IMECA - Design and Manufacturing of Lifting and Laying Equipment for Offshore Applications

IMECA, a subsidiary of SERDA holding of the PERROTIN Group, is an engineering company with headquarters in La Rochelle on the French Atlantic coast. The PERROTIN Group, created in 1986 and initially focused on the design and manufacturing of automated machines, has progressively specialized in the design and manufacturing of offshore lifting and laying equipment through IMECA, its offshore division.

Lifting and laying equipment design and manufacture

IMECA provides the complete design and manufacturing of lifting and laying equipment for offshore applications, either hydraulically or electrically powered, including:

• Pipe laying systems
• Tensioners
• A&R winches
• Deep water buoys winches
• Mooring equipment for FPSOs

Detailed engineering is carried out in Fontenay-le-Comte, while manufacturing, assembly, testing and delivery are covered through two other IMECA’s production sites: one in Le Trait (COMETRA) for medium to large-sized equipment; the other in La Pallice Harbor (La Rochelle) for ultra-large sized equipment where quayside delivery is provided.

Pipe-laying towers, storage winches, tensioners, anchor handling, and lifting and laying equipment

In view of optimizing its expansion over the world and building partnership with overseas manufacturers, IMECA has established an agency in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) since January 2009 and will locally ensure the promotion of its lifting and laying solutions for offshore applications.

This includes pipe-laying towers such as hydraulic and electric traction and storage winches for pipe abandon and recovery, tensioners, anchor handling, barge mooring, storage reels, reeler winches, fairleads, A-frames, hydraulic power packs and specific hydraulic jacks, as well as any other tailor-made solutions.

High-quality lifting and laying equipment

IMECA ensures a high level of quality through DNV certification and a quality plan conforming to ISO 9001 standards, as well as through a team of qualified engineers that can operate onshore or offshore.

Being focused on industrial performance, IMECA provides customers all over the world with products suited to very specific requirements, and also offers a quayside facility at La Rochelle-Pallice Harbor.

Winch, tensioner, buoy riser, reeler and lifting systems reference list

Some of IMECA's major deliveries include the following:

• Technip: portable pipelay systems; tensioners; A&Rs
• Allseas: 250t A&Rs (four off); 120t tail anchor winches
• Single Buoy Moorings: deep water buoy riser and anchor winches from 100t to 400t; turret riser pulling winches up to 300t
• Acergy: 500t reel drive systems; riser pulling winches; chain loading arm; plet handling system and tensioners
• Saipem: 400t A&R electrically powered and overboarding chute systems; winches and mooring equipment
• McDermott: 250t dolly base
• Thales: umbilical winches for military applications
• Subsea 7: A&R winches from 50t to 250t
• ECA: Umbilical pulling winches
• Total: riser pulling winches; methanol hose reeler
• Halliburton: 150t traction/storage winch
• Chantier de l'Atlantique: lifting platforms for cruise ships (Queen Mary II and Millennium)

Quality assurance and safety

IMECA ensures quality through DNV certification and a quality plan, which conforms to ISO 9001 standards, while OHSAS8001 rule is applied with regards to safety.

Engineering capability

IMECA’s design and manufacturing of tailor-made solutions is using tools such as Autocad, Inventor (3D Cadds), Cosmos (FEA), Castor and Cador.

Research and development

IMECA’s research and development department, in connection with engineering schools, is equipped to perform testing and develop suitable processes such as a system currently under progress able to use wire and fiber rope alternately on the same equipment.

Finite element analysis (FEA)

In view of ensuring performance, reliability and in order to optimize weight, a finite element analysis (FEA) is performed on all IMECA’s equipment.

Test bench and quayside delivery

A static test bench of up to 750t is available prior to delivery at La Rochelle-Pallice Harbor, which has a quayside facility of 600m and 14m of water depth. Dynamic tests are also available on demand.

Key offshore projects

IMECA has been involved in many key projects such as: Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, Rosa, Agbami, N'Kossa, Moho Bilondo, Greater Plutonio, Simian, Kikeh, Laminaria, Curlew, Aquila, Erha, Skarv, AKPO and Kizomba.