Reflex Marine?s FROG-XT Range Raises Bar
Reflex Marine’s latest innovation in crane transfer technology, the FROG-XT range provides operators with the safest suite of personnel transfer devices on the market. The rigorously tested and verified devices, available in four, six and 10 person capacities, have been received positively by the industry and are already in use by major oil operators including TOTAL.
Reflex Marine is a global leader in safe marine transfer solutions to the offshore industry and has largely specialised in crane transfer and offshore access with its two key products, FROG and TORO, driving forward improved safety standards. The company has set new standards and expectations for the industry, changing the perspective of crew transfer from being seen as inherently high-risk, to being accepted as a manageable activity that can be performed safely and cost effectively to ensure continuity in offshore operations, either in day-to-day transfers or as a contingency arrangement.
The FROG-XT is an evolution of the current FROG capsule and captures over 20 years of Reflex Marine’s vast learning and experience. The range allows for low and high capacity transfers as well as the capacity for all devices to be quickly and easily converted to MedEvac mode to transfer casualties.
The advanced design features of the new FROG-XT provide greater comfort and a more secure passenger experience, whilst being more compact and easier to ship and maintain. Wider operating parameters as well as the ability for high capacity transfers makes the FROG-XT range extremely versatile allowing for flexibility in operations.
The FROG-XT range has undergone the most rigorous development, testing and verification programme in Reflex Marine history to ensure that their designs are fully optimised to protect passengers from all the key risks associated with marine personnel transfer. The objective of the test programme was to verify the capsule’s performance and integrity, and the level of protection afforded to passengers. Testing was conducted in a range of impact and immersion scenarios, well beyond the anticipated operational risk envelope.
The testing philosophy is modelled on development processes used in the automotive industry, in which cars are tested in a range of impacts scenarios to assess potential injuries to passengers. Reflex Marine’s highly experienced engineering team worked with a number of specialist consultants to conduct testing to include full-scale immersion and self-righting tests as well as impact testing. For the first time this included free-fall testing into water (from a height of 7m / 23ft).
All testing was fully instrumented and recorded using accelerometers and a range of high speed, on-board and off-board cameras. This testing was conducted both in Reflex Marine’s facility at Barcelona Harbour as well as at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. The FROG-XT range is not only built to ISO 9001:2000 standards but is also fully CE Marked.
Philip Strong, CEO, said: “For 20 years Reflex Marine has set new industry standards for personnel transfer devices. But when we embarked on developing our new XT series of capsules, we decided to push the envelope even further. In the same way we expect a new car to be tested to the most rigorous current industry standards, we felt that crews travelling offshore deserved the same level of assurance.
“Crane transfers are safe, according to the recent study carried out by DNV GL, 11 times safer than helicopter operations. However, transit to and from the offshore workplace remains as one of the highest areas of risk for the industry. We want to be part of a movement to drive down these risks - demonstrating to operators and crews using marine transfers, that they will be well protected even in the worst operational scenarios.”
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.