Latest news and updates from OMS


OMS is currently working with Allseas on a project aboard their vessel, Pioneering Spirit, the world’s largest construction vessel. Capable of lifting record weights, Pioneering Spirit is designed to simplify installation and removal of offshore platforms and pipelines. OMS is supporting Allseas with a number of our inspection systems, which are also designed to smooth the pipeline installation process, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

November 2023


Erin Clucas and Dominic Britton-Ramsey join the OMS team

October 2023

OMS is delighted to welcome Erin Clucas, our new Sales and Office Co-ordinator, and Dominic Britton-Ramsey, our newest Project Engineer. Read the full story.

 

OMS completes inspection and remediation project for major European offshore wind farm

OMS has successfully completed inspection and remediation work for one of Europe’s largest offshore wind farms. We were contracted to inspect welds within large J-tubes, reaching more than 70m height, with our award-winning crawler-based system. Having successfully inspected multiple welds we deployed our new SmartGrind service to remedy defects, leaving smooth internal surfaces to aid smooth cable progression. Our crawlers were able to access and repair welds in some of the most critical and difficult to reach J-tube sections. Read more about OMS weld remediation services.


Revolutionising pipe fit-up with the OMS AutoTool and SmartFit™

September 2023

Ensuring optimum pipe fit-up helps construct pipelines that are stronger, safer and likely to last longer. OMS offers state-of-the-art, award-winning pipe measurement and fit-up services that use the latest technology to help our clients build the best pipelines in the business. Read more.


OMS adds long seam weld remediation to SmartGrind service

August 2023

OMS has released an addition to our SmartGrind weld remediation service that will remove any excess material from long-seam welded pipes. This is particularly beneficial before applying a liner or cladding, which will adhere more effectively to smooth pipe surfaces. Any defects can be identified and remediated with targeted grinding, or the entire LSW can be flushed. Read more.


OMS technology passes nuclear factory acceptance testing (FAT)

May 2023

In a recent inspection test for a major operator in the nuclear energy sector, OMS’s laser and camera scanning technology was coupled with our partner’s size-adaptive crawler and deployed inside a pipe using a specialised remote control robotic arm.

Alex Felce, CEO, said, ‘Thanks to the hard work of the OMS team and our industry partner, we are delighted that our technology has passed another round of tests, providing assurance to our customers that our systems are qualified for use within the nuclear sector.’


OMS launches SmartGrind

April 2023

Ground-breaking smart grinding service remediates defective welds in place

OMS has launched SmartGrind, a ground-breaking remediation service that can solve weld defects in situ, without the need for cut-outs. Clients can build stronger, longer lasting pipelines, ensure welds meet specifications and ensure production proceeds with maximum efficiency. In a market where every efficiency is vital, SmartGrind will help OMS clients save money, improve asset quality and reduce downtime. Read more.


OMS inspects underground pipeline

OMS has recently carried out a project to inspect our client’s pipeline, which was buried underground. They were concerned that pipeline defects meant they would need to dig up their pipe in order to repair it, an expensive and time-consuming process. Instead, we were able to conduct a thorough inspection of the pipeline in place. We were able to pinpoint areas of fatigue and weld defects remotely, indicating issues that could cause problems in the future. Read more.


January 2023: OMS welcomes new team members

OMS is delighted to welcome new members of staff for 2023 - Raluca Patru and John Salter join the operations team as Logistics Co-ordinator and Project Engineer respectively, and Imoh Adegbola joins the R&D team as Production Technician and Stores Supervisor. Read the full story.

Raluca Patru, Logistics Co-ordinator

Imoh Adegbola, Production Technician and Stores Supervisor

John Salter, Project Engineer


‘Robotic crawlers reaching the unreachable’

Maxon Group, world leading provider of high-precision drive units, visited our offices to take some video footage of our latest robotic crawlers, which are fitted with Maxon’s DCX range of motors, and interview OMS chief design engineer, Jack Parlane. See the latest press coverage in Eureka, Machine Building and Global Underwater Hub and watch the full video on Maxon’s website.

November 2022


OMS awarded new patent

OMS has been awarded a new patent for a unique cable management system. Attributed inventors chief design engineer, Jack Parlane and OMS founder, Dr Tim Clarke, recognised the requirement for the system in 2018 when discussing a demanding pipeline inspection project. It required our equipment to navigate multiple pipe bends to perform weld inspection and analysis. Umbilical management is often an overlooked but highly critical component of any pipeline inspection service and having conceptualised the concept it was decided to file for a patent to protect the design. The new patent enables tethered crawler systems to navigate more bends than would be possible without such a device and demonstrates OMS's commitment to investing in innovation. We look forward to being able to put the design into production.

October 2022


OMS attending Spiconx 2022

The OMS team is currently attending Saudi Aramco’s annual Spiconx trade show in KSA along with our valued partner, Aegion. Visit us at booth G3 to find out about the latest in weld scanning and remediation.

October 2022


Internal J-tubes inspection: OMS successfully completes renewable energy project on time and within budget

Using our award-winning robotic inspection technology we inspected hard-to-reach welds in the fabrication of large offshore wind turbine jackets using a crawler-type system rather than gauges. The critical welds were located within vertical sections of J-tubes reaching up to 70m in height and with the only access point located at the bottom. Our AGILITY.max crawler travelled vertically through the pipes, carrying out the inspection while navigating bends and inner diameter transitions, demonstrating that it is possible to inspect internal welds in locations previously thought to be unreachable. Read the full story.

August 2022


OMS summer BBQ

The sun was smiling as OMS staff enjoyed our annual summer barbecue.

July 2022


Much delayed presentation evening for 2020 Queen’s Award

OMS chairman, Dr Tim Clarke, attended the gala event for the Queen’s Awards 2020 and 2021, much delayed for Covid-related reasons. In 2020 we won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the innovation category for our ground-breaking weld inspection system, the AUGA.node. This is the third time OMS has won a Queen’s Award, one of the most prestigious for UK businesses, having previously achieved the accolade in 2007 and 2014. The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in four categories – international trade, sustainable development, innovation and promoting opportunity.

June 2022


New prototype wireperson joins the team

Simon Bumpstead has joined the busy OMS R&D team as a prototype wireperson. Simon will be working with our engineers on the design, assembly and testing of various ongoing projects. He has previously worked for companies such as Marconi Communications, Baumatic Group, Hoover Group and Multipoint Communications.

Alex Felce, OMS CEO, said, ‘We are delighted to welcome Simon, who joins the team having accrued a wealth of experience in highly technical and challenging assembly of electro-mechanical systems at several large engineering companies. Simon’s technical skills and quality first mindset will help OMS meet the increased demand for our robotic inspection systems and bring our new concepts to reality.’

May 2022

OMS appoints new software engineer

OMS is delighted to welcome Ronella Pereira, who joins as our newest software engineer. Ronella is an experienced software engineer whose previous roles include working for large companies such as Adecco Middle East and Tech Mahindra. She joins OMS having recently completed a masters’ degree in advanced computer science at Loughborough University and will be working as part of our busy software team on various client projects.

Ian Frankham-Wells, OMS software manager, said, ‘We’re very pleased Ronella has joined the team. As OMS takes on more projects. Ronella’s skills in front-end development and experience with high-pressure projects are a very welcome addition and will help us continue to produce the quality software our clients expect.’

March 2022


Jake Barber, project manager

OMS operations team recruits new member

OMS is pleased to announce that anew employee, Jake Barber, has joined our operations team. Jake brings a range of project management, engineering, design and people management skills that will add further robustness to the team.  

Jake Barber joins the team as a project manager, having gained significant experience managing multiple large-scale projects for companies such as OpenView Group. A fully-qualified electrician and operational manager, Jake’s skills in overseeing large projects, managing people and maintaining excellent relationships with customers are a vital addition to the team as OMS grows and undertakes more complex activities.  

Alex Felce, OMS CEO, said, ‘We are delighted to welcome Jake to the team. As a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in the engineering sector, his skills will be very much in demand in our busy department.’

11 January 2022


Merry Christmas from OMS!

Everyone at OMS would like to wish all our clients, suppliers, friends and families a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2022. For Christmas this year we are donating to the Stort Valley Rotary Club’s Helping Herts campaign, which supports a range of charities in Hertfordshire, including St Clare’s Hospice, the Isabel Hospice and Citizens Advice.

December 2021

ENGIE Laborelec and OMS collaborate on nuclear inspection crawler

OMS is developing a modified Agility Mini crawler for use by ENGIE Laborelec in a challenging nuclear inspection project. Read ENGIE Laborelec’s LinkedIn post and watch the crawler in action.

October 2021

ENGIE laborelec.png

Peter Watson joins OMS

OMS is pleased to announce that Peter Watson has joined the company as a Senior Design Engineer. Peter will be working on ongoing projects as part of our busy R&D team and helping to develop new solutions to clients’ pipeline challenges. Jack Parlane, Chief Design Engineer, said, “This is a particularly busy time for the R&D team and we are delighted that Peter has come on board. His wealth of engineering, technology and project management experience will be extremely valuable in managing our existing workload and as the business continues to grow and take on more projects.” Prior to joining OMS Peter worked at Silverwell Energy where he worked as a project manager before being promoted to Chief Technology Officer, and Pitney Bowes, where he started out as Principal Engineer before rising to Systems, Test and Reliability Manager.

23 September 2021

Peter 1.jpg

QA1.jpg

OMS receives third Queen’s Award for Innovation from Lord-Lieutenant of Essex

Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, visited the OMS offices in Stansted today to present our third Queen’s Award for Innovation. OMS won the award in 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic prevented any kind of presentation until now. Alex Felce, OMS CEO, said, ‘As a business with innovation at our heart, OMS was delighted to win a third Queen’s Award last year. I am very proud of our dedicated team, who are always focused on improving the services and technology we offer our customers. We hope to win a fourth Queen’s Award one day.’

Read full news story here.

21 July 2021

OMS appoints new electrotechnical engineer

OMS is pleased to announce that Andrew Gillham has joined the team as our latest electrotechnical engineer. Andrew has extensive experience in electronics development and mechanical engineering. He joins the R&D team to help bring some of our exciting electronics projects to fruition. Andrew ‘s previous experience includes roles at H&S Polatis, where he designed and optimised complex electro-mechanical control systems, and Cosworth Electronics, where he was responsible for creating wearable data systems.

“We are very happy to welcome Andrew on board,” said OMS CEO, Alex Felce. “His experience and skill with complex electronics projects will be invaluable to the team as we continue to improve our capacity for innovation and expansion into new markets.”

6 May 2021

AG3.JPG

Car1.jpg

Electric cars @ OMS

As part of our commitment to the environment, OMS has recently installed high speed EV charging points. The new charging points allow employees who have purchased a new electric car through our salary sacrifice scheme to charge their cars for free during working hours. By purchasing an EV through the company scheme employees can also save money on servicing, car tax and parking charges. We continue to encourage employees to walk, run or cycle to work and offer shower facilities on site to support that.

17 March 2021


OMS is growing

As our business continues to grow we have welcomed several new employees in our R&D, analysis, engineering, software and sales teams.

January 2021

OMS appoints new CEO

OMS is delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Felce as its new Chief Executive Officer, as of August 2020. Alex is a chartered mechanical engineer with a wealth of experience in the energy and automotive sectors, including previous roles at GE Oil & Gas and Delphi Diesel Systems.

Alex photo.jpg

Coronavirus update

OMS remains open for business as usual. Click the button below to read our full update.

5 January 2021

New ways of working

Following an unusual six months life at OMS has returned to some kind of normality – with a few changes. Click the button below to read our latest update.

9 September 2020


OMS wins Queen’s Award

Optical Metrology Services Ltd (OMS) is delighted to announce that we have won a 2020 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for the third time, having previously achieved the accolade in 2007 and 2014.

21 April 2020

Covid update March 2020

OMS may not be working normally but we are still working. Click the button to read more about how we have adapted to cope with new guidance.

21 March 2020