Related Manuals for DAKOTA ULTRASONICS ZX-6 DL
Summary of Contents for DAKOTA ULTRASONICS ZX-6 DL
- Page 1 OPERATION MANUAL DAKOTA ULTRASONICS Ultrasonic Multi-Echo Data Logging Thickness Gauge P/N P-306-0002 Rev 1.10, March 2019...
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Page 3: 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 ….......................... 3 2.4 DATA K …... - Page 4 7.2 C ................28 ALIBRATION TO A KNOWN THICKNESS 7.3 C .................. 29 ALIBRATION TO A KNOWN VELOCITY CHAPTER EIGHT ADDITIONAL FEATURES ..........31 8.1 G ..........................31 8.2 H ......................32 PEED 8.3 A ..........................33 LARM 8.4 D ........................
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Page 5: Chapter One Introduction
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The Dakota Ultrasonics model ZX-6 DL is a basic dual element thickness gauge with through paint measurement capability, and the ability to locate blind surface pitting and internal defects/flaws in materials. Based on the same operating principles as SONAR, the ZX-6 DL is capable of measuring the thickness of various materials with accuracy as high as ... -
Page 6: Chapter Two Keypad, Menu, Display & Connectors
2.2 PRB 0 Key The PRB 0 key is used to “zero” the ZX-6 DL 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 7: Cal Key
ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge 2.3 CAL Key The CAL key is used to enter and exit the ZX-6 DL's calibration mode. This mode is used to adjust the sound velocity value that the ZX-6 DL will use when calculating thickness. - Page 8 Dakota Ultrasonics The MENU key is used to access and set all of the additional features of the ZX-6 DL that are not at the top level of the keypad with a dedicated key. The features and setting are outlined in the table below:...
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Page 9: The Display
ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge 2.9 The Display The ZX-6 DL uses a custom glass LCD backlit low temperature display for use in a variety of climate conditions. It contains graphic icons, as well as both 7 and 14 segment display areas. -
Page 10: The Transducer
For a complete list of the menu features in the ZX-6 DL, Refer to page 4 for a list. The ZX-6 DL can be locked once calibrated, to avoid accidently changing the calibration. When this icon is illuminated, the ZX-6 DL is in lock mode. - Page 11 The Stability Indicator should have six or seven bars darkened, and a number should appear in the display. If the ZX-6 DL has been properly "zeroed" (see page 16) and set to the correct sound velocity (see page 18), the number in the display will indicate the actual thickness of the material directly beneath the transducer.
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Page 12: Top & Bottom End Caps
When the transducer is removed from the surface, the display will hold the last measurement made. 2.11 Top & Bottom End Caps The top & bottom end panels are where all connections are made to the ZX-6 DL. 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-6 DL’s top end cap. - Page 13 ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge standard USB type A port on a PC. The cable supplied with the ZX-6 DL is a USB type C to a USB type A (pt# N-003-0330). See page 49 for information on connectivity.
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Page 14: 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 15: Temperature
ZX-6 DL, 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 16 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 17 ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge Dual Element Transducer in Echo to Echo mode...
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Page 18: 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 19 ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge Thin materials Pulse echo mode and a high frequency transducer is commonly used for these types of applications. The most common transducers are the 7.5MHz and 10MHz models with extra resolution. The higher frequencies provide greater resolution and a lower minimum thickness rating overall.
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Page 20: Chapter Five Making Measurements
In this case the reference disk mounted to the ZX-6 DL is not used. This is called two-point calibration and is described on page 21. - Page 21 ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge 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) Press the key to perform the auto zero.
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Page 22: Material Calibration
5.2 Material Calibration In order for the ZX-6 DL 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 23 .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-6 DL for calibration of various materials in the field:...
- Page 24 Dakota Ultrasonics Note: A sample or location on the test piece should be used as close to the maximum thickness of the test range to minimize error. 2) Apply a drop of couplant on the transducer and place the transducer in steady contact with the sample or actual test material.
- Page 25 Note: The ZX-6 DL also offers the capability of setting the ‘probe zero’ to use any reference standard as the ‘probe zero’ standard. For clarification, if it’s desired to use a one inch reference of a specific material type as the ‘zero’...
- Page 26 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the key to enter the calibration edit screen displaying the current measurement value. 4) 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.
- Page 27 (MATL) list in the ZX-6 DL would offer a reasonable approximation of the thickness. There are 9 common materials and 2 user programmable settings available.
- Page 28 Dakota Ultrasonics 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 5) When the desired MATL setting is displayed, press the key to set the material velocity and return to the measurement screen.
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Page 29: Chapter Six Through Paint Measurement - Multi Mode
Since the ZX-6 DL is a basic easy to operate gauge without the adjustability you’d get using an advanced A-Scan scope, specific diameter and frequency options can be selected as an option in the menu items. - Page 30 (P-E) and echo-echo (E-E) at any time. Note: An icon will be illuminated in the top left portion of the display to indicate ZX-6 DL the measurement mode the is currently using.
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Page 31: Chapter Seven Velocity Gauge
VELOCITY GAUGE 7.1 Velocity Gauge (VX) The ZX-6 DL includes a function to convert the unit into a dedicated velocity gauge. With this feature enabled, the ZX-6 DL 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 32: Calibration To A Known Thickness
7.2 Calibration to a known thickness In order to calibrate the ZX-6 DL 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 33: Calibration To A Known Velocity
ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge 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 34 Dakota Ultrasonics 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.
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Page 35: Chapter Eight Additional Features
ADDITIONAL FEATURES 8.1 Gain The gain, or amplification of the return echoes, can be adjusted in the ZX-6 DL 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 36: High Speed Scan
8.2 High Speed Scan The High Speed Scan feature of the ZX-6 DL increases the overall repetition rate to a maximum of 140Hz with a high speed screen refresh rate of 25 times a second. This... -
Page 37: Alarm
8.3 Alarm The Alarm feature of the ZX-6 DL provides a method of setting tolerances, or limits, for a particular application requirement. This feature may be used for a variety of applications to verify the material thickness is within the manufacturer specifications. -
Page 38: Differential
8.4 Differential The Differential Mode of the ZX-6 DL 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... -
Page 39: Units
7) When the target value is displayed, press the key to set the value and return to the measurement screen. 8.5 Units The ZX-6 DL will operate in both English (inches) or Metric (millimeters) units. The procedure to select the units is outlined as below:... -
Page 40: Lite
8.6 Lite The ZX-6 DL 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 only lights the display when the gauge is coupled to the material and receiving a measurement. -
Page 41: Beep
8.7 Beep The ZX-6 DL 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 42: Zero
8.8 Zero There are two transducer zeroing options available in the ZX-6 DL; auto and manual. The AUTO zero can be performed automatically without using a reference standard to zero the gauge, while the MANUAL option requires a reference standard like the battery disk at the top of the gauge. -
Page 43: Velocity (Vx)
Only the ‘one point’ calibration can be used with this feature active, and a manual or auto zero is still required. The ZX-6 DL 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 44: Probe Diameter & Frequency
Dakota Ultrasonics 1) Press the key to access the menu items/features. 2) Use the keys to scroll through the items/features until the VX feature is being displayed. 3) Press the key to edit the setting. The edit icon will be illuminated and flashing. -
Page 45: Lock
8.11 Lock The lock feature was built into the ZX-6 DL for the purpose of locking the operators out of editing any of the gauge settings, for purposes of consistency between operators. -
Page 46: Factory Defaults
ZX-6 DL on 8.12 Factory Defaults The ZX-6 DL 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 47 ZX- 6 DL Ultrasonic Multi-Mode Thickness Gauge 5) Press the key to edit the reset option. 6) Press the keys to toggle YES, followed by pressing to reset the gauge. 7) Repeat the steps above to set “MEDI” & “ZERO” back to their original settings noted in step three above.
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Page 48: Chapter Nine Data Storage
These files can then be transferred to a PC using the USB-C to USB type A cable included in the kit. When ZX-6 DL is connected to a PC, it will show up in the list of drives as an external hard drive, or “thumb” drive. Open the external gauge drive, and copy the files to and from the gauge and PC. -
Page 49: Storing A Measurement
Note: The FILE and LOC (location) will be displayed in lower left portion of the measurement screen. 9.3 Storing a Measurement Now that a file has been selected and opened, the ZX-6 DL is ready to store measurements. The following procedure outlines this process:... -
Page 50: Clearing A File
Dakota Ultrasonics (memory) in the top right corner of the display. If the key is pressed to store another measurement at that location, FULL will briefly be displayed on the screen indicating a measurement has already been stored at that location. Pressing the key will clear the previously stored measurement from the location. -
Page 51: Clear All Files
9.5 Clear All Files If a number of files in the ZX-6 DL contain old data, or data that has been previously downloaded, clearing all the files might prove an efficient option. The following procedure outlines this process:... - Page 52 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the key to display the confirmation screen. CLR ALL is displayed, as well as a flashing Yes/No option. 4) Press the key for YES, and the key for NO. The edit icon will be illuminated and flashing.
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Page 53: Chapter Ten Data Transfer & Power Options
DATA TRANSFER & POWER OPTIONS 10.1 Connectivity The ZX-6 DL is connected to a PC with a USB-C to USB Type A cable, supplied with the kit (part# N-003-0330). The gauge has a file system and the PC will recognize it as an external hard disk, or thumb drive. -
Page 54: Line Power
Text Editor 10.4 Line Power The ZX-6 DL 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. This is a convenient way to power the gauge for specific bench top applications in a factory line environment. -
Page 55: 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... - Page 56 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...
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Page 57: 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-6 DL to correctly calculate the velocity of sound through the hot material. - Page 58 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 59 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.