Meta Vision VistaWeld makes submerged arc welding faster

Based on a review of typical longitudinal SAW mill operations involving tack and OD (outside diameter) welding, the new system addresses some well-known issues. In particular, the latest VistaWeld includes accurate, non-contact tracking of the true root position and built-in look-ahead compensation as standard features. Tests on one series of longitudinal pipes showed that, in some cases, look-ahead tracking was four times more accurate than conventional tracking, significantly enhancing production by improving weld quality and minimising defects. The system harnesses the power of Meta's recently introduced Smart Laser Sensor (SLS) technology. It integrates a high resolution, high performance SLS sensor head within an updated VistaWeld architecture based on an Ethernet backbone and Meta's new, flexible Ethernet IO board. The combination has made it feasible to include the desired features, while reducing system complexity and improving ease of use. TruRoot tracking finds the actual root of the joint for OD SAW, even though the root may be covered by the tack weld. The software uses the higher resolution and quality of the SLS sensor, together with image analysis algorithms from Meta's multi-pass welding system, to detect the edges of the tack weld in the bottom of the joint. From this and the overall joint profile, the true root position can be computed. Tracking the actual root derived in this way improves penetration for the OD weld itself, while also improving ID/OD weld interpenetration. "We have 15 years of experience in longitudinal pipe mills, so we were able to identify precisely how to improve our system to give their welding engineers exactly what they wanted," explains Bob Beattie, Meta's managing director. "We believe that, with the new features, the new VistaWeld system is the best available on the market."