OSL News 20th April 2021

In 2019, Oxford Sensors made a significant improvement to its range of standard laser stripe sensors by adding a green laser cross as well as the conventional red laser line. The green cross makes it very convenient to mount and adjust the laser sensor during initial setup. In robot welding systems, it makes programming the robot much easier because the green cross/red line combination can provide instant visual feedback of the robot tcp on the part. In machine welding systems, it gives the machine operator immediate confirmation that the system is working correctly and that everything is on target. If the old saying that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is true, then it seems we should be pleased that one of our competitors has already copied the idea. Of course, we’d rather that they hadn’t done that, but competition drives innovation by a kind of evolutionary process and the fact that the idea has been copied so quickly does at least validate it in a strange kind of way. This all just goes to show that even in an industry as traditional as welding, you can’t rest on your laurels and it is essential to keep pushing the boundaries. Which is what we do – look out for new products announcements soon!

Competitor copies Sensor design