Terrence Mathis, PMI Mechanical Engineer II, began working for PMI Industries as a part-time project engineer during his last semester at Case Western Reserve University. Terrence was pursuing a mechanical engineering degree and a minor in design and manufacturing. In January, 2017, Terrence joined PMI full time.
Over the years, Terrence has grown and expanded his mechanical engineering expertise within PMI’s team-oriented setting.
“Being part of a small company has allowed me to make an impact in multiple areas, such as sales, production, quality control, and engineering,” he said.
Many PMI customers know of and/or have met Terrence through the engineered protection solutions that he helps develop for customers. We asked Terrence to share more about himself.
What departments have you worked in?
I have always been in the engineering department. I have also helped to support the ISO and quality control (QC) programs periodically.
What machines and materials have you worked with?
Most of my work is done on a computer using CAD (computer-aided design). The program is utilized to help create prototypes and parts used in marine environments. They also help us plan underwater marine cable connector and subsea cable termination projects, store and manipulate data, present information, and more.
I’m proficient in CMM (coordinate measuring machine) programming, which is an important tool used to measure parts for quality control. It’s also been useful in the ways we’re taking advantage of 3D printing’s additive manufacturing technology.
What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
I like being part of a dynamic, involved workplace. We’re a smaller organization, which allows me to build relationships across all departments and feel ‘visible’ in the workplace.
What is a specialty of yours that you are particularly proud of?
I am proud of my CAD skills, which I’ve continued to hone since learning it in college and now use to solve customer problems. The cool part about CAD is that there is always more to learn and many ways to challenge yourself to become more proficient.
At an Offshore Technology Conference, Terrence Mathis, Mechanical Engineer II at PMI Industries, shared his experiences and recommendations as a young professional attending the conference.
How would you describe a “typical” work week?
My work week evolves constantly, depending on many factors, such as customer inquiries, questions about product applications, and the larger, custom projects I oversee. I also support our quality control department with part inspections.
What have you learned about the industry? Are there any trends or changes you are following?
This industry is what we call a niche of a niche. It is expanding quickly, and it is our job to stay up to date with changes so that we can provide high-quality products to our customers. The marine energy industry is expanding and we’re positioning our company to take advantage of this.
I also personally follow the renewable energy sector, especially as it grows in the U.S. A project of interest to me is the Icebreaker Wind Project, which has the potential to become the first freshwater offshore wind farm in Ohio and the U.S.
I am committed to networking. I am a member of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), which I originally joined while in college.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be “when you grow up”?
I’ve known that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer since I was 10 years old. I didn’t know what industry I would work in, but the idea of being an engineer has always fascinated me.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
I have lived in Cleveland, Ohio, my entire life. My parents and older siblings live here, too. I follow all the Cleveland sports teams and am a big fan of the Cavs and Browns, as well as any team that Lebron James plays for.
Outside of work, I spend a lot of time participating in fitness activities, such as playing basketball with friends or going on runs throughout the city to build up my endurance and stay in shape.
I am also an avid fragrance collector with a large collection of fragrances that I have obtained over the years. Travel, whether by car or flying, is another interest of mine and I am always searching for fund-friendly trips.
Rich Sinkovic, sales engineer at PMI Industries, joined PMI on December 15, 2021. Previously, he had been a sales engineer with a company that produced automotive manufacturing equipment.
In the short time he has been with the company, Rich has gained a lot of knowledge about PMI’s engineered protection solutions for underwater marine cables and subsea cable terminations, including assemblies and hardware that are used in electrical, optical, pressure, and mechanical applications. He has taken what he’s learned about PMI’s underwater marine cable connectors and subsea cable terminations and used it to ensure successful projects for PMI’s customers.
As one of PMI’s newer team members, we asked Rich to share a little about himself.
Please tell us about your education and career path on your way to PMI Industries.
I earned an electrical engineering degree and mathematics minor from Ohio University. For the last 14 years, I have worked as a sales engineer.
What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
Customer interactions are the best part of my work. As I learn about our customers’ projects, I’m able to explain the benefits of our products or services and take their feedback to our engineers and production team.
What is a specialty of yours that you are particularly proud of?
I pride myself on my attention to detail. This helps greatly as I look at costs, lead times, and engineering drawings daily.
How would you describe a “typical” work week?
Typically, I’m working at PMI’s new, state-of-the-art facility, which we moved into in January, 2023. My day is spent communicating with customers via email, phone, and video calls, attending internal meetings to collaborate on new inquiries and new PMI products, and/or researching new markets and opportunities. Often, I visit our lab/production areas to see the progress of production and testing. Occasionally, I travel to visit customers and attend tradeshows and conferences.
Rich Sinkovic at the Lockheed Martin Rotary & Mission Systems Supplier Conference. PMI is one of Lockheed’s suppliers.
What have you learned about the industry? Are there any trends or changes you are following?
Every project is slightly different, allowing me to continually learn. For instance, one of the markets we work in is seismic and marine surveys. To properly survey, the air guns and streamers need to maintain a certain distance apart from each other. This is accomplished with our Dyna II suspension system.
A recent trend we’ve seen is the move from traditional streamer surveys to node surveys. This reduces the number of streamers needed because the nodes capture the data. We have had many conversations with our customers and designed new Dyna II systems that can handle the larger cables used on node surveys. We plan to follow this closely with our customers and will create new systems as the market requires.
Rich Sinkovic and a friend enjoy live music at City Stages, a summer concert series hosted by the Cleveland Museum of Art at Transformer Station, its satellite location in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing?
I live in Lakewood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. I grew up in northeast Ohio and am a Cleveland Browns fan. I like to spend time with family and friends pursuing my interests. For instance, I like to attend live music, go to movies, and search for vinyl records or find new plants to add to my collection. If I’m hanging out at home, I like to read comics and graphic novels, watch TV, or build Lego sets.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be “when you grow up”?
I wanted to work in movies. Not necessarily as an actor, but to be involved in the industry in some capacity.
Experience matters when it comes to ensuring subsea cable systems survive variable ocean conditions. After all, if any part of the cable system assembly fails at sea, repairing or replacing it is expensive and arduous. PMI’s cable testing and analysis is an excellent way for customers and third parties to feel confident about their cable system components and the integrity of the complete system.
“Few labs offer the tests or use the equipment we do to find vulnerabilities and confirm satisfactory performance before the cable is deployed,” says Jay Marino, P.E., PMI Manager, Engineering, Government Services & Test Lab. “We’ve worked with many customers over four decades to simulate at-sea conditions and provide quality inspection and assurance services. PMI’s insight into a product’s durability is a value-added service that customers seek out. They like the fact that our tests can be uniquely tailored to meet their needs.”
As deep ocean exploration has grown over the years, the heavy-duty cables used in subsea projects are expected to last for decades. Unfortunately, 80% of unexpected challenges and delays in marine projects are caused by cable failure.
Equipment provides extensive measurement capabilities
Determining the service life of a cable system and/or its components is a specialty of PMI’s. Besides the tests PMI does on its own products, organizations come to PMI for certification and testing services, particularly ones designed to assess electrical, optical, and mechanical applications.
Customers with new cables may want to do tension cycling on them. PMI’s long span tension setup machine is capable of testing cables up to 457m (1,500 ft.) over multiple sheaves, with tension up to 53.4 kN (12,000 lbf.).
“A manufacturer that makes a cable assembly will send a sample to us to test,” says Marino, who has been involved with PMI’s cable testing facility for over three decades. “Important testing we frequently do for customers checks the cable’s subsea mechanical responses. When someone develops a new cable and wants to run it through its paces, we’ll do tension cycling on it. We’ll also measure the torque and rotation to verify its torque balance characteristics.
“Cables typically are ‘torque balanced,’ but that doesn’t mean they’re perfectly torque balanced,” he continues. “What it means is that the cable is typically designed to minimize torque. Some torque remains, sometimes a little or a lot.
“We can measure the torque that’s generated when it’s loaded. We can also measure its rotation,” he says. “For example, if we fix one end of a cable sample and pull on the other end while allowing it to rotate, we can measure that rotation. Or, we can fix both ends and measure the torque generated in the cable. We can also rotate one end to intentionally generate torque in the sample to see how it reacts. Of course, hydrostatic pressure testing is usually part of the picture. These are tests we typically run. There aren’t many test labs which have this type of equipment.”
The CBOS (cyclic bend over sheave) machine is used to check a cable’s subsea mechanical responses, including its fatigue resistance and simulating its handling system problems.
The equipment PMI uses to test and measure for performance and reliability include:
- Long span tension setup
- Hydrostatic pressure chambers
- CBOS (cyclic bend over sheave) machine
- 100-kip straight tension machine
The equipment can test:
- Raw cable (steel armored or synthetic strength member)
- Rope and hose assemblies
- Cable assemblies
- Cable hardware
- Terminations
- Other equipment used in subsea projects
Customer-driven laboratory testing
One of PMI’s hydrostatic pressure chambers (above) can be used to simulate at-depth pressure loading and verify seal and electrical and optical performance.
Each test is based on the customer’s unique set of parameters. Additionally, the time involved varies based on the customer’s application, interface, and materials requirements.
“We test the cable or component at the conditions that the customer expects during operations in the ocean,” says Thom Bosch, PMI lab technician who has been involved with the company’s laboratory testing for 14 years. “For example, if they’re towing a cable or component through the water, they can calculate the drag force on the towed object, which is related to the tension in the cable. We’ll test to that tension value plus a safety factor for dynamics, usually doing many cycles over hours or days. Our customers typically have an idea of how much variability they can tolerate and still operate their cable system or device.”
These kinds of customer-focused interactions are one reason PMI has been a leader of in-house dynamic cable testing and analysis for nearly 40 years.
The 100-kip straight tension machine is used to measure up to 65 feet of cable to determine its proof, tension and breaking strength.
“We offer independent testing services to any company in the industries we serve,” Marino says. “We can test the performance, and sometimes the limits, of a customer’s cable or equipment beforehand so that there aren’t any expensive surprises in the field.”
To set up a free consultation or get technical support, contact Jay Marino at jmarino@pmiind.com or any member of our leadership or sales team. Their contact information is found on the Contact Us page on our website.
State-of-the-art facility provides increased production and testing space, improves process flow, and allows for growth of customized cable engineering solutions.
Cleveland, OH, USA, December 15, 2022 – PMI Industries, Inc., a global leader in engineered solutions for underwater marine cable connectors and subsea cable terminations, moves to a new, state-of-the-art facility in January 2023. The move increases production and testing space by more than two-thirds, removes manufacturing constraints, and improves capabilities, resulting in better lead times and inventory control.
“We are excited for the next chapter in PMI’s history with this modernization of our production and office spaces,” said Bob Centa, President. “We are expanding our design, manufacturing, and testing capabilities and expect to dramatically improve our operational efficiencies. The move positions us to grow in the industries we already serve, increase the product and service offerings to our customers, and expand our geographic reach.”
The new facility offers room for a streamlined process flow that will impact many aspects of PMI’s operations, including access to tools and equipment, material handling, and other logistics improvements. Increased space also benefits PMI’s in-house dynamic cable testing and analysis, a value-added step among the capabilities PMI offers. Many at-sea conditions can be simulated by PMI through its testing, which is used to find cable system vulnerabilities or confirm satisfactory performance before the cable is deployed. In-house testing is available as an independent service to third parties, as well as to the industries PMI serves: oil and gas; marine and seismic survey; naval and military; offshore wind, wave, and tidal and sustainable renewable energy; ocean exploration and research; and university and research institutes.
According to Centa, the across-town move will not adversely impact PMI employees, allowing the company to maintain access to its current talent pool and attract new employees to accommodate growth. Additionally, the larger facility, located at 990 Resource Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44131, U.S.A., offers easy access for delivery and pickup due to its proximity to major highways.
About PMI Industries, Inc.
PMI, celebrating a history of 39 years in 2023, is a global leader in engineered solutions for underwater cable connectors and terminations, including assemblies and hardware. The solutions that PMI designs, manufactures, and tests are used on cable systems for impact and abrasion protection, to prevent bending and provide strain relief, and for dynamic and static cable protection. Its products include high-strength cable terminations and gripping products, towed array and seismic survey lead-in and umbilical terminations, and cable assemblies and hardware. Industries served include: oil and gas; marine and seismic survey; naval and military; offshore wind, wave, and tidal and sustainable renewable energy; ocean exploration and research; and university and research institutes. For additional information, visit www.pmiind.com.
Ongoing improvements in 3D printing are helping PMI explore new ways to provide engineered solutions that meet customer needs. PMI is improving quality control, prototyping crucial components, and experimenting with designs that will reduce assembly time by taking advantage of 3D printing’s additive manufacturing technology.
“The PMI engineering team has used additive manufacturing to make solid three-dimensional objects from a CAD (computer-aided design) file for several years. Because fabrication materials are improving and becoming more cost-effective, we are investigating more ways we can apply the technology,” says Terrence Mathis, PMI Manager, Engineering-Cable Protection.
Engineering team members are managing small projects to improve mold fabrication, potential part casting, compression dam manufacturing, and more.
Analyzing tolerances and variations to improve quality assurance
PMI is using 3D printing to test engineering tolerances of manufactured parts, such as plugs and rings used in a variety of applications. The time needed to measure internal and external features of parts, and ensure their proper fit, can add hours to the quality control process and affect product yields. Also, it can add time-consuming iterations to production if changes occur late in the design cycle.
“Some complex parts have over 20 features that can take four or more hours to inspect,” Mathis says. “Different tools may be needed to measure each section. Depending on the production quantity, it can add a lot of time. Through tolerance optimization, PMI has the potential to improve manufacturing time and reduce cost.”
Prototyping components that customers need to remain operational
PMI is using 3D printing capabilities to prototype crucial components, such as its precision precast compression dams used in DAM/BLOK™ electrical splice kits.
Many of PMI’s field-installable products incorporate helical gripping rods as part of the kit. At times, it is necessary to reterminate a PMI product—sometimes while out on the ocean–to replace helical rods affected by excessive corrosion, or to refurbish the cable connector.
PMI manufactures the DAM/BLOK™ electrical splice kit as a full-ocean depth pressure splice for cable connections. However, there are over 100 existing DAM/BLOK electrical splice kit designs, not including splice kits that can be custom designed for customers. Despite the degree of customization, each kit includes several crucial components, including precision precast compression dams.
Currently, PMI is testing compression dams to ensure it prevents outside seawater as well as leak water within the cable from passing through the splice to the electrical connection. This is especially important at increasing ocean depths.
Developing designs that reduce assembly time
PMI uses 3D printing to develop new standardized collar assemblies for its DYNA II cable hangers.
Customers who purchase PMI’s DYNA II cable hangers benefit from its tool-free installation and multiple degrees of freedom, which allow spreader rope loads to pass through with minimal effect on the lead-in and umbilical cables. Like many PMI products, DYNA II can be custom engineered into several configurable kits and accessories.
A collar assembly is just one of the components in a typical DYNA II configuration. PMI is using 3D printing to develop a new standardized collar to be used on legacy and new systems. The prototype collar is 3D printed in a wax resin, which is then cast in stainless steel. The collar serves a build-measure-learn function while saving tooling costs as PMI works to create an improved collar that benefits its customers.
Thinking outside the box to increase development speed
“Our customers turn to us for engineered solutions that include design, fabrication, and testing of subsea tow cables, hardware, assemblies, and protection,” Mathis says. “With a 3D printer, we’re able to take advantage in low-volume situations to revolutionize our development, design and replacement parts in ways that benefit our customers.”
PMI introduces their Hang-Off Termination at the 2022 International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum
PMI Industries is excited to be an exhibitor at the 2022 International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF), taking place April 26-28 in Atlantic City, NJ. The three-day offshore wind energy conference is bringing attendees from the global offshore wind industry to learn about the latest offshore wind and renewable energy technology and market trends.
As an exhibitor at IPF, we are sharing information about how our underwater cable solutions are supporting offshore wind technology. PMI underwater cable solutions, which are made in the USA, include:
- Terminations
- Dynamic and static cable protection
- Tow and seismic survey suspension systems
Introducing a new product
PMI is introducing a new cable termination solution: the Hang-Off Termination. Based on PMI’s proven EVERGRIP™ Termination technology, the new Hang-Off Termination securely clamps the cable to the wind turbine or platform base. It doesn’t use epoxy, making it faster, safer, and more efficient for offshore teams to install.
Among the Hang-Off Termination’s features and benefits are:
- Eliminates epoxy cure time
- Split design for ease of installation
- Earthing connection for safe grounding
- Scalable and interchangeable designs for dynamic applications
- Material and coating options
- Carbon-neutral installation
The Hang-Off Termination design is patent pending.
The PMI advantage
PMI, celebrating a history of 38 years in 2022, services industries focused in
- Underwater engineering solutions, manufacturing, procurement, and in-house cable testing
- Oil & gas and renewables
- Research institutes
- Government
PMI is utilizing our decades of experience in ways that benefit the rapid expansion of the offshore wind and renewable energy industries. Our goal is to help customers increase efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve installation and deployment times.
We would love to hear from you. Email Sales@pmiind.com or call (216) 881-4914.
Mr. Centa succeeds Bob Schauer who is retiring after 17 years of service
Cleveland, OH, USA, January 4, 2022 – PMI Industries, Inc., an engineering, manufacturing, and testing company with a global presence servicing energy, both fossil fuel and renewables, marine, research, and government industries announces the appointment of Robert (Bob) J. Centa, MBA to president. Mr. Centa succeeds Bob Schauer who is retiring after 17 years of service to PMI. Mr. Centa was most recently the Chief Financial Officer of The Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Working at PMI has been truly rewarding and I will miss the daily interactions with the team,” comments Bob Schauer. Mr. Schauer started at PMI with a focus on turning around an underperforming company. As president, he led the company through the oil boom and bust cycles, established an overseas office, all while growing the business during the Covid crisis. “I look forward to spending more time with my family, traveling with my wife, woodworking, volunteering at community organizations, and writing,” comments Mr. Schauer. Speaking on the retirement of Mr. Schauer, PMI Industries board chairman Scott Eucker comments, “The PMI family will miss Mr. Schauer not only from a leadership and inspiration perspective but as a friend. I thank him for all his tireless efforts and wish him joy and happiness in his retirement.”
Mr. Centa brings a broad business acumen and over 25 years of experience in leadership, strategy, operations, and finance in manufacturing and distribution, as well as a wide range of industries and companies as diverse as start-ups, family-owned, private equity, and large publicly traded. Mr. Eucker comments, “I am excited to welcome Bob to the team. His broad business experience and previous leadership roles will be an asset in our company’s growth.” Mr. Centa earned a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati.
About PMI Industries, Inc.
PMI, celebrating a history of 38 years in 2022, specializes in designing, manufacturing, and testing underwater cable hardware and assemblies. Servicing energy, both fossil fuel and renewables, marine, research, and government industries, PMI builds quality terminations, as well as supplies stoppers and cable grips, umbilical hardware, seismic and cable protection systems. Over many decades we have earned a global reputation for providing the right products at the right time, which ultimately reduces costs by increasing productivity and equipment service life. For additional information, visit www.pmiind.com.
For undergraduates from the Cleveland area, the Emerging Scholars Program offers a path to excellence
In the spring of 2011, a few weeks after he had accepted an offer of admission to Case Western Reserve, Terrence Mathis (CWR ‘16) opened a letter from a faculty member he had never met.
Stephen Haynesworth (GRS ‘87), an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, had written to congratulate Mathis and assure him that he had made the right decision. “When we at CWRU admitted you to the university,” Haynesworth told him, “we demonstrated our respect for your achievements and our confidence that you can succeed here.”
Cleveland, OH— PMI Project Engineer and Marine Energy Specialist Tyler Burger shares his thoughts on the future of cable maintenance and repair in offshore wind farms with Windpower Engineering and Development in the article “The future of cable maintenance and repair in offshore wind farms.”
The third of four Ramform Titan-class vessels, the Ramform Tethys, was celebrated in a naming ceremony at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipbuilding Co. yard in Nagasaki, Japan today.
PGS’ two first Ramform Titan-class vessels, the Ramform Titan and the Ramform Atlas were delivered in 2013 and 2014 and have delivered beyond expectations on all aspects, especially within safety, efficiency and productivity.
The Ramform Tethys, and the Ramform Hyperion, will be even better due to small modifications of equipment handling on the back deck and an increase in engine power to 26 400 kW from 23 040 kW on the first two Ramform Titan-class vessels.
“With the increased power output and the back deck modifications we are enhancing the Ramform Titan-class acquisition platform further. Productivity, safety, stability and redundancy are the key benefits of these vessels. Their ability to tow many streamers gives high data quality with dense cross-line sampling and cost efficient acquisition with wide tows,” says Per Arild Reksnes, EVP Operations.
The Ramform Tethys is the most powerful and efficient marine seismic acquisition vessel in the world, and along with the Ramform Titan and Ramform Atlas, the widest ships ever at the waterline.
The design dovetails advanced maritime technology to the imaging capabilities of the GeoStreamer® seismic acquisition technology. Her 70 meter broad stern is fully exploited with 24 streamer reels: 16 reels aligned abreast and 8 reels further forward, with capacity for 12 kilometer streamers on each reel. With such capabilities the Ramform Tethys has tremendous flexibility and redundancy for high capacity configurations. Increased work space and advanced equipment handling mean safer and even more robust operations. The Ramform concept design is made by Roar Ramde.
She carries over 6 000 tons of fuel and equipment. She will typically tow a network of several hundred thousand recording sensors over an area greater than 12 square kilometers, equivalent to nearly 1 200 soccer pitches, or 3.5 times Central Park.
For PGS and its clients, more rapid deployment and retrieval of equipment, as well as greater operational capacity will translate into faster completion of surveys and increased uptime in marginal weather. The period between major yard stays is also extended by approximately 50%.
The Ramform Tethys sets the new standard for seismic operations for the next 25 years.
Jon Erik Reinhardsen, President and CEO of PGS states in a comment: “The Ramform Tethys further strengthens our fleet productivity and together with the other Ramform Titan-class vessels will enhance our competitive edge. In the current challenging market environment we also experience more demand for our best capacity and Ramform Tethys will add to PGS ultra-high-end value proposition.”
NOTE: Pictures and more facts on the Ramform Tethys are available on www.pgs.com
For details, contact:
Bård Stenberg, VP IR & Corporate Communications
Mobile: +47 992 45 235
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