The partnership brings a practical new capability to SCS’s international customer base: the ability to repair and manufacture micro-circular subsea cable assemblies in-house, in the field and when required, rather than relying on specialist manufacturers and potentially lengthy lead times.
DRE’s reusable mould kits are designed specifically for micro-circular subsea cables and are a proven solution in applications including ROV lighting and camera cables, pan & tilt cables, ADCP communications, datalogger-to-sensor connections, and battery-pack extensions.
Reducing Downtime at the Point of Need
For subsea operators, a damaged cable or requirement for a small number of bespoke cable assemblies can create a disproportionate impact on project schedules.
Offshore mobilization, vessel time, logistics, and specialist manufacturing lead times can all add cost and delay to what may otherwise be a relatively straightforward engineering requirement.
The DRE system is designed to change that equation.
Compact, reusable, and field-deployable, the Cable Mould Kits put cable repair and low-volume manufacturing capability directly into the hands of the operator.
The system can be deployed where it is needed, enabling operators to respond to cable requirements without necessarily waiting for a replacement assembly to be manufactured and shipped.
One kit can potentially pay for itself the first time it prevents a day of offshore downtime.
“This is exactly the type of practical technology that SCS wants to bring to the subsea market,” said Callum Magee, Managing Director of Subsea Commercial Services Ltd. “It isn’t simply about supplying another piece of equipment. It is about giving our customers the capability to solve a problem themselves, when and where that problem occurs.
“For offshore operators, avoiding even a single day of unnecessary downtime can have a significant financial and operational impact. These are field-proven, reusable solutions that can help limit downtime and de-risk testing programs and subsea projects.”
Reusable Mold. Replaceable Insert. Maximum Flexibility.
A key feature of the DRE system is its interchangeable insert technology.
Standard inserts cover cable diameters from 7–12 mm, while blank inserts can be drilled by the user on-site to accommodate non-standard cable diameters.
Crucially, the mould body itself does not need to be modified.
This means operators can retain the value of the reusable mould while adapting the system to different cable diameters by changing out the low-cost insert.
The result is a system designed to be faster, more flexible, and more economical for operators working with different cable diameters and low-volume requirements, with the current offering including both straight inline and Y-splice reusable mould kits, with replacement inserts available separately. The mould kits can include client company logos to deboss the logo onto the cable mould, further enhancing the offering.
SCS to Supply One-Stop Procurement Solution
As part of the new partnership, SCS can also supply customers with all the consumable materials required to produce the cable molds, providing a complete solution rather than simply supplying the mould hardware.
This enables customers to source the mould system and associated materials through a single specialist subsea supplier, helping to simplify procurement and ensure the required resources are available when the system is deployed.
Designed for the Real-World Subsea Environment
The technology is particularly suited to organizations operating remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), subsea instrumentation, marine science equipment, environmental monitoring systems, and other subsea technologies incorporating micro-circular cables.
DRE says its systems are designed to enable low-volume cable products to be produced quickly and field repairs to be undertaken offshore, helping operators take greater control over their cable supply chain.
Ross Wilson, Founder and Director of Dead Reckoning Engineering Ltd, explained: “The Cable Mould started with my frustration at single-use splice kits. A lot of subsea downtime comes from small cable problems and the wait for someone else to fix them, and I wanted to be in control of my own repairs and production.
“A reusable mould and low-cost inserts let operators make or repair a micro-circular cable themselves. SCS knows this market and its customers well, and I’m pleased to be working with them to get the kits in front of more of the people who need them.”
For SCS, the partnership represents an expansion of its specialist subsea technology portfolio and its ability to provide customers with practical tools designed to address operational challenges at source.
“The philosophy behind this technology fits extremely well with what we are trying to achieve at SCS,” added Magee. “Subsea projects are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but some of the most frustrating delays can still come from relatively small components or repairs. Giving operators the ability to manufacture or repair a cable themselves can remove an unnecessary dependency from the project.
“We are delighted to be able to make this capability available to our global customer base.”
Global Availability Through SCS
Under the agreement, SCS will provide global commercial access to the mould technology, with the manned submersibles sector excluded from the exclusivity agreement.
The partnership is expected to support customers across the offshore energy, marine science, ocean technology, hydrographic survey, ROV, environmental monitoring, and subsea engineering sectors.
