Despite these drawbacks, PU can be used for a variety of applications. The first is a cable support product known as a bending restrictor. Traditionally, bending restrictors have been manufactured in steel. However, these components tend to be heavy and expensive, and they will corrode. Bending restrictors supplied in polyurethane have largely solved these problems.
Polyurethane is also a good choice for the manufacture of bending stiffeners.
These are products which are used to support cables and pipes compliantly and normally in dynamic environments. This demanding application requires the use of a flexible material. The use of conventional metallic materials would be totally unsuitable. Cables and pipes which are used subsea may have critical locations at which they are susceptible to damage due to overbending. For example, the point where a cable exits from a large end connector, or the free span of a flexible pipe behind a connection to a wellhead or manifold.