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Fair wind for UK vision company

Vision system manufacturer Meta Vision Systems, based in Oxfordshire, UK, has received an order from a Chinese windtower manufacturer for 14 of its DLS digital laser scanners. They will be used to automate welding operations during production of monopiles for offshore wind installations.

Meta’s DLS laser vision sensor uses the scanning spot principle rather than the more usual laser stripe method. The scanning spot system has significant advantages when welding the deep joints that are common when manufacturing monopoles, where wall thickness can be over 100mm.

Jing Zhao, Meta’s country manager for China, commented: 'We are very happy to have won this contract against tough competition and following a direct comparative evaluation in the customer’s factory.

'The performance of the DLS in generating accurate profiles of deep, narrow weld joints is a significant benefit for our customers. The large depth of the joints results in extended welding times, so continuous, consistent performance over long periods is vital.'

The windtower industry worldwide has become extremely competitive with the evolution of designs that place increasing requirements on fabrication and welding. To be competitive, it is necessary for windtower manufacturers to combine high productivity with excellent quality by using the best practices available.

Meta has extensive experience in the field, having been working on windtower and monopile welding for 15 years, with installations in the UK, USA, Canada, China, Korea, Netherlands and elsewhere.

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