Page 27: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2010)

www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 27

MTR 100

SMD Ltd

Turbinia Works, Davy Bank

Wallsend, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

NE28 6UZ www.smd.co.uk

CEO: Andrew Hodgson

Sales Director: Mike Jones

Operations Director: Peter Imlah

Technical Director: Paul Atkinson

Finance Director: Richard Lowery

Commercial Director: Richard Howarth

Sales Manager ROVs: Mark Collins

Sales Manager Trenchers/Specials: Graeme Walker

Test Facilities • Extensive site with main workshop housing 2 x 50te overhead cranes, • Space for 4 x parallel WROV system manufacture and large vehicle/device manufacture • Height clearance for indoor A-Frame and testing. Winch test bed. • Indoor 3m deep test tank, Outdoor 4m deep large diameter test tank. • Dedicated training centre with ROV simulator • Riverside position with large quayside

Founded as Soil Machine Dynamics in 1971 by Dr Alan

Reece, SMD was the first company to successfully devel- op machines for subsea cable and pipeline burial using remote control technology. Thirty-nine years later, SMD is still a leader in this field servicing the telecoms, oil and gas, renewable and military markets. In 2003 SMD pur- chased Hydrovision and added Work Class ROVs to its portfolio. It is now the largest manufacturer of Work

Class ROVs in the world offering a wide range of systems covering a broad market. In 2007 SMD started develop- ment of the worlds’ first subsea bulk mining system. Fully remote controlled, these large machines will enter service 2012 and harvest rich metal deposits in water up to 2.5km deep. In 2009 SMD started manufacture of a prototype full scale 1MW subsea tidal power generator. First trials of the device are scheduled mid 2010. In 2010 SMD

Robotics was added to the company to concentrate on remote tooling applications and nuclear decommission- ing. SMD is a privately owned limited company. SMD’s product range is extensive and includes the following:

Work Class ROV Systems • Quantum XP 150hp–250hp Constr. Class WROV • Quasar General Purpose 125hp WROV • Atom Compact 60hp – 100hp WROV • Five models of Tether Management System (TMS) including Tophat, Garage and thruster equipped variants

Deck Equipment • A-frames and Gantry launchers with safe working loads ranging from 5te - 200te. Telescopic, soft umbilical, dip- ping and cursor launch variants • Winches. 5te – 200te, constant tension and lift, soft and SWA umbilical variants. • Passive heave compensation systems • Linear Cable Engines • Safe Fleet Drum Engines/Universal Handling Winches

Subsea Trenchers • A range of cable and pipeline trenching ROVs up to 2800hp and including the new Q-Trencher range • A range of Multi-Depth Cable Ploughs for telecoms and power cables and flexibles • A range of pipeline ploughs up to 400te bollard pull • Jetting sleds & pipe-riders for diverless pipe trenching • Tracked vehicles for trenching cables and pipelines, with designs incorporating cable reels for simultaneous lay

Mining Systems • SMD are developing the world’s first commercial deep- water seafloor mining systems

Renewable Energy • SMD have a free-stream tidal generating technology known as TidEl • Manufactured a 1MW tidal turbine for Atlantis

Resources Corporation

Curvetech Components • Range of HPUs, Intelligent valve packs (Servo, propor- tional and solenoid), Compensators, Thrusters and

Control systems

Special Projects • SMD excel in listening to customer requirements for subsea remote control applications and then applying our full range of in-house engineering disciplines and

Curvetech components to deliver innovative solutions with full after sales support. Examples include a 600kW

Fall Pipe ROV.

MODUS

Quantum

SMD consists of several business streams: • SMD Work Class ROV Systems • SMD Trenchers and Specials • SMD Renewables, • SMD Robotics • SMD Mining Systems