Stainless UK has manufactured stainless steel profiled plates to be used as thruster back plates and gussets on a deep water subsea CPT testing system rig.
Cone Penetration Testing was developed in the 1950s as a method of establishing the bearing capacity of soft ground into which foundation piles were to be driven. More recently the technique has been used to test the strength of soft sea bed at depths of up to 3,000 metres.
Stainless UK manufactured the profiles for the 12mm thick Grade 316 stainless back plates and gussets using a high definition water injection plasma cutter in their Sheffield factory. This technique produces a clean, square edged, high tolerance profile – an essential requirement of the product.
“We have a range of facilities including plasma cutting to meet the specialised needs of customers in the subsea sector and the other markets in which we operate”, said Tim Wells, managing director of Stainless UK.
The plates were then machined to provide a central spot face with locating holes and also drilled and tapped fixing points on the outer face. The gusset plates were welded together and bolted into position.
Stainless UK specialise in the supply of marine grade stainless steel undersea and coastal applications. Other recent projects include the supply of Grip-Bar fully threaded bars for use in a test rig to measure the flow of waves and currents.
Press Release, September 26, 2013