TPT September 2012

Technology News

New generation laser sensor A NEW laser sensor has been launched by British manufacturer, Meta Vision Systems, for all types of mechanised and robotic welding. It is the first such sensor to incorporate high performance image processing in the sensor head itself, rather than needing a separate computer, and has many applications throughout manufacturing industry.

Installing the new Smart Laser Sensor (SLS) at least halves the cost of automating arc welding equipment and robot welders, compared with using conventional laser sensors. The cost can be a small fraction of the previous outlay if the welding equipment has an Ethernet or CANbus interface, allowing direct connection of the SLS. Other functions of the SLS, in addition to seam tracking during welding, include inspection of the bevel on pipe ends before welding, and of the weld bead after it is laid with tracking position detection and measuring accuracy to within ± 0.1mm. The sensor was developed by Meta in collaboration with CRC-Evans Pipeline International, Inc of Houston, USA, a world leader in pipeline welding. The company is the launch customer for the product and has worldwide exclusivity for its use in pipelines. The version of the SLS for pipeline welding and inspection is called “CiRCvision”. Meta will be servicing demand for the sensor in all markets other than pipeline. Off-the-shelf laser systems are capable of high-speed joint tracking, but have limitations regarding unit cost, robustness, ease of use and suitability for typical pipeline construction field conditions. These limitations made previous generation systems unsuitable

The new Smart Laser Sensor from Meta Vision Systems

The nature of narrow gap welding in pipelines makes it impossible to have precise alignment all around a given weld joint due to irregularities in joint fit-up as a result of variations in pipe diameter and ovality. This leads to local changes in joint geometry and position. The SLS measures these changes in real time during welding. Tracking data is sent via a high-speed Ethernet or CANbus interface to the motion control system driving the external welding system. The resulting closed loop control ensures reliable, noise-free data transmission, ensuring that the welding electrodes are always where they should be.

for general use with the large CRC- Evans welder fleet. The company’s brief to Meta was to create a low-cost, self contained, intelligent, smart vision systemwith digital communication capabilities to be used in enhancing weld joining applications at 3m/min or better and also for inspection of pipelines. CRC-Evans identified that the overall pipe joining process could be dramatically improved if additional information about weld preparations and welds could be obtained before, during and after welding. The result is the Meta SLS, which consists of a robust CMOS megapixel image sensor with very large scale integration devices, including a large FPGA (field-programmable gate array) and a powerful DSP (digital signal processor) inside the sensor head itself.

Meta Vision Systems Ltd – UK Email: sales@meta-mvs.com Website: www.meta-mvs.com

New and improved pipe clamp IN a reaction to the markets’ growing need for varying styles of pipe clamp for ever-changing welding applications, Prestige Industrial Pipework Equipment Ltd (PIPE Ltd) has re-launched its E-Z Fit Red range. As with all the other clamps in Pipe Ltd’s range, the E-Z Fit Red can be used on exotic materials such as stainless steel and Duplex, by fitting the optional stainless steel shoes and screws, making all contact points between clamp and pipe stainless steel, eliminating the possibility of cross contamination. The new E-Z Fit Red pipe clamp

Offering an alternative to the already established E-Z Fit Gold, the new E-Z Fit Red boasts the widest single clamp range among the fixed leg style clamps, enabling the E-Z Fit Red to cover the range from 1" to 12" in just three clamps.

PIPE Ltd – UK Email: sales@pipe-ltd.com Website: www.pipe-ltd.com

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S eptember 2012