As well as developing Bridon’s rope products, the centre will house research equipment to enable the company to test rope properties and performance, refine complex rope constructions, optimize design and evaluate performance.

According to the company, “the facility has the capacity to test samples from ropes that will weigh hundreds of tonnes, assessing their strength under extreme loads, their endurance against bend fatigue, their rotational characteristics, and their response to repeated layering on smaller, more economical spools”

“It is also invested with the latest 3D microscope technology to examine ropes in minute detail, allowing for some of the most rigorous examinations ever conducted.”

Bridon chief executive Jon Templeman said the facility would allow the company to perform at the highest level.

“This state-of-the-art facility will enable us to develop and test ropes that perform at the highest levels in the harshest conditions on Earth, and to collaborate with our customers on tailored solutions to the toughest challenges they face,” he said.

Over the coming months, the company expects to enter talks with major operators looking to optimise a rope for their equipment or applications.

“The centre will be a high-tech hub for next generation rope development, where the finest minds in rope technology use sophisticated testing equipment to validate the designs of the largest and most complex ropes ever made,” Templeman said.