When the client’s next-generation Envirocart unit required a modular umbilical winch engineered to its exact dimensional and operational constraints, TMT manufactured six GEN 3 Umbilical Reelers from the ground up, through to Factory Acceptance Testing.

A containerised system with no off-the-shelf solution

The client required a bespoke, modular umbilical winch to sit within their next-generation containerised cleaning unit. The winch would mount inside a standard-height side-opening shipping container fitted with a 5mm CORTEN steel floor, forming a key component of their containerised machinery unit (CMU). The dimensional, load and operational constraints of the  system ruled out any off-the-shelf solution.

TMT was engaged to deliver six GEN 3 Umbilical Reelers across end-to-end design, manufacture, assembly, testing and delivery.

The engineering challenge

Across the 16-month manufacturing window, design changes between concept and production were required, driven by evolving requirements, component availability and manufacturing constraints. Each revision carried the risk of affecting fit, form or function in a system with precise dimensional tolerances.

TMT’s engineering team worked directly alongside the client’s engineering team throughout, resolving each change at the point it emerged rather than absorbing the cost further into the production schedule. When project timelines shifted due to client financials, the schedule was renegotiated through direct, in-person engagement, keeping the programme moving without compromising the delivery standard.

The delivered system

Each of the six reelers was manufactured, assembled and tested to the full specification of the Envirocart operational environment. The completed units incorporated:

• An electric drive motor operated remotely via a variable speed drive (VSD)
• A pressure roller assembly maintains umbilical tension during reeling and ensures consistent drum wrap
• An electrical cabinet housing the VSD, MCB and isolator
• A control pendant for remote operation of the drive motor
• A Brake Sub-assembly holding the drum stationary under load and during non-operational periods

From a blank spec to field-ready equipment

Complex engineering programmes rarely run in a straight line, and this one was no exception. Scope expanded, timelines shifted and design decisions had to be revisited at multiple points across the project. What kept the programme on track was the directness of the collaboration: TMT’s engineers worked alongside the client’s team, resolving problems at the point they emerged rather than letting them compound.

The result is six fully compliant, FAT-tested umbilical reelers, engineered specifically for the client’s CMU and ready for deployment.

The client described the manufacturing quality and project execution as being to “a very high standard”. For TMT, it’s the kind of outcome that only comes from treating the client’s engineering problem as your own.