OSL OSTrack-R is a laser seam tracking system for robotic arc welding

Tracking Systems with Path Memorisation & Memory Replay

Tracking, Inspection & Measurement Systems for all type of Tube & Pipe Production

Tracking Systems for open arc weld processes

Meta Systems Support Service, Repair & Replace

Where repair or partial replacement is not possible, which might be due to the age of the equipment, OSL can provide new generation systems, which can replace Meta systems with the same machine or robot interface with minimal disruption to production. If you would like to discuss any support requirements for your Meta system, please get in touch with our local representatives who will be delighted to advise you on the support OSL can offer.

Due to our staff’s vast experience of working with Meta systems, OSL is in a position to provide product support and service for systems installed by Meta.

This includes hardware and software support, maintenance, service and repairs. We are also able to suggest and source spare parts in many cases.

• Laser Seam Tracking for Robots and all kinds of welding machines

• Laser Vision Weld Inspection Systems with 3D Model Generation

A flagship event for welding, joining and allied technologies in the UK

February 2026

April 2026

December 2025

Laser Vision for Tube & Pipe Mills

OSTrack-M OSTrack-M is a laser seam tracking system for automated welding machines. The system has been designed from the ground up for arc welding with special consideration given to performance, robustness, reliability and ease of use.

System Structure The laser tracking system has four main parts: 1. Laser sensor – usually mounted from the torch 2. Servo Slides – providing high accuracy motion 3. Control Cabinet – with integrated colour touchscreen 4. Operator Pendant

Features • Laser Sensors Designed for Arc Welding • High standoff, high resolution and large depth of field make for great performance and flexibility in use • Controller is an industrial PC with no moving parts running OSL’s all new Laser seam tracking software • Informative full colour touchscreen for easy setup, production monitoring and problem resolution • Sensor isolation module to protect the system from welding shorts

A range of laser sensors are available with different fields of view for different welding types. They all share high resolution and high frame rates for top performance. Servo slides are available with a range of strokes and load capacities. They all feature high performance brushless servo motors for precise control. The control cabinet contains an industrial Panel PC with no moving parts, a small plc for connection to the machine control, servo drives and a sensor isolation module which protects the system against short circuits at the welding head.

Benefits • Reliable seam finding and accurate seam tracking • More accurate than manual or tactile guidance • Enables higher welding speeds compared to manual control • Improved weld quality by keeping the electrode in the joint • Higher productivity from faster starts and higher speeds • Reduced scrap and rework • Frees machine operator for other tasks • Gives better looking welds

Applications • Tube & Pipe • Automotive • Tanks & Fittings • Construction Equipment • Aerospace & Defence • Cabinets, containers & housings

VMC Video Camera System The video system can provide valuable information to the weld operators by providing a visual image of the weld area. This can include the laser pointer position showing that the submerged torch is in position. The dual ID/OD video feature allows the operator to easily switch between ID or OD image so that a single operator can monitor both stations during welding. The video cameras are designed to be run continuously. A lamp is provided that should be positioned so that it provides illumination for the area viewed by the camera.

Video Display When the system is started, the video image for the ID and OD video cameras will appear on the corresponding display at each operator station. ID image shown above, and OD image shown opposite.

Video Camera The camera is contained within a rugged industrial housing. The adjustable mounting arm allows the camera to be easily moved and placed in a position that provides the operators with a useful view of the weld area.

Multi-Pass Welding System functionalities • Three tracking modes: laser only tracking, memory replay, height only, to realise auto tracking from root to capping. • Laser profile analysis and seam detection on V, U, Narrow gap and Fillet etc. joint types. • Joint geometry measurements, including top width, bottom width, joint depth and area etc. • Auto detect the pass number for each layer and auto position the passes. • Auto reminding of the transition from root to fill and from fill to capping.

OSTrack-R for Robot Welding Laser Seam Tracking system for Robotic Arc Welding The system has been designed from the ground up for robotic arc welding with special consideration given to performance, robustness, reliability and ease of use. Features • Laser Sensors Designed for Arc Welding • High standoff, high resolution and large depth of field make for great performance and flexibility in use • Controller is an industrial PC with no moving parts running OSL’s all new laser seam tracking software • Informative full colour touchscreen for easy setup, production monitoring and problem resolution • Sensor isolation module to protect the system from welding shorts Benefits • Reliable seam finding and accurate seam tracking • Improved weld quality by keeping the electrode in the joint • Reduced fixturing costs • Reduced scrap and rework • Minimises need to touch up robot programs Applications • Automotive • Tanks & Fittings • Construction Equipment • Aerospace & Defence • Cabinets, containers & housings The system is suitable for use with all the main robot welding processes. System Structure The laser tracking system has just two main parts: 1 . Laser sensor – usually mounted from the torch 2. Control Cabinet – with integrated colour touchscreen Robot Interfaces The standard system interfaces to a wide range of leading robot controllers via a network connection. A special version of the system is available to provide an interface with analogue and digital signals where necessary. Existing interfaces include: • ABB • Fanuc • Kuka • Motoman/Yaskawa

Vision & Control for Tube & Pipe With extensive experience of spiral mills from many different manufacturers, and having completed spiral mill installations in over fifty countries, OSL staff are able to undertake projects almost anywhere in the world.

Longitudinal Pipe Mills Our latest systems have unique features which have been developed out of our experience in solving real world problems. For example, our OD tracking systems use true lookahead tracking to counter the problems of OD height control arising from the thermal distortion of the ID weld. Applications in Longitudinal Pipe Welding • Tack Welder Seam Tracking • Tack Welder hilo & Gap Measurement Control • ID Welder Seam Tracking • OD Welder Seam Tracking • Multipass Welding Control for thick wall pipes, ID, OD, Circ • Automatic Adaptive Fill Control • Combined Bead Tracking & Inspection Systems for UT

Custom Applications With so much relevant experience ,OSL staff understand vision and control applications in tube & pipe as well as anyone in the industry. We are able to understand special requirements and develop vision and control solutions which are reliable and cost effective.

Productivity Improvements • Higher efficiencies from reduced manpower • Less repair and rework • Enables higher welding speeds • Enables more advanced weld profiles and smaller welds • Frees operator for other tasks

Tube Mill Applications Over the years, OSL staff have been involved in many tube mill applications, including: • Tracking systems for Laser and TIG welded tube • OD bead inspection • ID scarf inspection • Linetracking systems for UT and annealing applications

Quality Improvements • Accurate weld placement everytime, all of the time • Reduced defect rates • More consistent penetration • Better ID/OD interpenetration • Better bead appearance • Less reliance on individual operators

We have particular experience in fully automatic position control of multipass welding for thickwall pipes. OSL staff designed the original multipass welding systems and were first to implement a reliable control package.

Laser Vision for Tube & Pipe Mills

ArcView Camera System The ArcView System Overview The ArcView camera incorporates a Laser stripe projector, a video camera and a video crosshair generator. The combination of these three components on the resulting video image provides the operator with the ability to remotely control both horizontal and vertical positions of the welding head from observing the image on the video monitor. The ArcView system allows the operator to maintain the ideal welding position and to monitor and correct stickout errors. The ArcView camera is mounted close to the weld torch, and is oriented to look just ahead of the weld surface in the direction of travel during welding. Horizontal Position Control The ArcView camera should be mounted so that the weld seam is located roughly in the centre of the screen. With the tip of the weld torch in the correct position for welding, the horizontal crosshair should be adjusted to align with the laser stripe so that the height can be maintained during welding. Similarly the vertical crosshair should be positioned in the centre of the weld joint so that ideal horizontal weld torch position can be maintained throughout the weld. By keeping the Laser Crosshair perfectly aligned with the video crosshair within the weld joint, the position of the welding torch relative to the weld joint is kept constant and the operator can be confident that the electrode is in the correct part of the joint and that the stickout is also correct. This is why it is important to setup the crosshair positions when the torch is already in the ideal position for welding.

Height Control - Principal of Triangulation During the normal welding procedure, the ArcView camera projects a laser stripe onto the surface. The laser stripe is projected down at an angle from the camera integrated into the sensor. Because the laser stripe is projected at an angle relative to the camera position this means that if the workpiece moves closer to the camera, then the observed position of the laser stripe on the workpiece moves up. If the workpiece moves further away from the camera, then the position of the Laser stripe on the surface will appear to move down. The operator should adjust the vertical slide position to correct for this change moving the slide up to bring the Laser stripe back to its original position in line with the horizontal crosshair line. Similarly, if the workpiece moves closer to the camera, then the laser cross will appear to move up in the video display, and the operator should then jog the vertical slide down to correct. The ArcView Camera must be mounted in front of the weld torch so that it views the joint before it is welded. The correct weld torch position is then achieved by keeping the distance from the weld torch to the workpiece maintained throughout the weld, and keeping the torch in the centre of the joint. When the welding torch is correctly positioned over the workpiece, the profile of the weld joint should appear central in both horizontal and vertical crosshair positions on the display screen. The ArcView camera is set at its optimum focus for camera and laser at the centre position of the video display, so their mountings should be adjusted to achieve this. Correct Height. Horizontal crosshair lines up with horizontal Laser line Laser line is above the vertical crosshair. The operator must correct the position by moving Down. In first image shows both the laser crosshair and the video crosshair are centred on the screen. This is the reference or ‘home’ position for maintaining the torch over the seam, and represents the ideal torch position. Throughout the weld, the operator must adjust the horizontal and vertical slide position to maintain this ideal setup. In this way the weld torch is kept in the ideal position throughout the weld. In first image shows both the laser crosshair and the video crosshair are centred on the screen. This is the reference or ‘home’ position for maintaining

the torch over the seam, and represents the ideal torch position. Throughout the weld, the operator must adjust the horizontal and vertical slide position to maintain this ideal setup. In this way the weld torch is kept in the ideal position throughout the weld. The second image illustrates how the display would look if the weld part had moved to the Left. The vertical crosshair is no longer in the centre of the weld joint. The operator should correct by moving the horizontal slide left to return the vertical video crosshair to the centre of the weld joint. The third image illustrates how the display would look if the weld part had moved right. The operator should compensate by moving the vertical slide right to return the horizontal laser stripe to the centre of the video crosshair.

OSL Sensors for Welding OSL’s range of laser sensors has been designed with the benefit of 30 years’ experience in the practical use of laser vision systems in welding applications. Particular attention has been paid to making the sensors easy to use. For example, in addition to the normal red laser line, each sensor incorporates a green laser cross which makes installation, setup and monitoring easier.

Features • Robust body with integral cooling and blow off • Replaceable front window • High quality uniform laser line projector • Additional laser cross for easy setup • High resolution • Excellent depth of field with high standoff • Low power dissipation • Designed for high temperature operation Benefits • Reliable operation in production environments • Available for all common welding processes • Suitable for both robotic and mechanised systems • Easy to install, setup and operate In addition to the range of standard laser sensors described in this datasheet, OSL also has available special laser sensors optimised for particular applications, including: • Scanning spot laser sensors for narrow gap and semi narrow gap welding • Three stripe laser sensors • Compact laser sensors for pipe ID welding

Services Oxford Sensors provides sensor and control systems for welding applications. The company offers both standard products and custom solutions. Standard Products • Seam finding system for robot welding • Seam tracking system for robot welding • Seam tracking system for standard welding machines • Spiral Pipe • ID and OD tracking systems for one step operation • Two step: Tack welder, fully automatic offline ID & OD SAW, skelp welder • Complete spiral pipe mill electrical systems including weld control • Online and offline UT guidance • Longitudinal pipe tack welder, ID, OD & UT tracking systems • Tube mill joint and line tracking • Multipass adaptive systems Custom Services Oxford Sensors designs custom systems for welding applications, ranging from simple controls all the way up to complex networked systems incorporating multiple PCs, plcs, laser sensors, cameras and welding power source interfaces.

Oxford Sensors Ltd Although Oxford Sensors is a relatively new company, it is firmly based on the vast experience of its staff, who have over 80 years direct cumulative experience and who were instrumental in many of the most successful laser vision installations in the welding industry. Oxford Sensors uses the most modern design techniques and components to provide state of the art systems which are very well matched to their target applications. Our staff have extensive experience in the pipe business, especially in spiral pipe. With many thousands of hours working in specific design, programming and installations on spiral mills worldwide. We already have more credibility than any other supplier of laser vision systems into the spiral pipe market.

Unique Red Laser & Green Laser Cross Sensor

Oxford Sensors Double Laser Configuration Aids Setup and Monitoring Oxford Sensors family of standard laser sensors for welding automation features two lasers: a green cross for manual observation and a red line primarily for automatic seam tracking. This unique pairing helps greatly with sensor installation and setup and with verification of correct operation. A new video making clear how this combination works is now available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cr88iFwGMo

Xara Web Designer Ltd

Oxford Sensors Ltd Unit 11, Arena 14 Bicester Park, Charbridge Lane Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 4SS United Kingdom Phone +44 (0) 1869 250791 Email info@oxfordsensors.co.uk