Rebecca Johnson introduces a new solution for helideck lighting.
There is little difference between the challenges faced by early seafarers and those faced by the highly technical vessels that exist today. Oil and gas operations are becoming increasingly more difficult as activity moves further north to harsher, sometimes previously unexplored environments. It is more important than ever, therefore, that companies are able to rely upon the skill and craftsmanship of their key suppliers to provide high quality, technically sound products that are designed to suit rapidly changing demands and climatic conditions.
A leading provider of heating, lighting and enclosure systems for the oil and gas industry is the Stavanager, Norway-headquartered Tranberg. The company designs, manufactures and supplies high quality electromechanical products for use on ships and offshore installations. Its location, the ‘oil capital’ on the west coast of Norway, is in close proximity to a large number of oil companies and offshore vessel ship owners, which has allowed Tranberg to develop and test products in close cooperation with its customers; producing solutions to suit individual, company-specific requirements. Geographical contiguity also allows for faster communication and problem solving in extreme environments as well as more straightforward product modification to suit tough, changing conditions.
Circle and H lighting
The company has recently announced the worldwide product launch of its new CHLITE helideck lighting solution, consisting of a lit touchdown/positioning marking (TD/PM) circle and lit heliport identification marking (H) system, fully compliant with CAP 437 standards issued by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for offshore helicopter landing areas.
Working in partnership with Calzoni, a leader in the aerospace and defence market, Tranberg has produced a system that has been tested extensively in-house to meet the high quality and reliability standards of both members of the partnership, with the main consumer benefits including a lack of obligatory maintenance, easy, fast installation as no over-deck junction boxes are required, low power consumption and a high level of reliability.
The lighting solution is ATEX certified, suitable for Zone 1 and Marking: Ex II 2G Ex mb IIC T6 Gb and was accredited with both IECEX and CSA at the beginning of 2015.
The lighting system is composed of a dashed circle and letter H superimposed on the corresponding markers of the helideck. The light elements are extremely thin and resistant to harsh environment and helicopter loads.
A double independent power supply circuit and LED bypass devices ensure that a failure of a single LED has local effect.
Other benefits to users are the system’s extremely low profile (just 20mm) and the fact that it has no metallic parts; instead it deploys a corrosion-free high-performance resin. The antislip surface is an extra benefit.
In September, Tranberg will be attending Offshore Europe 2015 alongside R. Stahl to showcase its CHLITE helideck lighting solution, offering a live demonstration of the system, technical information on the product as well as a complete overview of the product range.
For more information at www.engineerlive.com/iog
Rebecca Johnson is with R Stahl.
