surface lay vessel.
Cable lay systems
SMD have a range of cable lay engines for the laying of telecommunication cables in deep water. The range includes multi-wheeled linear, drum engines and the unique safe fleet drum cable engine (SFDCE) for holding up to 40t back tension with electric or hydraulic drives. The SFDCE uses a unique fleeting system, which makes it very suited to deploying sensitive cables rapidly without the need for mechanical knives or rings which can damage the cable.
Launch and recovery systems
SMD offers stand-alone launch and recovery equipment (LARS) to support all types of subsea manned or unmanned vehicle systems. This includes air portable A-frame for rescue submarines, and a wide range of road transportable work class ROV deployment winches and A-frames for varying sea states from shallow to deep water. Specifically designed high sea state, A-frames and winches are also available for larger vehicles such as trenching ROVS, ploughs and tractors.
