MTR100 '13 Saab Seaeye Ltd.

Marine Technology Reporter

20 Brunel Way, Segensworth East, Fareham,
Hampshire, PO15 5SD UK

Tel:     +44(0)1489 898 000
Fax:     +44(0)1489 898 001
Email:     [email protected]
Web:     www.seaeye.com

Managing Director:    Jon Robertson
Sales Director:     Matt Bates
Operations Director:    Mark Exeter

The Company
Saab Seaeye is a manufacturer of electric ROVs, and now includes Saab’s underwater vehicle range of tethered and hybrid underwater vehicle systems for both the defenxe and commercial markets. Accredited by DNV to ISO 9001 and ISO 18001, Saab Seaeye is a leading supplier of electric ROVs to the oil and gas industry, and a major ROV resource for defense forces, marine science and hydro-engineering. Saab Seaeye has facilities in both the U.K. and Sweden and employs more than 200 people. It has a turnover of $54 million and recently doubled the size of its manufacturing and engineering operations in the U.K.. Exports stand at over 80% of sales with the company represented and supported in 27 countries around the world, and Saab Seaeye has now opened an office in Houston, Texas.
More than 600 ROV systems have been sold, fitted with a range of standard and custom designed tooling that includes cameras, manipulators, survey sensors, cutters, tracking systems, sonar, torque tools and water jetting. The company also designs and manufactures a range of ROV handling devices including Tether Management Systems.

The Tech
Technologically, the Saab Seaeye range comes in size, power and tasking options that extend from the easily manhandled Falcon ROV, to the work-class Jaguar, rated to 3000m with an option to 6000. Across all systems a new concept is evolving called Technology Toolbox. This allows the distillation of core technology across the company’s entire range of products into a common architecture with a purity that creates the lowest number of parts at the least possible cost for the highest possible performance and quality. Commonalty of both software and hardware across vehicles of all complexities offer customers simpler repair and maintenance and easier upgrades. It also results in simplified and common training for operators using and maintaining the systems. Simplifying and standardizing system architecture reduces the number of components and sub-systems, increases flexibility, promotes understanding, reduces risk during system development and makes it easier and faster to bring new products to market and react quickly to changes. The Technology Toolbox is important in the further development of breakthrough concepts like the Intelligent Control of Nodes (iCON). This vital innovation makes every device within an underwater vehicle aware of its own status, predict failure and able to take action as necessary to keep the vehicle working.
iCON also lets engineers reach across the world into the heart of a vehicle through an internet gateway that gives them ready access to diagnostics, software upgrades and system inventory. Commercial Range outline.
• Falcon – A portable ROV for rapid deployment. Rated 300 and 1000m, with a one to one power to weight ratio.
• Tiger - Industry standard observation ROV. Rated 1000m.
• Lynx - with an additional vertical thruster and outlets for survey sensors. Rated 1500m.
• Cougar XT - Powerful and compact observation package with under-slung skid able to handle work tasks at lower cost with heavy-duty tooling. Four vector thrusters and two vertical thrusters give great power and manoeuvrability. Rated 2000m.
• Cougar XT Compact – A powerful new low-profile design ideally suited for working in the strong currents of shallow water and difficult-to-access places.
• Cougar XTi – A new concept ROV with self-diagnostics and modular control system. Rated 3000m.
• Panther XT - Large and powerful ROV that challenges hydraulic work ROV systems. Rated 1500m.
• Panther XT Plus – 50% more powerful than its class and with 10 powerful thrusters, the fastest swimming ROV.
• Jaguar - The largest in the range. An electric work class ROV with full redundancy and rated to 3000m with option to 6000m.
• Sabertooth is a hybrid AUV/ROV concept that combines the technologies of both AUV and ROV into a single unified resource with the autonomy functions and on-board power of an AUV and maneuverability and tooling of a light-work ROV.
 

(As published in the July/August 2013 edition of Marine Technologies - www.seadiscovery.com)

Marine Technology Magazine, page 72, Jul 2013

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