Plastic Sheathing for Extreme Conditions

Excelitas Noblelight infrared technology takes center stage in a K-PROFI magazine feature on how global oil exploration and oilfield services company, SLB N.V., protects mission-critical cables used in some of the world's most demanding oil production environments. 

Cables deployed in oil and gas wells must endure temperatures exceeding 150°C, pressures above 690 bar, highly corrosive substances such as hydrogen sulfide, and the repeated mechanical stress of lowering equipment weighing several tons into boreholes. To meet these challenges, SLB's Abbeville, France facility uses a Noblelight infrared oven from Excelitas to precision shrink-fit specialized polymer sheaths onto cable cores, forming a continuous, homogeneous protective layer without direct contact or moving parts.

The article details how SLB engineers conducted extensive measurement campaigns to optimize heat input, finding that a deviation of as little as 5°C can significantly impact cable quality. The IR oven is fully integrated into SLB's production lines, with synchronized communication between the line and oven ensuring precise temperature control and preventing overheating across cable lengths of up to 10 km.

Excelitas customized the IR emitter emission spectrum to match the absorption profile of SLB's cable sheathing materials, maximizing heating efficiency at the surface while protecting the underlying conductors. The result is a highly repeatable, contactless process that has operated precisely and without fluctuation since installation.

Read the full article, "Plastic Sheathing for Extreme Conditions," in K-PROFI to learn how Excelitas Noblelight infrared technology is enabling reliable, high-precision cable manufacturing for the oil and gas industry.