Umbilicals

Umbilical specialists

Umbilicals provide a connection between two points – for our customers they’re usually used for connecting underwater equipment to the surface.

They can be designed with almost any combination of cables and hoses to provide a range of services, including power, data, video, communication, water, air, chemicals, hydraulics, pneumatics and more.

Our umbilicals are designed to be deployed in challenging subsea environments, where they might be subjected to strong tides, high winds, waves, salt, chemicals, extreme temperature changes, abrasion, sunlight, ice, snow… the list goes on.

umbilicals

Fibron umbilicals

For this reason we have developed a range of highly effective protective measures, including braids, sheaths and armouring.

Our experienced designers will take the time to understand how and where the umbilical will be used, and will then specify the best combination of protective layers to provide the necessary strength and durability.

Fibron Umbilicals are suitable for use in many different market sectors, including offshore energy, offshore renewables, remotely operated vehicles, diving, defence, offshore wind, deep ocean research, seismic data acquisition, aquaculture, hull cleaning and aerospace.

Subsea Umbilical FAQs

Answers to common questions about subsea umbilicals, integrated services, static and dynamic applications, protection and complete engineered packages.

A subsea umbilical is a flexible assembly designed to transfer multiple services between two points, most commonly between surface equipment and a subsea system. Depending on the application, a single umbilical can combine electrical power, control signals, communications, fibre-optic data, video, hydraulic fluid, pneumatic services, gases, water or chemicals within one protected construction.

A bespoke umbilical can integrate power conductors, signal pairs, control circuits, coaxial elements, fibre optics, video and communications cables, hydraulic and pneumatic hoses, breathing gas, hot water, chemicals and other fluid services. Strength members, armour, buoyancy elements and protective layers can also be incorporated according to the installation and operating environment.

A static umbilical is normally installed in a relatively fixed position and is designed to provide long-term protection, stability and reliable interfaces. A dynamic umbilical is subjected to repeated movement, bending, tension or deployment and recovery cycles. Dynamic designs therefore require particular consideration of fatigue resistance, component lay, bend performance, flexibility and compatibility with the handling system.

The protective construction is determined by the conditions the umbilical will experience. These may include tensile loading, bending, abrasion, cuts, crushing, seawater exposure, chemicals, ultraviolet exposure, temperature changes and repeated handling. Fibron can use braids, extruded sheaths, steel-wire armour, high-performance fibre reinforcement, bedding layers and other protective measures to balance durability and strength with the required flexibility, diameter and weight.

Yes. Fibron can supply the umbilical together with mechanical terminations, electrical and optical connectors, hydraulic interfaces, bend stiffeners, bend restrictors, pull-in heads, hang-off arrangements, termination units, buoyancy modules, reels and installation equipment. Bringing these elements together through one engineering team helps reduce interface risk between the umbilical, its end fittings and the handling system.

Here to help

If you need an umbilical or cable and can’t immediately see what you’re looking for, please do get in touch. Most of our work is bespoke to the needs of a particular project, so we can’t show all of our capabilities on our website. As experts in our field, if you need a cable or umbilical, particularly for use in a challenging environment like offshore, there’s a good chance that we’ll be able to help.