Elcometer 204 User manual

User Guide

Elcometer 204

Steel Ultrasonic Material

Thickness Gauge

www.elcometer.com

Section

Page

Gauge Overview

en-2

Box Contents

en-2

Using the Gauge

en-3

Getting Started

en-4

Setting the Zero Point

en-5

Taking a Reading

en-6

Statistics

en-7

Menu Structure

en-8

Upgrading Your Gauge

en-8

Spares & Accessories

en-8

Warranty Statement

en-12

Technical Specification

en-12

Legal Notices & Regulatory Information

en-13

Appendix 1: Preparing The Test Surface

en-14

For the avoidance of doubt, please refer to the original English language version.

Gauge Dimensions: 145 x 73 x 37mm (5.7 x 2.87 x 1.46") - without transducer

Gauge Weight: 210g (7.4oz) - including batteries, without transducer

Material Safety Data Sheets for the ultrasonic couplant supplied with the Elcometer 204 and available as an

accessory, are available to download via our website:

Elcometer Ultrasonic Couplant Material Safety Data Sheet:

www.elcometer.com/images/stories/MSDS/Elcometer_Ultrasonic_Couplant_Blue.pdf

Elcometer Ultrasonic Couplant (High Temperature) Material Safety Data Sheet:

www.elcometer.com/images/stories/MSDS/elcometer_ultrasonic_couplant_hi_temp.pdf

stored (in a retrieval system or otherwise) or translated into any language, in any form or by any means (electronic,

mechanical, magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Elcometer Limited.

CONTENTS

www.elcometer.com

en-1

1 GAUGE OVERVIEW

1 LED Indicators - Red (left), Green (right)

2 LCD Display

3 Softkeys

4 On/Off Key

5 Zero Disk

6 Transducer Connection Point

7 USB Data Output Socket (below cover)

8 Battery Compartment (¼ turn open/close)

9 Wrist Strap Connection

www.elcometer.com en-2

2 BOX CONTENTS



Elcometer 204 Steel Ultrasonic Material Thickness Gauge



5MHz 1/4" Potted Right Angle Dual Element Transducer



Ultrasonic Couplant; 120ml (4fl oz Bottle)



2 x AA Batteries



Protective Case



Wrist Harness



Screen Protector



Calibration Certificate



User Guide

3 USING THE GAUGE

en-3

Power: Batteries or USB -

including battery life indicator

Measurement Mode - P-E: Pulsed Echo

Reading Stability Indicator

Measurement Units - mm, Inch

Menu Softkey

Display Softkey

Save Reading Softkey

Reading Value

Statistics

4.1 FITTING THE BATTERIES

Each gauge is supplied with 2 x AA alkaline

batteries.

To insert or replace the batteries:

1 Lift the latch on the battery compartment

cover and rotate anti-clockwise to remove

the cover.

2 Insert 2 batteries taking care to ensure

correct polarity.

3 Refit the cover and rotate the latch clockwise to close.

The battery condition is indicated by a symbol in the top right of the

display ( ):

 Full symbol (orange) = batteries at full capacity

 Empty symbol (red, flashing) = batteries at lowest

sustainable level

4.2 CONNECTING A TRANSDUCER

1 Align the red dot on the transducer

plug with the red dot on the base

of the gauge.

2 Push the transducer into the

gauge, ensuring that the connector

is fully engaged.

4 GETTING STARTED

www.elcometer.com

All dual element transducers which can be connected directly to the

base of the gauge - see Section 10.1 ‘Transducers’ on page en-8 - are

‘intelligent’ transducers. The transducer frequency and diameter will

be identified automatically by the gauge.

Details of the transducer connected can be viewed at any time via

Menu/About/Transducer Information.

A transducer adaptor is available which enables other Elcometer

‘non-intelligent’, dual element transducers and other manufacturers’

transducers, to be used with the gauge - see Section 10.4 ‘Transducer

Adaptor’ on page en-11.

4.3 SELECTING YOUR LANGUAGE

1 Press and hold the ON/OFF button until the Elcometer logo is

displayed.

2 Press Menu/Setup/Language and select your language using the

 softkeys.

3 Follow the on screen menus.

To access the language menu when in a foreign language:

1 Switch the gauge OFF.

2 Press and hold the left softkey and switch the gauge ON.

3 Select your language using the softkeys.



4.4 SCREEN SETTINGS

A number of screen settings can be defined by the user via

Menu/Setup/Screen Settings including:

 Screen Brightness; This can be set to ‘Manual’ or ‘Auto’ - the

brightness is adjusted automatically using the gauge’s ambient

light sensor.

 Screen Timeout; The display will dim if inactive for more than

15 seconds and will go ‘black’ if inactive for the period defined.

Press any key or tap the gauge to awaken it. The gauge can

also be set to switch off automatically after a user defined

period of inactivity via Menu/Setup/Gauge Auto Off. The

default setting is 5 minutes.

www.elcometer.com en-4

4 GETTING STARTED (continued)

4.5 SETTING UP THE READING DISPLAY

The colour LCD display is split into two halves;

Top Display and Bottom Display. The user can

choose to view readings only, statistics only or

both.

To setup the display:

1 Press Display/Setup Display/Top Display

(or Bottom Display as required).



2 Use the softkeys to highlight the



required option and press ‘Select’.

4.6 THE MEASUREMENT MODE

The Elcometer 204 has a single measurement

mode, ‘Pulsed Echo’; the total thickness from

the base of the transducer to the material

density boundary (typically the back-wall) is

measured.

‘Pulsed Echo’ is suitable for measurement of materials between

0.63mm and 500mm (0.025" to 20") thick.

4.7 SELECTING THE MEASUREMENT UNITS

Rea measurement dings can be displayed in mm or Inch. To select the

units, press Menu/Setup/Units.

4 GETTING STARTED (continued)

www.elcometer.com

en-5

Readings & Statistics

Readings Only

a Thickness range is dependent on the material being measured and the transducer used.

5 SETTING THE ZERO POINT

Setting the zero point for the transducer is important. If the zero point

is not set correctly, all measurements will be inaccurate.

The gauge will remember the last zero point. It is generally a good

idea however, to set the zero point whenever the gauge is switched

on, and when a different transducer is used. This will ensure that the

zero point is correct.

www.elcometer.com en-6

5 SETTING THE ZERO POINT (continued)

To set the zero point:

1 Plug the transducer into the gauge

ensuring that the connector is fully

engaged.

 The wearface of the transducer should

be clean and free of any debris.

2 Press the On/Off button to switch the

gauge on.

3 Press Menu/Calibration/Zero Set and

apply couplant to the zero disk.

4 When prompted, press the

transducer on to the zero disk,

making sure it is flat against the

surface.

 The display will show a thickness value

which is constantly updating. The

stability of the reading is indicated on the

stability bar to the right of the display. A

valid reading has a stability of 5 or more.

5 Remove the transducer from the zero

disk. The last reading is held on

screen. If not representative, repeat

Step 4.

 Excessive use of couplant can result in a

distorted reading when the transducer is

removed from the surface.

6 Press ‘Zero’ to set the zero point.

6 TAKING A READING

6.1 BEFORE YOU START

1 Press the On/Off button to switch the gauge on.

2 Connect a transducer to the gauge.

 All dual element transducers which can be connected directly to the base

of the gauge - see Section 10.1 ‘Transducers’ on page en-8 - are

‘intelligent’ transducers and will be identified automatically by the gauge.

If using other Elcometer ‘non-intelligent’ dual element transducers or other

manufacturers’ transducers, a transducer adaptor is required - see

Section 10.4 ‘Transducer Adaptor’ on page en-11.

3 Set the zero point of the transducer - see Section 5 on page en-5.

4 Prepare the test surface - see Appendix 1 on page en-14.

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en-7

6 TAKING A READING (continued)

6.2 TAKING A READING

1 Apply a small amount of couplant to the test surface.

2 Press the transducer into the couplant, making sure it is flat

against the surface.

 Moderate pressure on the top of the transducer using the thumb or index

finger is sufficient; it is only necessary to keep the transducer stationary

and seated flat against the surface of the material.

3 The display will show a value which is constantly updating. The

gauge will take 4 readings per second when the transducer is in

contact with the surface of the material.

 The stability of the reading is indicated on the stability bar to the right of

the display. A valid reading has a stability of 5 or more. If the stability

indicator has fewer than 5 bars showing or the numbers on the display

seem erratic, make sure there is an adequate film of couplant beneath the

transducer, and that the transducer is seated flat against the material. If

the condition persists, it may be necessary to select a different transducer

(size or frequency) for the material being measured.

4 Press ‘Save’ to include the current reading in the statistics

calculations. The last reading is held on screen when the

transducer is removed from the surface.

 The last saved reading can be deleted and removed from the statistics

calculations by pressing Menu/Delete Last Reading.

7 STATISTICS

The Elcometer 204 calculates and displays the following statistical

values:

 Number of Readings (n:)

 Mean (X:)

 Lowest Reading (Lo:)

 Highest Reading (Hi:)

 Standard Deviation (σ:)

 Coefficient of Variation (cv%:)

To display the statistics, press Display/Setup Display/Top Display (or

Bottom Display as required).

To clear the current statistical values, press Display/Clear Statistics.

www.elcometer.com en-8

8 MENU STRUCTURE

Regulatory

Delete Last Reading

Calibration

Setup

About

Reset

Emergency Light

Calibration

Zero Set

Setup

Units

Language

Beep Volume

Screen Settings

Gauge Auto Off

Units

Inch ○

○

Screen Settings

Screen Brightness

Screen Timeout

Opening Screen ○

About

Gauge Information

Transducer Information

Contact

Legal Legal

Legal Notices

Regulatory

Display

Clear Statistics

Setup Display

Display Information Setup Display

Top Display

Bottom Display

None

Statistics

Readings

○

Top Display

None

Statistics

Readings

○

10.1 TRANSDUCERS

Each gauge is supplied complete with 5MHz 1/4" Potted Right Angle

Dual Element Transducer. Other transducers are available to order as

accessories - see Table 1 ‘Transducers’ on page en-9.

Transducers are potted - the transducer cable is permanently fixed to

the transducer head - right angle, dual element, ‘intelligent’

transducers. When connected, the transducer frequency and diameter

will be automatically identified by the gauge.

When choosing a transducer, the frequency, diameter and material

under test should be considered. As the Elcometer 204 is pre-

calibrated for steel, only transducers suitable for measuring on steel

should be used with this gauge.

Details of the transducer connected can be viewed at any time via

Menu/About/Transducer Information.

10 SPARES & ACCESSORIES

Gauge firmware can be upgraded to the latest version by the user via

® ®

ElcoMaster , as it becomes available. ElcoMaster will inform the user

of any updates when the gauge is connected to the PC with an

internet connection.

9 UPGRADING YOUR GAUGE

10 SPARES & ACCESSORIES (continued)

www.elcometer.com

en-9

# High temperature transducer, suitable for measuring hot surfaces up to 343°C (650°F).

‡ Extra resolution transducer with increased near surface resolution, ideal for use on thin substrates.

TABLE 1: TRANSDUCERS

Part Number

Frequency

Diameter

TXC5M00BP-4

5.0MHz

3/16"

TXC5M00EP-3

5.0MHz

1/2"

TXC5M00EP-4

5.0MHz

1/2"

TXC5M00CP-4

5.0MHz

1/4"

TXC5M00CP-6

5.0MHz

1/4"

TXC5M00CP-8

5.0MHz

1/4"

TXC7M50BP-3

7.5MHz

3/16"

‡

TXC7M50CP-4

7.5MHz

1/4"

TXC7M50CP-5

7.5MHz

1/4"

TXC10M0BP-1

10.0MHz

3/16"

TXC10M0CP-4

10.0MHz

1/4"

Other transducers are available which can be connected to the gauge

using a transducer adaptor - see Section 10.4 ‘Transducer Adaptor’ on

page en-11. For a complete list of transducers, visit

elcometerndt.com.

10.2 CALIBRATION STANDARDS

Available as a set or individually, allowing

users to select the most appropriate

thicknesses for their application, Elcometer

calibration standards are manufactured

from 4340 steel to a tolerance of ±0.1% of

the nominal thickness.

Calibration standard sets and individual standards are supplied

complete with calibration certificate.

b Calibration standards manufactured in other materials are available on request. Contact Elcometer for

further information.

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