Checkline PT-200 User Manual

PosiTector 200

INSTRUCTION MANUAL v. 2.0

Ultrasonic Coating

Thickness Gage

Standard

and

Advanced

ELECTROMATIC

E Q U I P M E N T C O., I N C.

600 Oakland Ave., Cedarhurst, NY 11516–U.S.A.
TEL: [phone]

• FAX: [phone]

CHECK•LINE

®

INSTRUMENTS

2

Introduction

Introduction

Power-up / Power-down

Power-up / Power-down

The PosiTector 200 powers-up when any button is
pressed. To preserve battery life, the Gage powers­down after approximately 3 minutes of no activity. All
settings are retained.

Throughout this manual, the symbol
indicates more information about the particular topic
or feature is available on our website.

NOTE:

The PosiTector 200 is a hand-held Coating
Thickness Gage that uses a non-destructive
ultrasonic principle to measure coating thickness on
a wide variety of substrates.

The PosiTector 200 probe emits a high frequency
sound pulse that travels into the coating via a
coupling gel and reflects from ANY surface that is
different in density. Coating thickness readings are
obtained by measuring the time taken for the
ultrasonic signal to propagate from the probe to the
coating/substrate interface and back. The travel time
is divided by two and multiplied by the velocity of
sound in the coating to obtain the thickness of the
coating.

Couplant

Probe

Coating 1

Substrate

Coating 2

The PosiTector 200
interprets the largest
“echo” within the
Gates as the
coating/substrate
echo.

3

Certification

All probes or gages are shipped with a Certificate of
Calibration. For organizations with re-certification
requirements, gages may be returned at regular
intervals for calibration. DeFelsko recommends that
customers establish gage calibration intervals based
upon their own experience and work environment.
Based on our product knowledge, data and
customer feedback, a one year calibration interval
from either the date of calibration, date of purchase,
or date of receipt is a typical starting point.

Operation Overview

Operation Overview

1. Turn the Gage ON (see Power-Up pg.2)

2. ZERO the probe (see pg.5)

3. ADJUST to a known thickness, if necessary
(see pg.8)

4. MEASURE the part (see pg.5)

Couplant

Couplant

Couplant is required to propagate ultrasound into the
coating. Water is a good couplant for smooth
coatings. Use the supplied glycol gel for rougher
coatings. While it is unlikely that the couplant will
damage the finish or leave a stain on the surface, we
suggest testing the surface by using the couplant on
a sample. If testing indicates that staining has
occurred, a small amount of water can be used
instead of couplant. Consult the Material Safety Data
Sheet available on our website and your coating
supplier if you suspect the couplant may damage the
coating. Other liquids such as liquid soap may also
be used.

Typical Display:

Unit of
Measurement

Indicates Gage is
in single layer
mode (Advanced
models only)

1

Current
Measurement

4

Menu Operation

Menu Operation

Current selection is displayed
with darkened background

Gage functions are menu controlled. To access the
Menu, turn the Gage on, then press the button.

To navigate, press (-) to scroll DOWN, (+) to scroll UP
and to SELECT. Press both (-)(+) buttons at any
time to exit any menu or select Exit from the Menu.

List boxes have a down arrow on the right-hand side.
Use the (-) and (+) buttons until your desired choice
appears, then press to select this choice and
move focus onto the next item.

Memory

Zero

Cal Settings

Setup

Reset
Graphics*
Gage Info

Units

Set Clock

Language

“Focus” is currently at this
unselected (empty) Radio button

“Radio” buttons. Only one
can be selected at a time.

“List“ box

a “tick” indicates this square

box has been selected

Graphics on Advanced
models only

*

5

1. Apply couplant to the surface of your part.

2. After power-up, place the probe FLAT on the
surface and press down.

3. Lift the probe when you hear a
double BEEP or see the green indi­cator light blink. Measurement result
is displayed on the LCD.

A second reading may be taken at the same spot by
continuing to hold the probe down on the surface.

4. When completely finished, wipe the probe clean
of couplant then return both Gage and probe to the
protective case. There is no need to disconnect the
probe from the Gage during storage.

How to Measure

How to Measure

Zero Menu Option

Zero Menu Option

Zero

The probe must be periodically zeroed using the
ZERO menu option to compensate for both extreme
temperature and probe wear effects. Before using,
allow the probe to reach ambient temperature. Wipe
the probe clean of couplant.

If measurements will be made in extreme hot or cold
temperatures, it is recommended to ZERO the probe
in the working environment.

If measurements will be made on rough substrates,
it is recommended to periodically ZERO the probe to

compensate for wear.

6

Set Gates Option

Set Gates Option

Set Gates

Standard Model

Advanced Model

Each probe has a measuring range as shown on
page 19. For example the C probe can measure
coatings in the range of 50 to 3800 microns (2 to
150 mils).

Gates are used to narrow the range of thickness that
the Gage examines. Gate A sets the minimum
thickness limit and Gate B the maximum.

For most applications the default Gate values do not
have to be adjusted. But some conditions may exist
in the user's application that cause the Gage to
display very low or non-repeatable readings. These
conditions include…

·rough or textured coatings

·hard (dense) coatings

·coatings applied in multiple layers

·coatings applied on a very thin, hard substrate

Important: When measuring, the Gage finds the
most distinct interface within the two Gate settings. If
the coating thickness is outside this range, incorrect
or dashed readings may occur. The PosiTector 200
interprets the largest “echo” or echoes within the
gates as the coating/substrate echo.