Despite current industry challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, subsea engineering firm OceanTools has reported an increase in demand for its products and engineering services, leading to the recent investment in £300,000 ($388,000) of computer numerical control (CNC) machinery.
“This significant investment allows OceanTools to produce our world-leading subsea dye detection systems, cameras, lights and pressure housings far quicker than ever before, due to previous reliance on third-party machine shops” explained Kevin Parker, OceanTools’ managing director. “It allows us to respond to the demands of our customers in a more time efficient manner, and provides us with greater control over the quality of our products, enhancing the offerings we deliver to our global clients”.
Since introduction of the new service offering, OceanTools have secured contracts of over £600,000 ($776,000) for the production of specialized subsea pressure housings supplied to environmental and oil and gas clients, the Aberdeen-based company said.
In addition to producing components for internal consumption, OceanTools is offering machining services to third-parties, focusing on the production of specialized high precision titanium components and pressure housings.
Joining the OceanTools in-house team of subsea design engineers, to manage the new CNC workshop, will be Stuart Low. He has over 16 years of experience as a CNC machinist, exclusively in the maritime and subsea industries, adding to the OceanTools wealth of experience across a wide range of engineering and subsea tooling disciplines.