From curiosity to expertise

The question first emerged in 2006. At the time, classification societies and design standards treated synthetic fiber ropes and steel wire ropes as functionally equivalent. But Reidar André started to wonder about the forces acting on multilayer winches. No one could clearly explain the interaction between the rope and the drum.

We were one of the biggest winch suppliers in the world,” he recalls, “and yet we couldn’t explain the forces acting on the drum in detail, that really bothered me.

Reidar André Skarbøvik

He read what he could, kept the issue in the back of his mind, and waited for the right opportunity to explore it further. That opportunity first arose in 2014, when funding to investigate a winch failure involving synthetic rope gave Reidar André and his team a chance to revisit the issue. The failure wasn’t isolated — similar problems had been reported with trawl winches that had worked flawlessly with steel wire for decades. However, when customers switched to high-performance synthetic fiber ropes, the drums began to fail. In the lab, the team was able to recreate the failure conditions, confirming that the forces at play were not well understood — and certainly not accounted for in existing design standards. 

A few years later, in 2017, the turning point came. At the time, Skarbøvik was on a management track, but the unanswered questions and his curiosity about the problem drew him back into the technical side of engineering. With encouragement from colleagues and support from Kongsberg Maritime, he applied to pursue an industrial PhD. The application was approved, and his career took a new direction — away from management and toward a technical specialist. 

From practice to research  

The PhD focused on the following objectives: to prove that synthetic fiber ropes generate higher loads on winch drums than steel wire, to evaluate state-of-the art calculation methods against measurements, and to develop improved calculation methods that can be applied in real-world design. The research involved extensive physical testing. Throughout the project, he and a colleague spooled approximately 420 kilometers of rope — more than the distance from Ålesund to Lillehammer in Norway.  

The testing revealed that the pressure on the drum barrel also was a critical factor. This contradicted the common belief that fiber ropes primarily stressed the side plates. In fact, the radial pressure from fiber ropes was significantly higher than that from steel wire, enough to cause structural collapse in some cases. These findings were consistent across multiple rope types but also highlighted a key challenge: different fiber rope constructions behaved very differently. Generalizing was not only inaccurate — it was potentially dangerous. 

To address this, he developed empirical correction factors for two of the most commonly used fiber rope types. These factors accounted for rope tension and the number of layers on the drum. The results were clear: fiber ropes could not be treated as equivalent to steel wire in design calculations. The load differences were too significant to ignore. 

Today, the results of Reidar André’s research are actively used at Kongsberg Maritime. The empirical model he developed is applied in design work, and his findings have helped raise awareness across the company about the risks of treating fiber and steel ropes as interchangeable. 

“The most important takeaway is awareness,” he says. “We can’t treat fiber ropes and steel wire the same way.”

What does a technical specialist actually do? 

Reidar’s role today is as varied as it is technical. He works primarily with mechanical design, which includes everything from troubleshooting existing products — often based on feedback from the department or customers — to developing new concepts and performing detailed engineering. 

His primary focus is on finite element analysis and strength calculations, ensuring the structural integrity of products under real-world conditions.

Most of his time is spent working on products for the anchor handling and fishery segments, including winches, shark jaws, towing pins, rail cranes, stern rollers and recovery frames. Throughout the week, unexpected requests come in from sales teams or project managers needing urgent input for offers or design clarifications. He also serves as a go-to person for younger engineers who seek advice or want to discuss design or manufacturing challenges. 

“I often act as a sounding board,” he says. “Sometimes it’s about calculations, sometimes it’s about how to approach a problem. I try to guide them without giving away the answer.” 

When specialists thrive  

Reidar’s journey is not just a story of technical discovery, it’s also a reflection of what is possible when technical specialists are given the space and support to go deep, challenge assumptions, and contribute to real-world solutions. Duran Colic who is an Engineer Manager in Kongsberg Maritime talks about the importance of the specialist role:  

“We deliver world-class products to customers who have extremely high expectations, and having a 
strong engineering team capable of designing and supporting such products is essential. I believe that in most engineering departments, specialists form the backbone of that capability - and that’s 
certainly true in ours. 

It’s always a pleasure to see how specialists like Reidar break down complex topics into digestible pieces and explain them in simple terms. In some cases, like Reidar’s, they are at the very frontline of modern knowledge and contributing directly to both academic and industrial advancement. They provide vital guidance, mentorship, and support—not only within the engineering discipline, but also across functions throughout the organization.  

We place a strong emphasis on continuous development and learning at all levels. For senior engineers and specialists, this is reflected in our ‘freedom under responsibility’ philosophy. We trust our specialists with complex tasks where deep diving into challenging topics is a natural part of the problem-solving process. This does not only strengthen individual expertise but also builds collective competence across the department”.  

For engineers driven by curiosity and a desire to truly understand how things work, this is a place where that mindset is valued. Reidar puts it simply:  

“Learning is part of who I am. There’s a saying: ‘If you think you’ve finished learning, you’re half right — you’re finished.’ Curiosity keeps us moving forward.”