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Product

Subsea electro-optical lift umbilicalISO 13628-53.0–4.5 kVUp to 6,000 m

ROV Main Lift Umbilical CableTorque-balanced contra-helically armoured HV electro-optical ROV main lift umbilical

Engineered for work-class ROV and TMS launch-and-recovery systems (LARS) to 6,000 m depth, combining 3.0–4.5 kV power triads, laser-welded FIMT optical tubes and multi-layer GIPS contra-helical steel wire armour per ISO 13628-5.

Water-resistant
Anti-torsion braid
EMC screen
Oil-resistant
Order designation
RMU-30-3X16-12FO
Nominal OD
30.2 mm
Weight in sea
2,520 kg/km
Safe working load
85 kN
Breaking load
425 kN
All sizes (13)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Power voltage
1.0–4.5 kV
3-phase HV ROV propulsion & HPU supply
Design depth
Up to 6,000 m
60 MPa hydrostatic & void-free matrix
Breaking load
180–850 kN
2- or 3-layer GIPS contra-helical armour
Optical unit
12–24 SM/MM
Hermetic 316L laser-welded FIMT tube
Min. bend R
15 × OD
Dynamic LARS A-frame & winch sheave
Temperature
−30…+75 °C
Arctic deck winch to deepwater seabed

Typical values for this cable type, based on ISO 13628-5 / API Spec 17E / DNV-ST-E402 — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is ROV Main Lift Umbilical Cable right for your machine?

Select ROV Main Lift Umbilical Cable for vertical LARS winch deployment of heavy work-class ROV cages and TMS packages.

Vertical / spreader reel

Suitable

Torque-balanced contra-helical GIPS wire armour supports vertical ROV/TMS deployment without hockling.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

Void-free elastomeric matrix and laser-welded FIMT withstand continuous 60 MPa deepwater immersion.

Offshore platform & shipboard deck trays

Suitable

Galvanised improved plow steel armour and optional HDPE/PUR jacket resist LARS sheave wear and salt spray.

Trailing & towing

With conditions

Suitable for suspended cage/depressor towing; specify neutrally buoyant ROV Tether Cable for horizontal excursion.

Use ROV Tether Cable

Energy chain / drag chain

Not suitable

Heavy steel-armoured subsea lift umbilical is not designed for indoor automation drag chains.

Use M23 Servo Assembly
Typical machinesWork-Class ROV OperationsSubsea Construction & IMRDeepwater Drilling SupportOffshore Wind Subsea TrenchingOceanographic Salvage

Construction

Layer by layer

Representative work-class ROV main lift cross-section: 3 HV power cores + screened control quads + central 316L FIMT + contra-helical GIPS armour.

123456
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
1HV power & signal conductorsCompacted stranded tinned copper (IEC 60228 Class 5), 4.0–35 mm² power + 0.75–1.5 mm² quadsLow voltage drop for 100–400 HP ROV hydraulic packs
2Optical FIMT unitLaser-welded 316L stainless-steel tube filled with hydrogen-scavenging gel housing 12–24 G.652.D / G.657.A1 fibresHermetic 60 MPa crush barrier for Gigabit telemetry
3HV dielectric insulationWater-tree-retardant HEPR / XLPE with semiconductive stress control (for ≥3.0 kV grades)High impulse and AC dielectric endurance under pressure
4Core & pair shieldsTinned copper wire screen on HV cores + Al/PET foil and tinned copper braid on control quadsEliminates VFD thruster coupling into sonar/video channels
5Water-blocked inner beddingVoid-free vulcanised elastomeric filler compound + extruded HDPE / TPU inner sheathPrevents axial water migration and radial core bird-caging
6Contra-helical lift armour2 or 3 contra-helically served layers of galvanised extra-improved plow steel (GIPS, 1960–2160 MPa) with bitumen/polymeric flushTorque-balanced axial load bearing up to 850 kN MBL

RMU-BA (Bare Steel Armour)

Bitumen/zinc-chromate flushed contra-helical GIPS outer armour for maximum heat dissipation on multi-layer LARS winches

RMU-JK (Extruded HDPE/PUR Jacket)

High-density PE or polyether PUR outer sheath over double steel armour for corrosion protection and clean deck handling

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on ISO 13628-5 / API Spec 17E / DNV-ST-E402. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Rated power voltage
1.8/3.0 kV or 2.6/4.5 kV AC
Control & auxiliary voltage
600/1000 V AC
AC routine test voltage
6.5 kV – 9.5 kV AC (5 min)
Insulation resistance
≥ 1,000 MΩ·km at 20 °C
Conductor stranding
IEC 60228 Class 5 tinned copper

Thermal

Dynamic subsea operating
−20 °C to +60 °C (in seawater)
Deck winch operation
−30 °C to +75 °C (in air)
Max. conductor temperature
+90 °C continuous (HEPR/XLPE)
Short-circuit rating
+250 °C (5 s duration)

Mechanical

Design water depth
3,000 m standard · up to 6,000 m ultra-deep
Safe working load (SWL)
35 kN to 170 kN (safety factor 5:1)
Min. breaking load (MBL)
180 kN to 850 kN
Min. bend radius (dynamic)
15 × OD over LARS traction/A-frame sheave
Min. bend radius (storage)
10 × OD on winch drum core
Torsional balance
≤ ±2°/m across 10–50 % MBL

Optical

Fibre type
ITU-T G.652.D / G.657.A1 SM & OM3 MM
Fibre count
6, 12, 18 or 24 fibres in 316L FIMT
Attenuation (1310 / 1550 nm)
≤ 0.36 dB/km / ≤ 0.22 dB/km
FIMT hydrostatic collapse
≥ 75 MPa (316L laser-welded tube)

Resistance

Hydrostatic water blocking
100 % void-filled elastomeric matrix
Corrosion protection
Heavy galvanised GIPS + sacrificial zinc/polymer matrix
Hydraulic & winch oil
IEC 60811-404 IRM 902/903 resistant
Flame retardance
IEC 60332-1-2 (inner polymeric sheath)

Reference standards

Primary umbilical standard
ISO 13628-5 / API Spec 17E
LARS handling rules
DNV-ST-E402 / IMCA R 004
MV insulation standard
IEC 60502-2 / IEC 60092-354
Optical fibre spec
IEC 60794-3 / ITU-T G.652.D

Identification

Outer finish
Galvanised steel armour or black/yellow HDPE/PUR
Power core ID
Numbered 1, 2, 3 or brown/black/grey + earth
Optical fibre coding
TIA/EIA-598-D 12-colour sequence
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.70 / 8544.60

Sizes

13 standard work-class ROV main lift configurations

Typical dimensions, weights in air/seawater, and mechanical breaking loads per ISO 13628-5.

Dimensions, weights & loads
Order designationPower + Signal + OpticalPower V
kV		Nominal OD
mm		Weight in air
kg/km		Weight in sea
kg/km		SWL
kN		MBL
kN		Min. sheave R
mm		Enquiry
3.0 kV Work-Class ROV Lift Umbilicals
RMU-30-3X4-12FO3×4.0 + 3×2×0.75 + 12FO3.020.81,4801,12040200312
RMU-30-3X6-12FO3×6.0 + 4×2×0.75 + 12FO3.023.51,9201,46052260353
RMU-30-3X10-12FO3×10 + 4×2×1.0 + 12FO3.026.82,5401,94068340402
RMU-30-3X10-18FO-JK3×10 + 6×2×1.0 + 18FO (Jacketed)3.029.42,7802,05072360441
RMU-30-3X16-12FO3×16 + 4×2×1.0 + 12FO3.030.23,2802,52085425453
RMU-30-3X25-18FO3×25 + 6×2×1.0 + 18FO3.034.64,3203,340110550519
RMU-30-3X35-18FO3×35 + 6×2×1.5 + 18FO3.038.45,3804,160130650576
4.5 kV Heavy Trenching & Deepwater ROV Umbilicals
RMU-45-3X10-18FO3×10 + 4×2×1.0 + 18FO4.529.83,1202,38080400447
RMU-45-3X16-18FO3×16 + 6×2×1.0 + 18FO4.533.43,9503,020100500501
RMU-45-3X25-24FO3×25 + 6×2×1.0 + 24FO4.537.84,9803,820125625567
RMU-45-3X35-24FO3×35 + 8×2×1.5 + 24FO4.541.66,1204,720145725624
RMU-45-3X50-24FO3×50 + 8×2×1.5 + 24FO4.545.87,4505,760170850687
RMU-45-3X16-24FO-6000M3×16 + 4×2×1.0 + 24FO (3-Layer Armour)4.536.24,8903,810135675543
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • SWL is based on a dynamic offshore LARS safety factor of 5:1 against nominal minimum breaking load (MBL).
  • Weight in seawater is calculated at 1,025 kg/m³ nominal seawater density.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
HV AC dielectric withstand test6.5 kV AC (3.0 kV grade) / 9.5 kV AC (4.5 kV grade) for 5 min100 % of manufactured length
Bidirectional OTDR optical attenuation≤ 0.36 dB/km @ 1310 nm & ≤ 0.22 dB/km @ 1550 nmEvery optical fibre before & after armouring
Sample tests
Break-load & torque-balance tension testVerify MBL and ≤ ±2°/m rotation up to 50 % MBLQualification & project lot sample
Cyclic bending over sheave (CBOS) fatigue≥ 50,000 cycles over 15 × OD sheave at SWL without optical/electrical degradationType qualification

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

ISO 13628-5 / API Spec 17E CompliantDNV-ST-E402 Subsea LARS Witnessed Option

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

TEBAOFLEX RMU-30/45 ROV MAIN LIFT UMBILICAL ISO 13628-5 [MBL kN] [YEAR] [METRE]
Delivery form
Heavy-duty offshore steel transport & spooling reels
Continuous length
1,000 m to 6,500 m splice-free continuous lengths
Termination option
Factory resin/cone mechanical socket & pressure junction box on request
Lead time
6–10 weeks depending on armour wire schedule

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFROV Main Lift Umbilical Cable – technical datasheet13 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXROV Main Lift Umbilical Cable spec data (Excel)All 13 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation
Revision
2026-10-20
Updated
2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

How do you choose between bare steel armour (RMU-BA) and polymer-jacketed (RMU-JK) ROV main lift umbilicals?
Bare contra-helical GIPS armour dissipates I²R conductor heat directly into surrounding seawater and eliminates outer polymer creep on high-tension traction winches. An extruded HDPE or polyether PUR outer jacket is preferred when operating with friction caterpillars, corrosive splash-zone storage, or where clean grease-free deck handling is required.
Why are 3.0 kV and 4.5 kV voltage grades used on work-class ROV main lift umbilicals?
Stepping ROV supply voltage up to 3.0 kV or 4.5 kV reduces phase current for 150–400 HP hydraulic power units over 3,000–6,000 m umbilical lengths. Smaller copper cross-sections reduce umbilical outer diameter, suspended weight in seawater, and hydrodynamic drag.
How does the laser-welded 316L FIMT protect optical fibres at 6,000 m water depth?
The hermetically sealed stainless-steel tube isolates single-mode and multimode fibres from 60 MPa hydrostatic pressure and hydrogen darkening. Thixotropic gel inside the tube cushions fibres during high-tension cyclic bending over LARS sheaves.
What safety factor is applied between Minimum Breaking Load (MBL) and Safe Working Load (SWL)?
In accordance with DNV-ST-E402 and IMCA R 004 guidelines for dynamic offshore launch-and-recovery systems, SWL is typically set at 20 % of MBL (a 5:1 safety factor) to account for vessel heave acceleration and snap-load margins.

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