Digital laser scanner for wind tower welding

May 10, 2010

The DLS200 scanning-spot laser sensor designed to automate and speed the manufacture of wind towers and other structures containing metal of different thickness has been introduced by Meta Vision Systems.

The thickness of steel plates that form the base of a wind tower can be 1.97 in. or more, and that section typically is prepared with a U-joint profile, with welding occurring in several passes. The middle section is fabricated from lighter-gauge metal and typically requires a V-type joint welded in one or two passes. Near the top, the steel is thinner still and is welded with a simple butt joint preparation.

The sensor has a programmable scan configuration, which means a wide scan can be used for the U and V joints, but a narrow scan with high resolution can be used for the smaller butt joints.

The stripe produced by the normal laser scan can be shrunk to a spot for welding cap passes where the edges of the weld preparation might have melted away. At the touch of a button, the sensor can project the spot to measure and control the height of the welding head. At the same time, the machine operator can use the laser spot as a guide for controlling manually the horizontal position of the welding head.

Meta Vision Systems Ltd. • 44-1865-887900 • www.meta-mvs.com