The award-winning subsea training and testing facility, The Underwater Centre, has added the FMC Schilling TITAN 4 syllabus to its current ROV training suite.
The course familiarizes candidates with all major components of the TITAN T4 manipulator and provides system operation and routine maintenance procedures.
The Centre has adapted the course to offer extensive operational practice through specific activities designed to give candidates familiarity with the manipulator in use.
There will be multiple deliveries of the course throughout the year and it is included in the Centre’s seven-week Premium ROV Course. The two day course will be integrated into the ROV Tooling module and offered as a stand-alone option as well.
The FMC Schilling Manipulator was donated to the Centre by Fugro and upgraded by FMC Schilling Robotics from a TITAN 3 to a TITAN 4. The TITAN 4 represents the industry standard for position controlled manipulator operations used in work class ROV applications.
The development of this manipulator has featured extensively in the advancement in remote technology applications, in the harshest of marine environments, and deserves its reputation as the proven system of choice for all major ROV operators and their clients alike. This training provides a vital addition to the skill-set of any ROV pilot technician.
Steven Cullen, The Underwater Centre’s ROV Operations Manager, said: “I believe this is a fantastic opportunity for The Underwater Centre to extend our training provision to include state-of-the-art manipulator training, sanctioned and approved by the industry’s leading manufacturer, FMC Schilling Robotics.
“What it means for industry is that there is now a second option for ROV personnel to train on the T4, in accordance with the official syllabus from FMC Schilling Robotics. The Underwater Centre is ideally placed to extend the workshop training to encompass real-world operational experience.
“For work class operations, the effective use of the T4 is as vital as piloting skills and traditionally has been over-looked as a requisite competency for effective operations. The Underwater Centre offers both a technical/engineering element to this type of training and an opportunity for personnel to develop those vital operational skills needed.”
Mike Thomson, Regional Manager, Europe & West Africa, at FMC Schilling Robotics, added “We understand the vital role that effective training plays in our industry. Not only can effective training increase operator safety, it can contribute to increased productivity, as well as reduced equipment maintenance and repair costs.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with The Underwater Centre, supporting their delivery of highly relevant TITAN 4 Manipulator product familiarization to their candidates.”
ROV pilot technician candidates benefit from The Underwater Centre’s unique training elements, including time on Loch Sunart – the Centre’s ROV support vessel, which is fitted with an operational work class ROV – providing students with invaluable first-hand experience in all areas of ROV operations and mobilization, from launch and recovery to operating a suite of ROV navigation sensors as part of in-water practical exercises; features unavailable at any other facility. Candidates also have full use of the ROV electrical and mechanical workshops, as well as the Centre’s VMAX simulator suite.
With accommodation and additional classrooms based at the landward end of the pier, The Underwater Centre is set up to provide its students with the skills and experience to succeed in their new careers, and continue providing the subsea industry with the workforce that it needs.