Background

Universal Joint / Universal Coupling technology for undersea cables was developed in the 1980's to meet the need to reduce the tools, training, and cost to join undersea cables regardless of manufacture or mechanical construction.

Today the evolution of smaller diameter non-repeatered cables calls for an economical, yet universal approach to jointing non-repeatered cables, requiring a single set of tools and piece parts for installation and maintenance.

Developed by the UQJ Consortium, the new Universal Quick Joint is anticipated to be compatible with all known and anticipated non-repeatered cable designs (universal), requires fewer and less costly tools, and can be made in half the time of existing jointing technologies.

Features

• cost approximately US$5000 for one set of piece parts
• costs less than US$100,000 for one set of tools, inclusive of fusion splicing equipment
• requires less than three weeks initial training--1 week upgrade for trained UJ/UC jointers
• requires significantly shorter joint construction times (approximately 6 hours)
• uses the same philosophy as existing UJ (so that existing customers are not disadvantaged in terms of excessive new tooling cost or training requirements)
• is compatible with low cost installation/maintenance vessels/barges, etc.
• significantly reduced costs for engineering and qualification by use of modular techniques and computer modeling
• 25 year minimum guaranteed product support
• designed and supported by some of the leading experts in submarine cable jointing technology
• tested to a standard rationalized for low cost applications and internationally agreed by the members of the UQJ Consortium
• all components and tools fully "value engineered" to ensure minimum cost and exact matching to the specific application

Specifications

• 72 mm outside diameter and an approximate rigid length of 170 mm
• minimum bend radius 0.75 m where cable specification allows
• can be handled by conventional cable machinery or non-repeatered cable installation and maintenance spreads
• designed for 25-year life
• 6000m deployment depth with safety margin
• "state of the art" insulation restoration technology (no requirement for molding and X-ray inspection equipment)
• capable of sustaining high voltages up to 2000 volts for maintenance purposes
• first generation joint capable of housing up to 48 fibers

Please send any Web Site Design questions or comments to the UQJ Webmaster
Last Modified : December 13, 2006