IMECA - Hydraulic and Electric Traction and Storage Winches, A-Frames, Flexible Pipe Laying Systems, Chain Tensioners, Electric and Automation Engineering

Established in 1985, IMECA designs and manufactures winches for hoisting, handling, lifting, chain tensioning and towing as well as wire and fibre rope, umbilicals, hoses, fibre optic cables and traction and storage winches (up to 500t pulling capacity). IMECA also produces A&R winches (up to 250t pulling capacity), windlasses, chain stoppers and tensioners, sheaves and fairleads. Our flexible pipe laying systems, FPSO mooring systems (motorized deck trolleys, etc.) and other special machineries are designed for offshore and deepwater applications and all our products are tailor-made to meet our clients' technical specifications.

The scope of supply is not limited to the above equipment; IMECA is capable of supplying hydraulic power units, drives and control electric powering.

The head office and production plant are located at the vicinity of La Rochelle in France (west coast). A second production plant is located at the vicinity of Le Havre in France along the River Seine (delivery facilities).

WINCH, REELER, CHUTE AND TENSIONER REFERENCE LIST

Some of IMECA's major deliveries:

• ALLSEAS: 250t traction and storage winch (four)
• TOTALFINAELF: methanol hose reeler for Girassol
• SAIBOS: 400t electric traction and storage winch and 12m radius overboarding chute
• HALLIBURTON/ROCKWATER/DSND: 150t traction and storage winch
• SINGLE BUOY MOORINGS: various multipurpose winches
• IFREMER: umbilical hydraulic winch for ultra deep sea ROV
• BOUYGES OFFSHORE: winches and mooring equipment for ELF N'Kossa FPSO
• COFLEXIP: various A&R and multipurpose winches
• CHANTIER DE L'ATLANTIQUE: lifting platforms for Millennium and QUEEN MARY II cruise ships

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SAFETY

IMECA's automation and electric department is certified to ISO 9001 quality assurance system. The steel work design and fabrication department are in accordance with ISO 9001, certification in progress.

Most equipment is designed and manufactured in accordance with the major worldwide codes and rules: LRS, DNV, BV, etc.

ENGINEERING CAPABILITY

Software used includes CATIA (3D), AutoCAD (2D / 3D), COSMOS/M Finite Element Analysis calculation, CADOR (gearing calculation), ELEC (electric schematisation), SIMATIC STEP 7 (automatism SIEMENS) and SCHNEIDER (automatism)

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Our research and development department, in relation with the users, is attentive to carry out improvements for our products. In association with the engineer's school of La Rochelle (EIGSI), the research centre is equipped to do tests and develop suitable processes. Examples of recent developments:

• Automatic servo assisted spooling device for store winches - this system allows a good spooling of the wire rope with any rope diameter for the same drum, with the assistance of PLC and sensors
• Optimisation of drum groove shape (reducing contact pressure between wire rope and drum grooves)
• Raising of the friction coefficient between traction winch drum and synthetic wire rope

Research in progress:

• System to use alternately steel and synthetic wire rope on the same equipment
• Vertical heave compensation system for heavy tension (until 600t and 3,000m depth)

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS (FEA)

To assure performance, reliability and optimise weight, Finite Element Analysis can be performed on all equipments.

TEST BENCHES

• One 250t winch test bench
• One 600t Winch test bench