- Technology and Innovation
DNV Certification Validates Igus Chainflex Cables for Offshore Operations
Certifying Offshore Motion
Supplying power and data to offshore installations requires hardware capable of withstanding constant physical abuse. Oil platforms, gas production facilities, and ship cranes depend entirely on energy systems that remain functional during severe weather and relentless wave action. To address these extreme demands, Igus partnered directly with classification society DNV to certify its chainflex cables specifically for dynamic maritime applications.
Evolving the Approval Process
Classification societies traditionally approve cables based on static properties like fire behavior. Prior to this partnership, no international standard addressed the unique friction and stress of cables flexing continuously inside an active energy chain. Igus and DNV spent more than three years developing a completely new test procedure to evaluate these dynamics. Following an upgrade to the standard in 2020, operators can now implement these cables without pursuing expensive special approvals.
Comprehensive Cable Architecture
Outfitting a complex marine asset requires a diverse electrical portfolio. The DNV-certified chainflex range includes over 370 distinct cables. This lineup covers critical control, servo, motor, and robot cables, alongside essential bus, data, encoder, and fiber optic variants. By consolidating power, signal, and communication lines, marine engineers can source the entire moving energy supply for an offshore application from a single certified manufacturer.
Resisting Contaminants and Mud
Offshore drilling environments expose equipment to highly corrosive and abrasive substances. Navigating these hazards requires strict adherence to specific industrial regulations, including NEK 606, the Norwegian standard for cables used in offshore applications. Within the certified chainflex lineup, 301 cables are officially classified as mud-resistant according to these Norwegian requirements. This specific chemical resilience proves critical for equipment operating directly around abrasive drilling fluids.
Unifying the Energy Chain
Every chainflex cable is engineered exclusively to handle continuous motion within energy chains. To ensure long-term operational stability, Igus backs the DNV-certified marine range with the same four-year guarantee applied to the rest of its industrial line. When paired with the manufacturer’s e-chain cable carriers, operators secure a fully integrated, moving energy supply system designed to outlast the harshest offshore conditions.
