High tech. Right? Laser beams, the excitement of the deep ocean floor, mathematical models providing cable installation precision, the promise of remote and or autonomous vehicles doing some of our work.
High Tech.
Sometimes, though, getting the job done right comes down to unremarkable, everyday solutions. This blog is about one such issue: cable storage.
Though the industry’s reliance on cable depots is an interesting story in itself—some customers choose to store their spare cable themselves. Not a big deal.
However, without sound engineering advice (for example, calling on Pioneer Consulting for help), there are potential disasters lurking. Case in point, a customer received spare cable on a spool. However, this was not a great way to store the spool.
The cable that was not on the spool fared MUCH worse.
Sometimes a container can be used to store cable. True enough. This cable was safely delivered in a container. I am 100% sure, nobody in their right mind would attempt to use it now for anything except a source of scrap.
Other than to share pictures of a horror story and to congratulate ourselves that WE would never do this, there is a lesson to be learned. Though the easy way to solve a problem is always going to be tempting, only with planning and the right funding can infrastructure be installed and maintained.
(For this customer, we were able to convince them to have a proper storage and transportation tray constructed of steel and to have it stored in an area out of direct sunlight that can be maintained in a reasonable temperature range.)