DAKOTA ULTRASONICS ZX-5 Instruction Manual
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DAKOTA ULTRASONICS ZX-5 Instruction Manual

Ultrasonic wall thickness gauge
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Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA
Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451
Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net
Dakota Ultrasonics ZX-5 Ultrasonic Wall Thickness
Gauge - Instruction Manual
Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA
Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451
Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net

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  • Page 1 Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451 Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net Dakota Ultrasonics ZX-5 Ultrasonic Wall Thickness Gauge - Instruction Manual Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ..............1  1.1 D ......................... 1  ISCLAIMER CHAPTER TWO KEYPAD, MENU, DISPLAY & CONNECTORS ..... 2  2.1 ON/OFF/ENTER K … ..................... 2  2.2 PRB 0 K … ........................2  2.3 CAL K ….......................... 2  2.4 GAIN K ….
  • Page 3 7.1 G ..........................28  7.2 H ......................29  PEED 7.3 A ..........................29  LARM 7.4 D ........................31  IFFERENTIAL 7.5 B ..........................32  7.6 U ..........................33  NITS 7.7 L ........................... 33  7.8 Z ..........................35  7.9 V (VX) ........................35  ELOCITY 7.10 P ......................

  • Page 4: Chapter One Introduction

    CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The Dakota Ultrasonics model ZX-5 is a basic dual element thickness gauge with the ability to locate blind surface pitting and internal defects/flaws in materials. Based on the same operating principles as SONAR, the ZX-5 is capable of measuring the thickness of various materials with accuracy as high as ...

  • Page 5: Chapter Two Keypad, Menu, Display & Connectors

    2.2 PRB 0 Key The PRB 0 key is used to “zero” the ZX-5 in much the same way that a mechanical micrometer is zeroed. If the gauge is not zeroed correctly, all of the measurements that the gauge makes may be in error by some fixed value.

  • Page 6: Gain Key

    2.8 MENU Key The MENU key is used to access and set all of the additional features of the ZX-5 that are not at the top level of the keypad with a dedicated key. The features and...
  • Page 7 3) To enable or edit the status of any feature, press the key. 4) The edit icon will start blinking to indicate that the ZX-5 is currently in EDIT mode. 5) Press the keys to toggle through the setting options.

  • Page 8: The Display

    The icons and segments that will be used with the ZX-5 are shown in the diagram above.

  • Page 9: The Transducer

    For a complete list of the menu features in the ZX-5, Refer to page 3 for a list. The ZX-5 can be locked once calibrated, to avoid accidently changing the calibration. When this icon is illuminated, the ZX-5 is in lock mode.
  • Page 10 The Stability Indicator should have six or seven bars darkened, and a number should appear in the display. If the ZX-5 has been properly "zeroed" (see page 15) and set to the correct sound velocity (see page 17), the number in the display will indicate the actual thickness of the material directly beneath the transducer.

  • Page 11: Top End Cap

    When the transducer is removed from the surface, the display will hold the last measurement made. 2.11 Top End Cap The top end cap is where all connections are made to the ZX-5. The diagram above shows the layout and description of the connectors: Transducer Connectors Refer to Diagram: The transducer connectors and battery cover/probe zero disk are located on the ZX-5’s top end cap.
  • Page 12 C female connector. It is designed to connect directly from the ZX-5 to a standard USB type A port on a PC. The cable supplied with the ZX-5 is a USB type C to a USB type A (pt# N-003-0330). See page 40 for information on connectivity.

  • Page 13: Chapter Three Principals Of Ultrasonic Measurement

    CHAPTER THREE PRINCIPALS OF ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENT 3.1 Time versus thickness relationship Ultrasonic thickness measurements depend on measuring the length of time it takes for sound to travel through the material being tested. The ratio of the thickness versus the time is known as the sound velocity. In order to make accurate measurements, a sound velocity must be determined and entered into the instrument.

  • Page 14: Temperature

    ZX-5, and the PRB 0 key pressed to establish a zero point for the transducer connected. If the Auto Zero feature is enabled, simply pressing the PRB 0 key will perform an electronic zero to establish the same zero point.
  • Page 15 Dakota Ultrasonics two elements and their delay lines are packaged in a single housing but acoustically isolated from each other with an insulated sound barrier. This allows the transducer the ability to achieve very high sensitivity for detecting small defects. Also, the surface of the test material does not have to be as flat in order to obtain good measurements.

  • Page 16: Chapter Four Selecting The Measurement Mode

    CHAPTER FOUR SELECTING THE MEASUREMENT MODE 4.1 Which mode & transducer do I use for my application? High penetration plastics and castings The most common mode for these types of applications is pulse-echo. Cast iron applications require 1 - 5MHz frequencies, and cast aluminum requires a 7 - 10MHz frequency depending on the thickness.
  • Page 17 Dakota Ultrasonics Noisy Material Materials such as titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum may have inherent surface noise issues or mirroring effect. Higher frequency transducers 7 – 10MHz offer improved resolution to avoid erroneous measurements. Restricted access Measuring materials with extreme curvatures or restricted access are best suited for...

  • Page 18: Chapter Five Making Measurements

    In this case the reference disk mounted to the ZX-5 is not used. This is called two- point calibration and is described on page 20.
  • Page 19 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) On Block Zero (Manual Probe Zero) – When this feature is enabled the transducer must be placed on the probe zero disk (battery cover) located on the top of the unit. Both zero procedures are outlined as follows: Performing an Auto Probe Zero (Off Block) 1) Be sure all couplant has been removed from the face of the transducer.

  • Page 20: Material Calibration

    5.2 Material Calibration In order for the ZX-5 to make accurate measurements, it must be set to the correct sound velocity of the material being measured. Different types of materials have different inherent sound velocities.
  • Page 21 .100” (2.54mm) to 1.0” (25.4mm), the user should calibrate on a known thickness sample close to 1.0” (25.4mm). Note: It’s always handy to carry a set of mechanical calipers to use in conjunction with the ZX-5 for calibration of various materials in the field:...
  • Page 22 ZX-5 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge 2) Apply a drop of couplant on the transducer and place the transducer in steady contact with the sample or actual test material. Be sure that the reading is stable and the repeatability indicator in the top left corner of the display is fully lit and stable.
  • Page 23 ‘zero’ reference, performing the first point of a two-point calibration sets the internal zero of the ZX-5. This should be used only in manual probe zero mode “on block”.
  • Page 24 “1 of 2”, which sets the zero value and returns to the measurement screen. Note: The internal zero of the ZX-5 is now set. The procedure above can be used to set the internal zero of the ZX-5 to use any reference standard as the ‘probe zero’...
  • Page 25 (MATL) list in the ZX-5 would offer a reasonable approximation of the thickness. There are 9 common materials and 2 user programmable settings available.
  • Page 26 ZX-5 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge in/µs ALUMINUM 0.250 6350 (2024) 0.233 5918 STEEL (4340) 0.223 5664 STAINLESS (303) 0.180 4572 CAST IRON 0.106 2692 PLEXIGLASS 0.094 2388 0.092 2337 POLYSTYRENE 0.070 1778 POLYURETHANE USER PROGRAMMABLE 3) When the desired MATL setting is displayed, press the key to set the material velocity and return to the measurement screen.

  • Page 27: Chapter Six Velocity Gauge

    VELOCITY GAUGE 6.1 Velocity Gauge (VX) The ZX-5 includes a function to convert the unit into a dedicated velocity gauge. With this feature enabled, the ZX-5 will display all measurements in terms of velocity, inches per microsecond (IN /s) or meters per second (M /s), rather than dimensional inches or millimeters.

  • Page 28: Calibration To A Known Thickness

    6.2 Calibration to a known thickness In order to calibrate the ZX-5 a ‘known thickness’ on the material or part will be used. The same location will be used for all the other parts in the group/batch to determine the velocity.

  • Page 29: Calibration To A Known Velocity

    Dakota Ultrasonics 5) Use the keys to scroll to the known thickness value. Note: The longer the keys are pressed and held, the faster the value will increment/decrement. Note: Pressing the key prior to pressing the key will abort the cal routine without saving any changes.
  • Page 30 ZX-5 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge 1) Apply a drop of couplant on the transducer and place the transducer in steady contact with the sample or actual test material. Be sure that the velocity measurement is stable and the repeatability indicator, in the top left corner of the display, is fully lit and stable.

  • Page 31: Chapter Seven Additional Features

    ADDITIONAL FEATURES 7.1 Gain The gain, or amplification of the return echoes, can be adjusted in the ZX-5 to accommodate a variety of materials and applications. The setting of the gain is crucial in order to obtain valid readings during the measurement process. Too much gain may result in erroneous measurements, detecting on noise rather than the actual material back wall surface.

  • Page 32: High Speed Scan

    SCAN on/off. The display will briefly display the status and return to the measurement screen. 7.3 Alarm The Alarm feature of the ZX-5 provides a method of setting tolerances, or limits, for a particular application requirement. This feature may be used for a variety of...
  • Page 33 Dakota Ultrasonics applications to verify the material thickness is within the manufacturer specifications. The settings available are ON/OFF/BEEP, where beep enables the audible beeper. Both the on and beep settings will illuminate the led alarm lights above the keys on the keypad.

  • Page 34: Differential

    7.4 Differential The Differential Mode of the ZX-5 provides the user with the ability to set a nominal value, according to what the expected thickness should be, and measure the +/- difference from the nominal value entered. This feature is typically used in QA incoming inspections on pipes, plate stock, coils, etc.

  • Page 35: Beep

    7.5 Beep The ZX-5 also has a feature to use the internal beeper, most commonly used with the alarm feature, for the key strokes on the keypad. When enabled, pressing any of the keys on the keypad will sound the beeper.

  • Page 36: Units

    7.7 Lite The ZX-5 uses a custom glass segmented display that is equipped with a backlight for use in low light conditions. The options are on/off/auto, where the auto setting...
  • Page 37 Dakota Ultrasonics only lights the display when the gauge is coupled to the material and receiving a measurement. The steps below outline how to toggle the options: Backlight 1) Press the key to access the menu items/features. 2) Use the keys to scroll through the items/features until the LITE feature is being displayed.

  • Page 38: Zero

    5) When the desired ZERO setting is displayed, press the key to set the status and return to the measurement screen. 7.9 Velocity (VX) When the velocity setting (VX) is enabled, the ZX-5 will display will the material velocity as the primary measurement quantity instead of dimensional thickness. The...

  • Page 39: Probe Diameter

    Only the ‘one point’ calibration can be used with this feature active, and a manual or auto zero is still required. The ZX-5 can be calibrated by entering the known velocity or entering the know thickness of the material at a given position on the test material.

  • Page 40: Lock

    7.11 Lock The lock feature was built into the ZX-5 for the purpose of locking the operators out of editing any of the gauge settings, for purposes of consistency between operators. When the lock feature is enabled, the gauge calibration functionality cannot be...

  • Page 41: Factory Defaults

    ZX-5 on 7.12 Factory Defaults The ZX-5 can be reset to factory defaults at any time to restore the original gauge settings. This should only be used if the gauge is not functioning properly, or perhaps multiple features have been enabled and a clean start is needed.
  • Page 42 ZX-5 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Note: Once the measurement screen is displayed the can be released.

  • Page 43: Chapter Eight Connectivity & Power

    We also offer a standard serial hardware option, as well as a wireless Bluetooth module that can be installed on the PC board of the ZX-5. Refer to our price list for additional information on communication module options and cables.
  • Page 44 ZX-5 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Right click on the CDC device as illustrated above, and select “update driver”. The following window will appear: Select “browse my computer” and navigate to the directory where the driver was saved on your PC and install the driver. When the installation is completed, the...

  • Page 45: Line Power

    PC when the ENTER key is pressed: 8.3 Line Power The ZX-5 can be powered using the standard USB-C to USB-A data cable (N-003- 0330), by connecting directly to a USB port on your computer, or using a standard cell phone power adapter directly to an outlet.

  • Page 46: Appendix A- Velocity Table

    APPENDIX A- VELOCITY TABLE Material sound velocity sound velocity in/us Aluminum 0.2510 6375 Beryllium 0.5080 12903 Brass 0.1730 4394 Bronze 0.1390 3531 Cadmium 0.1090 2769 Columbium 0.1940 4928 Copper 0.1830 4648 Glass (plate) 0.2270 5766 Glycerine 0.0760 1930 Gold 0.1280 3251 Inconel 0.2290...
  • Page 47 Dakota Ultrasonics 0.1310 3327 Titanium 0.2400 6096 Tungsten 0.2040 5182 Uranium 0.1330 3378 Water 0.0580 1473 Zinc 0.1660 4216 Zirconium 0.1830 4648...

  • Page 48: Appendix B- Application Notes

    At such elevated temperatures, it is recommended that the user perform calibration on a sample piece of known thickness, which is at or near the temperature of the material to be measured. This will allow the ZX-5 to correctly calculate the velocity of sound through the hot material.
  • Page 49 Dakota Ultrasonics the probe be left in contact with the surface for as short a time as needed (intermittent contact) to acquire a stable measurement. Measuring laminated materials Laminated materials are unique in that their density (and therefore sound-velocity) may vary considerably from one piece to another. Some laminated materials may even exhibit noticeable changes in sound-velocity across a single surface.
  • Page 50 Additionally, Dakota Ultrasonics warrants transducers and accessories against such defects for a period of 90 days from receipt by the end user. If Dakota Ultrasonics receives notice of such defects during the warranty period, Dakota Ultrasonics will either, at its option, repair or replace products that prove to be defective.

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