Elcometer Elcomotor 312 User manual

English

Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™

Coating Thickness Gauge

Operating Instructions

www.elcomotor.com

Elcomotor™ is a division of

Elcometer Incorporated, Michigan, USA

312_TMA_0261_00 Issue 05 A6L.fm Page -1 Wednesday, January 14, 2009 5:46 PM

English

Equipment described in these instructions is covered by the following Patents:

FNF UK Patent No: GB2306009B and FNF US Patent No: 5886522

The Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge has been tested in accordance with EU

regulations governing electro-magnetic compliance and meets the required directives.

Note: Gauge readings may be affected if the unit is operated within a radio frequency electromagnetic

strength of greater than 3 V/m.

and are registered trademarks of Elcometer Limited.

All other trademarks acknowledged.

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.

A copy of this Instruction Manual is available for download on our Website via www.elcometer.com/

downloads. Doc No. TMA-0261 Issue 05

Text with Cover No. 16862

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CONTENTS

Section Page

1 About your gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2 Getting started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Taking a measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4 Calibration adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

5 Storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

6 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

7 Technical specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

8 Spares and accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

9 Related equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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Thank you for your purchase of this Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge. Welcome to

Elcometer.

Elcometer are world leaders in the design, manufacture and supply of inspection equipment for coatings

and concrete. Our products cover all aspects of coating inspection, from development through application

to post application inspection.

The Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge is a world beating product. With the purchase

of this gauge you now have access to the worldwide service and support network of Elcometer. For more

information visit our websites:

www.elcometer.com

www.elcomotor.com

1 ABOUT YOUR GAUGE

The Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge is a handheld coating thickness gauge for

checking dry film thickness of paint coatings on automotive bodywork.

The gauge is available either with a built-in integral probe or with a separate probe. Two types of probe are

available:

• Elcometer 312F for measurement on steel bodies

• Elcometer 312FNF for measurement on steel and aluminium bodies

The gauge can be switched to display metric (µm) or imperial (mils) units of measurement.

Your gauge was calibrated at the factory, however you can adjust the calibration using the foil set supplied

with the gauge.

The Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ is powered by internal dry cell batteries.

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1.1 GAUGE FEATURES

• Easy to use, Instant readings

• User adjustable calibration

• Ferrous (F) and dual ferrous/non-ferrous (FNF) versions

available

• Bigfoot™ for stable and repeatable readings

• Separate probe version for readings where space is restricted

• Switchable between metric/imperial units

1.2 WHAT THE BOX CONTAINS

• Elcometer 312F Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge or

Elcometer 312FNF Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge

• 2 x LR03 (AAA) alkaline batteries

• Set of 3 foils

• Carrying case

• Operating instructions

The Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge is packed in a cardboard and foam package.

Please ensure that this packaging is disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner. Consult your local

Environmental Authority for further guidance.

To maximise the benefits of your new Elcometer 312 Elcomotor™ Coating Thickness Gauge please

take some time to read these Operating Instructions. Do not hesitate to contact Elcometer or your

Elcometer supplier if you have any questions.

Elcometer

312 with

Integral

Probe

Elcometer 312 with

Separate Probe

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2 GETTING STARTED

2.1 FITTING BATTERIES

The Elcometer 311 may be used with dry cell batteries or rechargeable batteries.

2 x LR03 (AAA) alkaline batteries are supplied with the gauge.

To fit or replace batteries:

1. Locate battery compartment cover at rear of gauge.

2. Lift off battery compartment cover.

3. Place batteries in the battery clips ensuring correct polarity.

4. Replace battery compartment cover.

Note: Remove the batteries from the gauge if it is to remain unused

for a long period of time. This will prevent damage to the gauge in

the event of malfunction of the batteries.

2.2 LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE

When the battery voltage is low the battery symbol illuminates on

the display. The gauge will still function but new batteries are

recommended.

When the battery symbol flashes the batteries must be replaced.

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2.3 SWITCHING THE GAUGE ON/OFF

To switch on, press .

Gauges with an integral probe will switch on automatically by placing the probe against a hard surface.

To switch off, press and hold until OFF is displayed.

The gauge will switch off automatically after one minute of inactivity.

2.4 CHANGING UNITS

To change the units of measurement displayed on the screen (µm or mils):

1. Press to switch the gauge on.

2. Press .

The symbol on the display will start to flash.

3. Press .

The units will change.

To change units again, repeat steps 2 and 3.

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3 TAKING A MEASUREMENT

Before starting to take measurements it is good practice to check the performance of the gauge using the

calibration adjustment procedure - see “Calibration adjustment” on page 7.

1. Hold the gauge with the probe pressed

firmly

against the surface you are

measuring.

2. Read the coating thickness shown on the

display.

The screen displays:

• the coating thickness

• the measurement units (µm or mils)

• on FNF gauges only, the substrate type -

F (ferrous) or NF (non ferrous)

a. The reading may be inaccurate if the probe is not held flat against the surface.

Integral

probe

Separate

probe

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4 CALIBRATION ADJUSTMENT

Calibration adjustment is the process of setting the gauge to known values of thickness.

Although your gauge was calibrated at the factory, periodic calibration by the user is a requirement of quality

management procedures such as ISO 9000 and other standards.

Note: FNF gauges must be calibrated in both the ferrous mode and in the non-ferrous mode to ensure

accuracy of reading.

4.1 EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

To ensure accurate calibration you will need access to an uncoated sample of the automotive body to be

measured and the foil set supplied with your gauge.

If you do not have access to an uncoated sample, ferrous (steel) and non-ferrous (aluminium) substrates

(checkpieces) are available as accessories from Elcometer. See “Spares and accessories” on page 11 for

ordering details.

The measured foil set supplied with your gauge consists of the following nominal thickness values:

• 125 µm (5 mil)

• 250 µm (10 mil)

• 1000 µm (20 mil)

When adjusting the calibration, choose a foil or combination of foils to give a thickness value above the

thickness to be measured. For instance, for measurements up to 100 µm (4 mil), choose the 125 µm (5 mil)

foil. For measurements up to 1000 µm (40 mil), use the 1000 µm (40 mil) foil.

Note: Ensure that the foils are clean and that there is no dirt or dust between the foils, as this will cause

errors.

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4.2 TO CALIBRATE YOUR GAUGE

STEP 1 - SET ZERO ON THE UNCOATED SUBSTRATE

1. Take a reading on the uncoated substrate.

2. Press and hold for 5 seconds.

The display will show 0 µm or 0.0 mils.

STEP 2 - SET TO A MEASURED FOIL VALUE

1. Place the chosen foil on an uncoated sample of the metal substrate.

2. Take a reading.

3. Adjust the reading value in the display by pressing and holding either or for 5 seconds.

The display will count up or down in 1 µm (0.1 mils) steps increasing in resolution to 10 µm (1 mils)

steps, as the button is held. Release and re-press the key to slow the change as the correct value is

approached.

4. When the correct value is displayed, press to enter the value.

STEP 3 - CHECK THE CALIBRATION

Measure either an intermediate foil value or the foil chosen for the adjustment to check the validity of the

calibration procedure. If the gauge does not give the correct reading, repeat the calibration procedure.

If, after repeating the calibration, the gauge still does not measure correctly, consult your local Elcometer

supplier or contact Elcometer directly.

USA/Canada: sales@elcomotor.com

or Worldwide: sales@elcometer.com

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