Atec Epoch-LTC User Manual

ULTRASONIC FLAW DETECTOR

EPOCH LTC

Rugged, Handheld Flaw Detector

The EPOCH LTC digital ultrasonic flaw
detector offers state-of-the-art technology in
a compact and lightweight package. Based
on the class-leading EPOCH XT, the
EPOCH LTC is full featured, complies with
the EN 12668-1 standard, and has various
specialized options to meet your inspection
needs.

Ultrasonic flaw detection is widely used in
locating and sizing hidden cracks, voids,
disbonds, and similar discontinuities in
welds, forgings, billets, axles, shafts, tanks
and pressure vessels, turbines, and
structural components.

Part of the EPOCH

flaw detector family

The EPOCH LTC features a bright, multi­color transflective, full-VGA (640 pixels x
480 pixels) display offering high-resolution
A-scans and superior visibility in all lighting
conditions, including direct sunlight. The
EPOCH LTC is also designed for IP67
rating, ensuring that the instrument can
perform in the harsh environments com­mon in the inspection field.

Features

■ Designed for IP67 rating to ensure field

ruggedness

■ Complies with the EN12668-1 standard

■ Only 960 g (2.1 lb)

■ Full-color VGA display with transflective

technology

■ USB On-The-Go port for computer

communication and direct printing

■ Onboard and miniSD Card storage

capabilities for the data logger

■ Standard dynamic DAC/TVG

■ Standard onboard DGS/AVG

■ Digital high dynamic range receiver with

digital filters

■ High-performance square wave pulser

with tuning option

920-121G-EN

Powerful Performance in a Compact Flaw Detector

The EPOCH LTC offers many standard features to meet your inspection needs. These include a fixed width square wave pulser, dynamic
DAC/TVG, onboard DGS/AVG, selectable digital filters, gain range from 0 dB to 110 dB, peak memory, 0.01 mm (0.001 in.) measure­ment resolution, and one gate with programmable alarms. In addition, the EPOCH LTC offers many optional, application-specific soft­ware features such as AWS D1.1/D1.5 weld rating, manual PRF control, pulse width tuning, and the GageView Pro interface program.

• Standard fixed widthc square wave

pulser with PerfectSquare™ technology

• Digital receiver filtering: standard,

broadband, and high-pass settings

• Four, fully customizable measurement

displays to meet inspection needs.
Select any Gate measurement for each
display box

• Amplitude measurement resolution of

0.25% full screen height

• Auto-calibration for thickness,

soundpath, or angular depth

• Amplitude measurement from 0% to

110% full screen height

• PRF rate automatically controlled from

10 Hz to 500 Hz. Manual control is
optional

• Grid display modes

– Standard 1 to 10
– Soundpath
– Leg mode for angle beam inspection
– Selectable 100% or 110% vertical

display

Built for Tough Environments

The EPOCH LTC can withstand the rigors of field operation in
harsh environments, from offshore to deserts.

Environmental Ratings

IP rating

Explosive atmosphere

Shock tested

Vibration tested

Drop tested

Operating temperature Lithium-ion: –10 °C to 50 °C (14 °F to 122 °F)

Battery storage
temperature

Recharge temperature
range

Battery compartment

I/O door

Simplified Keypad Design

The EPOCH LTC features a simple keypad
design that allows full control with the left
or right hand for direct access to important
functions. The keypad design also makes
for rapid and easy parameter adjustments
and recall of instrument configuration
(CAL) files.

The keypad is available in English, interna­tional symbols, Japanese, and Chinese.

Four custom function keys allow opera­tors to select preset values for instrument
configuration parameters.

Designed to meet the standards of the Ingress
Protection (IP) rating number IP67

Safe operation as defined by Class I,
Division 2, Group D, as defined in the Na­tional Fire Protection Association Code (NFPA

70), Article 500, and tested using MIL-STD­810F, Method 511.4, Procedure I.

IEC 60068-2-27; 60 g, 6 ms H.S., 3 axes,
18 shocks total

Sine vibration as per IEC 60068-2-6; 50 Hz
to 150 Hz at 0.03 in. DA or 2 g, 20-sweep
cycles

MIL-STD-810F, 4.5.5 Procedure IV–Transit
drop. 48 in. drop onto 2 in. plywood surface
backed by concrete. Drop on each face, edge,
and corner for a total of 26 drops

0 °C to 50 °C (32 °F to 122 °F)

0 °C to 40 °C (32 °F to 104 °F)

Sealed – no tools necesssary to replace
battery

Sealed I/O door for USB On-The-Go
connection, miniSD Card slot, and
VGA/RS-232 port

Hand strap can be moved for use
with left or right hand

2

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Advanced Software Features and Data Management

Standard dynamic DAC/TVG: Calculates
signal amplitude as a percentage or decibel
level compared to a DAC curve or a refer­ence echo amplitude fixed at a time-varied
gain. DAC versions include ASME, ASME
3, JIS, and Custom. Also includes several
key features: dynamically adjustable DAC
curves, switchable DAC and TVG views,
and custom DAC warning curves.

Standard onboard DGS/AVG: Flaw sizing
technique allowing echo signals to be
evaluated with a DGS/AVG diagram as­sociated to a particular type of probe and
material. The DGS/AVG diagram illustrates
the relationships between echo height, flaw
size, and distance from the transducer

Gate 2 (Echo-to-Echo): Allows
Gate 2 measurements, Echo-to-Echo
measurements, and Gate 2 alarms

CSC (Curved Surface Correction):

Corrects sound path information when using
an angle beam transducer to circumferen­tially inspect a curved surface.

Software Options

Manual PRF control: Allows operators to
manually adjust the EPOCH LTC’s pulse
repetition frequency (PRF) from 10 Hz to
500 Hz in 10-Hz increments

Extended range: Extends the standard range
of the EPOCH LTC to 3.36 mm to 13,404
mm (0.132 in. to 527 in.) at 5900 m/s
(0.2320 in./ms) Includes Low Pass filter
(0.5 MHz to 4.0 MHz).

Tunable square wave pulser: Allows
operators to tune the pulse width of the
square wave pulser to optimize transducer
performance. This maximizes signal-to­noise ratio and penetration in difficult
materials.

AWS D1.1 and D1.5: Provides a dynamic
reflector indication rating for various AWS
weld inspection applications. This allows
more efficient inspections by eliminating
manual calculations .

API 5UE: Allows defect sizing according to
API Recommended Practice 5UE. Uses the
Amplitude Distance Differential Technique
(ADDT) to measure the size of potential
defects during the prove-up process of
OCTG pipe. The measurement process
is simple and repeatable since all ADDT
variables are captured from a Peak Memory
envelope.

Instrument Inputs/Outputs

USB USB On-The-Go port for PC communication, printing, and data storage.

VGA ouput port Standard

miniSD miniSD Card slot for data storage.

RS-232 port Yes

Capable of storing up to 50,000 IDs with waveforms, measurements, and

Data Storage

configuration parameters in the onboard memory. The miniSD Card allows
virtually unlimited data storage.

GageView Pro

The optional GageView
program helps manage and format stored
inspection data. Data can be printed or
easily copied to word processing files and
spreadsheets for further reporting needs.
GageView Pro also allows creating custom­ized databases of identifier (ID) strings that
can be uploaded to the EPOCH LTC. The
program is fully compatible with the

Software option API 5UE allows defect sizing according to API
Recommended Practice 5UE

EPOCH LT, XT, 600 and the 1000 Series.

With GageView Pro operators can:

• Export thickness or amplitude data

saved on the EPOCH to Microsoft Excel,
Word, or similar programs

• Create, format, and manage test

databases

• Import and export configurations

between the EPOCH and a computer

• Create custom DGS probe libraries

• Upgrade the EPOCH operating software

TM

Pro interface

3

EPOCH LTC Specifications*

General

Dimensions (W x H x D) 128.9 mm x 223.3 mm x 55.1 mm (5.07 in. x 8.79 in. x 2.17 in.)

Weight 960 g (2.12 lb) with Li-ion battery

Keypad English, international symbols, Japanese, or Chinese

Display languages

Transducer connection LEMO 00

Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion. Standard AA battery tray

Battery operating time

Power compatibility 100/120 VAC, 200/240 VAC, 50-60 Hz

Display type

Display dimensions (W x H) 640 pixels x 480 pixels, 75 mm x 56 mm (2.95 in. x 2.21 in.), 94 mm (3.7 in.) diagonal

English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Norwegian,
Swedish

Lithium-ion rechargeable battery: 8 hours; AA Li-FeS2: 6 hours
AA NiMH cells: 4 hours; AA alkaline cells: 3 hours

Color transflective LCD, refresh rate of 60 Hz, user-selectable color schemes and
brightness, two split-screen modes and one full-screen mode

Pulser

Pulser Fixed width square wave pulser optimized for general flaw detection applications

Pulse width

Pulse repetition frequency
(PRF)

Energy settings 100 V to 400 V in 100 V increments

Damping 50 Ω, 100 Ω, 200 Ω, 400 Ω

Fixed width in base instrument. Adjustable from 25 ns to 5,000 ns (0.1 MHz) with
EPLTC-SWP option

Automatically software controlled over the range of 10 Hz to 500 Hz.
Manual PRF control option available

Receiver

Gain 0 dB to 110 dB — Two user-defined gain step adjustments and presets

Total instrument bandwidth 0.2 MHz to 26.5 MHz at –3 dB

Digital filter settings

Rectification Full wave, positive half wave, negative half wave, RF

System linearity Horizontal: ±0.2% FSW

Resolution 0.25% FSH, amplifier accuracy ±1 dB

Amplitude measurement 0 to 110% full screen height with 0.25% resolution

Reject 0% to 80% full screen height with visual warning

Measurement rate Equal to PRF in all modes

Standard: 0.2 MHz to 10.0 MHz Broadband: 2.0 MHz to 21.5 MHz
High Pass: 8.0 MHz to 26.5 MHz

Calibration

Automated calibration

Test modes Pulse Echo, Dual, or Through Transmission

Units Millimeters, inches, or microseconds

Range 3.36 mm to 6,702 mm (0.132 in. to 263 in.) at 5900 m/s (0.2320 in./ms)

Extended range option 3.36 mm to 13,404 mm (0.132 in. to 527 in.) at 5900 m/s (0.2320 in./ms))

Velocity 635 m/s to 15240 m/s (0.0250 in./µs to 0.6000 in./µs)

Zero offset 0 µs to 750 µs

Display delay 59 mm to maximum range (–2.323 in. to maximum range)

Refracted angle 10° to 85° in 0.1° resolution

Velocity, Zero Offset
Straight Beam (First Backwall or Echo-to-Echo)
Angle Beam (Soundpath or Depth)

Measurements

Measurement display locations 5 locations available (manual or auto selection)

Gate (1, 2)

Echo-to-Echo Standard Gate 2-Gate 1, Optional IF Gate Tracking

Other measurements

DAC/TVG Standard

DAC points Up to 50 points, 110 dB dynamic range

Special DAC modes Custom DAC (up to 6 curves)

Curved surface correction Standard OD or Bar correction for Angle Beam measurements

Thickness, Soundpath, Projection, Depth, Amplitude, Time-Of-Flight,
Min./Max. Depth, Min./Max. Amplitude

Overshoot (dB) value for DGS/AVG, ERS (equivalent reflector size) for
DGS/AVG, AWS D1.1/D1.5 rating (D), Reject Value

Standard PACKAGE

The EPOCH LTC package includes:

EP-MCA (U8050397): AC adaptor
CASE-10015-0000 (U8764103):

Transport case

910-266: Instrument user’s manual
EPLTC-HS (U8780043): Hand strap
EPLTC-BAT-L (U8760002): Lithium-ion

rechargeable battery
EPLTC-BAT-AA (U8760001): AA battery

cell tray

Instrument I/O cables

EPLTC-C-USB-A-6 (U8840031):
USB-to-Host PC

EPLTC-C-USB-B-6 (U8840033):
USB-to-Client printer

EPLTC-C-RS232-6 (U8840029): RS-232 cable
(1.83 m/6 ft)

EPLTC-C-VGA-6 (U8840035): VGA cable
(1.83 m/6 ft)

Software Options

EPLTC-PRF (U8140067): Manual PRF control
EPLTC-RANGE (U8140065): Extended range
EPLTC-SWP (U8140093): Tunable square

wave pulser

EPLTC-AWS (U8140063): AWS D1.1/D1.5
EPLTC-API 5UE (U8140140): API 5UE
GAGEVIEWPRO-KIT-USB-A-AB (U8140076):

GageView Pro

Optional Accessories

EPXT-EC: External smart battery charger
EP4/CH (U88140055): Chest harness
EPLTC-RPC (U8764008): Rubber protective

case with pipestand
EPLTC-DP (U8780042): Clear display

protectors (10)

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[e-mail]

48 Woerd Avenue, Waltham, MA 02453, USA, Tel.: [phone]
12569 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77034, USA, Tel.: [phone]

505, boul. du Parc-Technologique, Québec (Québec) G1P 4S9, Tel.: [phone]
1109 78 Ave, Edmonton (Alberta) T6P 1L8

Epoch_LTC_EN_201204• Printed in the USA • Copyright © 2012 by Olympus NDT.
*All specications are subject to change without notice.
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