Maintenance and Repair 



There has been much development in field repair techniques for 

 bottom-laid communications cables. The present repair methods are not 

 directly applicable nor is the time required to complete repairs accep- 

 table to the newer demands and applications of E-M cables. What is 

 needed is a quicker technique to join conductors and splice armor at 

 sea to produce a splice which is approximately the same diameter as the 

 original cable. This presently is not possible, except on factorv 

 repair jobs, which is still a time-consuming process. 



Handling 



Handling E-M cables falls into three categories: (1) factory to 

 ship; (2) on board ship; and (3) deployment in the ocean. Each category 

 can be examined to find technical deficiencies in the procedures and 

 techniques for handling E-M cable. Mechanical cable technology is not 

 directlv applicable to E-M cable, and it is for this reason that the 

 criteria for selecting basic hardware (such as winches) and procedures 

 that should be used to handle E-M cable are not well understood. The 

 problems with handling are first the lack of experienced personnel who 

 know the cable limitations; and second the cable itself. Either, not 

 enough is known about the cable or, it is not designed with the eventual 

 handling procedures in mind. New developments in cable design are con- 

 cerned with deployment problems, but the system designer has done little 

 with regard to the storage and handling steps prior to deployment. Spec- 

 ial hardware and equipment may also have to be specified, ordered or 

 built at the time the cable is specified and designed. The handling 

 problem solution is also dependent on understanding the failure mechanisms. 



Some people have handling problems, others do not. This indicates 

 that an expertise does exist, at least for certain applications and for 

 certain types of cable. Until this limited expertise is somehow distri- 

 buted to more people, problems will continue to occur. Handbooks, manuals 

 and papers outlining cable operations in detail are needed. 



Testing 



Underlying all of the above technical areas is the need for an in- 

 creased capability in specification writing and testing. The only method 

 that can determine analytically whether specifications were inadequate or 

 whether some other deficiency caused the cable to fail is an adequate 

 testing program. Such a comprehensive testing program does not exist. 



Basic materials testing programs are not keeping pace. The newer, 

 more exotic synthetics, particularly the PRD-49 group, have not been tested 

 to determine their advantages and disadvantages. Materials are not being 

 tested in such a way that the results are related to their ultimate appli- 

 cation. Failure mode testing must be developed to provide results 

 applicable to the use of the cable. 



Testing at the manufacturing stage is inadequate because the sup- 

 pliers generally have poor facilities and poor guidelines. The only para- 

 meter a manufacturer supplies as standard is breaking strength. The 



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