Cable Lubrication Equipment

The Xtreme™ Cable Lubricator was designed by Rovsco engineers to thoroughly lubricate and protect ROV umbilicals and wire ropes with Snokote-CL using high pressure lubricant pump. The Xtreme Cable Lubricators are used to coat new cables before they are put into service or existing cables while on job.

Their use does not hinder or effect regular work schedule and they can be installed, used and removed without stoppage of work or causing any delays. The easy installation, use and removal of this tool lets the offshore personnel maintain a regular lubricating schedule for their cables to keep them corrosion free. This results in longer life of the cables and savings on replacement costs.

To protect wire rope or ROV lift umbilical against marine corrosion, Snokote is applied under high pressure to penetrate and coat armor wires, with specially designed cable lubricators. Split seals are fitted around the wire rope or ROV lift umbilical and clamped in place by tightening the two halves of the lubricator. The unit is coupled to a air-powered high pressure lubricant pump via a flexible hose, and Snokote is forced into the lubricator chamber.

A good coat and penetration deep within the armor wire layers is achieved by controlling the speed of the cable traveling through the lubricator and by adjusting the Snokote pressure entering the chamber. Snokote pressure entering the chamber can be varied by controlling the air flow to the lubricant pump. Air supply to the lubricant pump should be between 90 – 100 psi. During lubrication of a compact, non- rotating wire rope, with seals in good condition, Snokote pressure inside the chamber will rise to approx. 2000 psi, allowing lubrication deep within the armor wire layers.

To keep the lubricator stationary while the wire rope is traveling through it during the lubrication process, the lubricator is anchored by two chains to any fixed object, such as a guard rail.

Coating of wire rope or ROV lift umbilical every three to four months is recommended to provide good and continuous protection against corrosion in ocean and marine environment.

Snokote Application Movie (Windows Media)

Features

• Robust – designed for offshore operations
• Accommodates wide range of cables and wire ropes
• Designed to be used with high pressure lubricant pumps
• Unique seal design – ensures lubricant penetration within the inner cores of the armor wires resulting in total lubrication and displacement of any trapped seawater
• Allows installation of pressure gauge to monitor lubricant pressure inside the chamber
• Provides thin but thorough coating of the cable
• Minimal wastage of lubricant
• Easy installation, use and removal; without hindering regular offshore operations
  

Applications

• ROV umbilicals (onshore/offshore)
• Wire ropes on work boats and barges
• Wire ropes on offshore platforms
• Offshore cranes
  

Associated Products

• Snokote CL

Optional Equipment

• Ram-Air Pump
  (to transfer Snokote CL from containers)

Features:

• Requires 100 psi air
• Robust – designed for any work site
• Delivers consistent lubricant pressure
• Reliable, requires minimal maintenance

Options:

• 5-gallon metal pail pump
• 55-gallon drum pump

Additional Information
The following document is available to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:

Xtreme Data Sheet

Lubrication Procedure
Directions for lubricating cables with Snokote® CL
using Rovsco’s Xtreme® High-Pressure Lubricator are as follows:

1. Open the lubricator.

2. The middle section in the lubricator is the lubricating chamber. This is where the lubricant enters at high pressure and coats the cable. On either side of the Lubricating Chamber there are slots for seals to fit in.

The internal diameter (ID) of the seals should be preferably 1 to 2 mm less than the umbilical/wire rope (OD) diameter.

When inside the lubricator, the conical (cup) sur-face of the seals on either side of the lubricating chamber, should point toward the lubricating chamber. Install seals by opening them at their splits and fitting them on umbilical/wire rope. Place the lubricator fitting the seals on either side of the lubricating chamber. Turn the seals so that when lubricator is closed, the seal splits will face the lubricator wall and not any opening. The lubricator should now be closed. Tighten the bolts enough
to seal the lubricator. (Do not overtighten.)

3. The lubricator uses two chains tied to its side tabs to keep it stationary during the lubrication process. The lubricator has chain tabs on both ends, use the tabs on end where the cable enters. The other end of the chains is anchored to any strong support such as a handrail.

4. Check both ends of the lubricator to see if the seal-splits are tightly closed and there are no voids or gaps. (If the seal splits are not tightly together, it can result in spillage and wastage of the lubricant and inadequate lubrication.)

Xtreme Cable Lubricator

Lubrication Procedure continued:

5. A good coat and penetration of Snokote CL deep within the armor layers is achieved by controlling the speed of cable and adjustment of lubricant pressure inside the Lubricating chamber. By ad-justing the air flow going into the pump, lubricant pressure inside the lubricating chamber can be controlled. Air supply to the pump is required between 85 – 100 psi. During lubricating a com-pact, non-rotating cable/wire rope and with good seals, the pressure inside the lubricating chamber will rise, allowing Snokote CL to penetrate deep into the armor layers. When Snokote CL inside
the pail (or drum) is about to run out, lubrication should be halted and empty pail replaced to avoid any dry run of the cable.

6. An indication of a good lubrication is a thin layer of Snokote CL on cable surface. If thick blobs appear, check the condition of seals and replace them if necessary.

7. It should be emphasized that lubricant pene-tration into the armor depends upon the condition of the cable/wire rope you are lubricating. If the cable has so much corrosion that there are no gaps left within the steel armor for lubricant to penetrate, then cable lubrication will not result in much benefit. Cables should not be allowed to deteriorate to this extent. A regular schedule of lubrication on a cable every three to four months should provide excellent results and should keep the cable corrosion-free and looking like new for
a long time

Distributors
Malaysia, Brunei,
and all Petronas work locations:

Japan:

Distributors Wanted
ROVSCO, Inc. is actively seeking distributors for our products in the U.S. and most international markets. If your company is interested in becoming a distributor, please contact us.

Additional Information
To request more product information, contact us.