Published: 2026-08-27
In ship docks and floating platform power supply scenarios, cables need to go over water and float with the tides, which ordinary cables simply cannot withstand. In these scenarios, two types of special cables are usually used: floating cables and zero buoyancy cables.
Floating cables (buoyant cables) rely on a foam layer to provide positive buoyancy. The entire cable floats on the water surface or in the water, suitable for temporary power supply from piers to ships and power supply for floating platforms on the water. The characteristics are high buoyancy and ease of installation, while the drawbacks are high resistance in water and unsuitability for moving with underwater equipment.
The zero-buoyancy cable has a density that matches water, with excellent following performance, suitable for powering and communicating with underwater robots, submersible pumps, and underwater inspection equipment. A typical scenario for their combination is: use floating cables for the fixed section from the dock to the floating platform, and use zero-buoyancy cables for the mobile section from the floating platform to the underwater equipment.
Key points for selection:
Check the buoyancy margin of floating cables: if the cable's own weight plus the impact of the water flow exceeds its buoyancy, it will sink.
Zero-buoyancy cables consider water depth: The compression rate of buoyant materials varies at different depths, so the ratio should be calculated according to the water depth.
Both need to be resistant to seawater corrosion: choose neoprene or polyether PUR for the sheathing.
Shanghai Suoqi supports customization of both floating cables and neutral buoyancy cables, and can provide comprehensive solutions based on the distance for power supply from the dock, water depth, and equipment power consumption.
About Shanghai Suoqi
Shanghai Suoqi Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. is a specialized cable enterprise focusing on the research and development, design, production, and sales of special flexible cables. The company's products cover a series including reel cables, flat cables, drag chain cables, encoder cables, polyurethane cables, seawater-resistant cables, seawater-resistant network cables, and high-altitude vehicle cables, which are widely used in ports machinery, mining, industrial automation, marine engineering, and other fields. For more product information or inquiries, please call 13311756197 (same number on WeChat).