Global Marine mark delivery of 80th digital X-Ray camera

• 8 March 2023
• Global Marine

Global Marine, a market leader in subsea fibre optic cable installation including cable data and route engineering as well as cable maintenance and Universal Joint technology, has marked the delivery of its 80th ‘DXr1’ digital X-Ray camera to the market.

When introduced a decade ago, the DXr1 camera, used to inspect the integrity of submarine cable joints following jointing and repair operations, eliminated the need for film technology. This had immediate environmental and operational cost saving benefits, with film plates and chemicals no longer being shipped across the world or disposed of and is just one of the small ways in which Global Marine is looking at more sustainable operations.

The digital radiograph images produced by the DXr1 are available instantly allowing assessment to commence right away, in more detail than before and from anywhere in the world, saving around 75% in time spent compared to the more traditional film methods. In an industry where project delays can cost tens of thousands of dollars per day as vessels remain on standby for extended periods, time savings like this are crucial. The evaluation record and original images, retained electronically, negate the need for archiving and preservation of film plates.

Bruce Neilson-Watts, CEO of Global Marine Group said, “We’re proud that our digital X-Ray camera continues to be at the forefront of technology supporting the maintenance of the world’s critical telecommunications infrastructure. In the 10 years since we developed the camera, we have supplied 80 of these to customers around the world. And there’s no greater endorsement than our customers, the key players in the telecom industry, continuing to return time and again to supply multiple vessels in their fleet with our technology.”

The 80th unit was delivered to a cable installation vessel currently installing a trans-Pacific system, and has already completed joint X-Rays on its first project. Global Marine have an additional five DXr1 cameras on order, for delivery to customers early in 2023.