The project was needed to determine the best sliding material/metal coating combination for a subsea PLET.
The project consisted of designing a testing machine to compare metal coatings and sliding materials.
The soil strength in the area where the PLETS were installed was of poor quality. FMC Technologies need to determine the best combination of metal coating and sliding material to minimize sliding friction. Low friction translated into lower flowline expansion forces transmitted to the soils therefore requiring a smaller mudmat.
