ROV Tooling Handles

[DANFROV]

I am trying to find out what is the preferred ROV Tooling handle / grip interface including when using a schilling arm. Parallel jaws, three finger jaw or four finger jaw.

1. Light weight tools, like Hotstabs, paddle tools, electrical and hydraulic connectors.
T Bar, Fish Tail, Tronic style paddle handle, other

2. Medium weight tools, like small cutters, small hooks, torque tools
T Bar, Fish Tail, Tronic style paddle handle, other

3. Heavy weight tools, large cutters, large hooks, large torque tools
T Bar, Fish Tail, Tronic style paddle handle, other

Also how do you prefer these tools to be connected to the ROV hydraulically, Hotstabs, no leak QD, Permanent connection.

If you have any other tool or interface suggestion I would appreciate if you discuss this here.

DanF

Workocean Limited

[Ray Shields]

I have found fishtails with 3 finger jaws to be the most versatile.

You can open the jaws slightly and allow the fishtail to move about and regrab it without dropping the tool (usually!). Handy for getting in the best position in the jaws.

[Andy Shiers]

Yep , I would go along with that as long as the victim is not unturnable 😯
Three prong fish aint good for opening intractable doors 😕
But for grabbing in the right position mid water ,,,,, very good 😀

[ROV_Monkey]

Personally I prefer the the 3 finger jaw option every time. However, as Lostboy says, there are issues with turning heavy items – but with a bit of pre dive planning and orientation of the fishtails these issues can usually be overcome.
After the recent GOM works I’ve come to think this may not be a universal view as every time we rigged gear for us to use (with a fishtail for our 3 finger jaws) and sent it to a different vessel (OI ROV) for deployment, by the time we came to use it it subsea it had been re jigged with a T bar handle – hence we looked dickheads with the wrong setup for CNN primetime, cue the repeated dumbass phone calls from Houston – fun and games.

Every OI ROV I saw there used parallel jaws on both manips hence T bars only

Monkey

[rovnumpty]

Monkey

Is that because they don’t know any better? Been a couple of places where they’ve never seen 3 finger jaws(or only seen broken ones), and the standard answer is ‘these are best’

Imenco/westech 3 fingers jaws get my vote. Not too keen on the schilling ones. Not as relaible as Imenco/parallel jaws.

Then again, I’ve not used the intermeshing 4 finger jaws yet – not even seen them. So perhaps I don’t know any better!

[Scott Beveridge]

Any combination will work with the correct mounting and good eyeball measurements (preferably good GA’s / dwgs.) of any underwater assets in question taking into consideration of how much space is available on / around the work site and how much tooling is required – work skids are great just as proper ROV tooling baskets. Not telling anyone how to suck eggs, just a review of common sense

[JB2]

I agree mostly 3 fingers and fishtail every time for grunt work & ease but if you have quite a few tools to use plus valve work and unexpected jobs you pretty much have to use parallel plus T bar to avoid long turnaround re-tool if 2000m etc unless ALL things are planned around your 3 fingers!!

[DANFROV]

As an aside question,
What do you guys think of a retractable tool drawer on the vehicle?

Useful or not?

DanF

[James McLauchlan]

As an aside question,
What do you guys think of a retractable tool drawer on the vehicle?

Useful or not?

DanF

Hydraulically operated? Might be an idea if you have the space.

I would suspect that jamming might be an issue. The usual tool bin, with no moving parts, is the more simple (and with that goes) ‘reliable’ option.

[Author]

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