When you are 1,200 feet down in the ocean working on delicate operations, where ocean pressures are equal to 74,900lbs per square foot, you don’t want to be in anything but an OceanWorks Hardsuit™. OceanWorks has been an MTNW customer for many years and we thought it would be interesting to show off some of their latest LCI-90i supported systems. In the images on the page you can see the OceanWorks Hardsuit™ 1200 (www.oceanworks.com) owned by the Italian and French Navies. This Hardsuit™ can go 1,200 feet deep and typical dives are 6-8 hours in duration but there are emergency reserves for up to 24 hours. Life support is maintained via a set of oxygen bottles contained on the suit. Only power, communication and telemetry are provided through an umbilical from the surface. The Hardsuit™ 1200 weighs approximately 750 lbs in air but only about 5 lbs in water. These OceanWorks Hardsuits™ are supported by Dynacon launch and recovery systems (LARS) (www.dynacon.com). Dynacon is a premier partner of MTNW. The Dynacon LARS (Launch and Recovery System) system for this Hardsuit™ is also rated to 1200’ and made to meet Det Norske Veritas (DNV) requirements. The LARS is equipped with a TMS (Tether Management System) which enables the Hardsuit™ to fly in and out at various depths and not worry about managing a long umbilical cord from the surface. The Dynacon LARS is capable of folding up for transport to an alternate vessel.
Another look at the Italian LARS TMS Hardsuit
You can see the LCI-90i panel-mounted into the enclosure on the side of the LARS. The LCI-90i display provides decimal point accuracy in reading winch tension, speed, and payout for lowering the Hardsuit™ into the deep and an electroluminescent screen for direct sunlight view-ability. Dynacon has trusted MTNW’s LCI-90 displays as their primary winch monitoring interface for over 12 years.
