Jumbo uses augmented reality to pinpoint shim points on deck

Jumbo has completed the first of 2 contracts supporting Subsea 7 projects for Total in Angola. For the first time, the company has used augmented reality to determine the shim points on deck. Using Microsoft’s Hololens, Jumbo’s engineering team positioned 156 different shimming points in just 2 hours.

Using two of its H800 Class vessel, the Fairlane and Jumbo Vision, Jumbo is assisting Subsea 7 in two projects in Angola, CLOV MPP and Zinia Phase 2.

For the first project, called CLOV MPP, the Jumbo Vision picked up an empty 24-metre diameter carousel from Subsea 7’s headquarters in Dusavik in Norway. The vessel then sailed to Halden in Norway to load a substantial length of subsea umbilical. The combined weight of the carousel and umbilical amounted to 1,255 tonnes. The load also comprised numerous auxiliary equipment, including a level winder, tensioners and workshop equipment.

In preparation for loading the heavy carousel, Jumbo’s engineering team carried out a Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis and developed a shim plan to spread the load of the carousel evenly across the Jumbo Vision’s deck. Shimming is accomplished by levelling up sections of the deck with steel plates of varying thicknesses, thus preventing any deflections during transport.

Augmented reality

The shim plan required the precise positioning of 156 different points on the deck. T place these points, the project carrier made use of its augmented reality (AR) Hololens. “This is a system that we have been developing and testing for some time and we are proud to say that this is the first time we have used it for a client”, says project manager Tijmen Bregt.

With the Hololens, Jumbo uses Microsoft’s AR glasses and its own AR software to locate predetermined positions with pinpoint precision. “Compared to carrying out this prep work manually, using our own AR technology is not only more accurate but also much faster”, Bregt explains. “Using the Holo system, our engineer was finished in about two hours, compared to a whole day using traditional methods.”

After loading and sea-fastening, the Jumbo Vision returned to Dusavik, where the umbilical and equipment were trans-spooled and transferred to Subsea 7’s offshore construction vessel Seven Arctic.

Second project

Jumbo’s second contract, which started early October, is supporting Subsea 7’s work on Total’s Zinia Phase 2. For this, the Fairlane will transport ten loaded flexible reels from Denmark to Luanda, Angola. These reels will be of various diameters and weigh in at 2,080 tonnes.

Once in Angola, the Fairlane will be on standby to supply reels consecutively to the Seven Arctic as it carries out its campaign 150 kilometres off the coast of Angola. Once all the flexibles have been installed, Jumbo will return all the empty reels and equipment back to Denmark.