New Switchable Magnet Launched as Tool for ROVs
Norway’s Miko Marine AS has developed a powerful magnet to be used as a practical and versatile tool for ROV operators. Incorporating patented technology that increases its performance, the magnet has been designed so that it can be switched-on and off by an ROV manipulator and used for a wide range of applications underwater. The new magnet can be applied instantly to any steel structure where it is capable of holding weights up to 750 kg and it can significantly reduce the amount of time required for an ROV to undertake a task.
Typical uses could be to quickly provide a stable anchor point for an ROV during welding or inspection work or for the temporary storage of tools while work is in progress. The ROV Magnet’s adhesion power also makes it a quick and easily applied fixing point during lifting operations or to provide a convenient solution for securely positioning instruments, lights or cameras exactly where they are needed.
The Miko ROV Magnet functions completely mechanically without the need for cables or wires and permits gentle contact with painted surfaces on subsea structures or when used while working on fragile wrecks or other objects vulnerable to damage. It is compatible with all common types of manipulator claw (parallel, three-finger or four-finger) and is supplied with an interchangeable fixing bracket that Miko can customise to meet the user’s needs and to ensure that the most suitable one can be chosen for the job in hand. For additional holding power it can be used in conjunction with other magnets while retaining its simple on/off functionality. In this way it can be used to provide stability to a large work class ROV or for undertaking heavy lifting and should become an essential part of any ROV’s normal equipment package.
Miko’s new ROV Magnet is contained within a SS 316L stainless steel housing that is combined with a high quality pressure compensator to ensure that it can resist corrosion at all depths. It is supplied in its own specially designed travel and storage case to ensure that it is completely isolated and compliant with air transport regulations. Miko can also supply a range of new shielding packages that are now available for use by existing users of its magnets who may have a need to transport or safely store the products they already possess.
Miko Marine specializes in the use of magnets for marine and offshore applications and has unrivalled experience in their use. The company also manufactures a range of magnetic patches that may be used to provide an instant water-tight seal for damaged ships or storage tanks. These have been responsible for preventing the sinking of ships on numerous occasions or for preventing the escape of marine pollutants.
Miko Marine AS is based in Oslo, Norway, from where it also provides a range of salvage and support products for the marine industry. The company’s most recent innovation has been the Moskito oil recovery tool that was recently introduced as the first tool that can enable bunker fuels and other hydrocarbon cargoes to be quickly and easily extracted from the tanks of sunken vessels.