Checkline Series-4 User Manual

Series 4

DIGITAL FORCE GAUGES

User’s Guide

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

1

Thank you…

Thank you for purchasing a Mark-10 Series 4 digital force gauge, designed
for tension and compression force testing applications from 0.12 lb to 500 lb
(0.5 N to 2,500 N) full scale. The Series 4 is an essential component of a
force testing system, typically also comprising a test stand, grips, and data
collection software.

With proper usage, we are confident that you will get many years of great
service with this product. Mark-10 force gauges are ruggedly built for many
years of service in laboratory and industrial environments.

This User’s Guide provides setup, safety, and operation instructions.
Dimensions and specifications are also provided. For additional information
or answers to your questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our
technical support and engineering teams are eager to assist you.

Before use, each person who is to use the Series 4 force gauge should
be fully trained in appropriate operation and safety procedures.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW .........................................................2

POWER ...............................................................3

MECHANICAL SETUP .......................................4

HOME SCREEN AND CONTROLS ...................5

OPERATING MODES .........................................7

DIGITAL FILTERS ..............................................7

SET POINTS .......................................................8

DATA MEMORY AND STATISTICS ..................9

COMMUNICATIONS ....................................... 10

CALIBRATION ................................................ 15

OTHER SETTINGS .......................................... 20

SPECIFICATIONS ........................................... 21

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

2

Qty.

Part No.

Description

M4-012 –

M4-20

M4-50 –

M4-100

M4-200 –

M4-500

1

12-1049

12-1049

12-1049

Carrying Case

1

AC1030 /
AC1032

AC1030 /
AC1032

AC1030 /
AC1032

AC adapter body with US, EU, or UK prong

1

08-1026

08-1026

08-1026

Battery (inside the gauge)

1

G1024

G1024

G1031

Extension rod

1

G1026

G1026

G1033

Cone

1

G1025

G1025

G1032

Chisel

1

G1027

G1027

G1034

V-groove

1

G1029

G1029

G1036

Flat 1 G1028

G1038

G1035

Hook

1

N/A

G1039

G1037

Coupling

1 - Certificate of calibration

1

09-1165

USB cable

1 - Resource CD (USB driver, user’s guides,

software, User’s Guide)

1 OVERVIEW

1.1 List of included items

AC1031 /

1.2 Safety / Proper Usag e

AC1031 /

AC1031 /

MESUR Lite software, MESURgauge DEMO

Caution!

Note the force gauge’s capacity before use and ensure that the capacity is not exceeded.
Producing a force greater than 150% of the gauge’s capacity can damage the internal load cell. An
overload can occur whether the gau g e is powered on or off.

Typical materials able to be tested include many manufactured items, such as springs, electronic
components, fasteners, caps, films, mechanical assemblies, and many others. Items that should not be
used with the gauge include potentially flammable substances or products, items that can shatter in an
unsafe manner, and any other components that can present an exceedingly hazardous situation when
acted upon by a force.

The following safety checks and procedures should be performed before and during operation:

1. Never operate the gauge if there is any visible damage to the AC adapter or the gauge itself.

2. Ensure that the gauge is kept away from water or any other electrically conductive liquids at all
times.

3. The gauge should be serviced by a trained technician only. AC power must be disconnected and
the gauge must be powered off before the housing is opened.

4. Always consider the characteristics of the sample being tested before initiating a test. A risk
assessment should be carried out beforehand to ensure that all safety measures have been
addressed and implemented.

5. Wear eye and face protection when testing, especially when testing brittle samples that have the
potential to shatter under force. Be aware of the dangers posed by potential energy that can

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

3

Serial connector

Power input jack

accumulate in the sample during testi ng. Extra bodily protection should be worn if a destructive
failure of a test sample is possible.

6. In certain applications, such as the testing of brittle samples that can shatter, or other applications
that could lead to a hazardous situation, it is strongly recommended that a machine guarding
system be employed to protect the operator and others in the vicinity from shards or debris.

7. When the gauge is not in use, ensure that the power is turned off.

2 POWER

The gauge is powered either by an 8.4V NiMH rechargeable battery or by an AC adapter. Since these
batteries are subject to self discharge, it may be necessary to recharge the unit after a prolonged period
of storage. Plug the accompanying charger into the AC outlet and insert the charger plug into the
receptacle on the gauge (refer to the illustration below). The battery will fully charge in approximately 8
hours.

USB connector

Caution!

Do not use chargers or batteries other than specified or instrument damage may occur.

If the AC adapter is plugged in, a corresponding icon appears in the lower left corner of the display, as
follows:

If the AC adapter is not plugged in, battery power drainage is denoted in a three step process:

The gauge can be configured to automatically power off following a period of inactivity. Refer to the Other
Settings section for details.

If battery replacement is necessary, the battery may be accessed by separating the two halves of the
gauge. Refer to the Mechanical Setup section for details.

1. When battery life is greater than 30%, no indicator is present.

2. When battery life drops to approximatel y 30%, an indicator appears as follows:

3. When battery life drops to approximately 10%, the indicator will appear as follows:

4. When battery life drops to approximately 2%, the indicator from step 2 will be flashing.

Several minutes after (timing depends on usage and whether the backlight is turned on or
off), a message will appear, “BATTERY VOLTAGE TOO LOW. POWERING OFF”. A 4-tone
audio indicator will sound and the gauge will power off.

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

4

3 MECHANICAL SETUP

3.1 Loading shaft orientation

In order to accomm odate a variet y of testin g requ irem ents, th e orienta tion of the loading s haf t ma y be set
up in either of the two positions s hown belo w. In order to change the load ing shaf t orientation, l oosen the
two captive screws on the bac k side of t he h ousing, separat e t he t wo hous ing h alves , rota te one half 180
degrees, and reass emble. Contact bet ween the two halves is made by the spring pins and contact pads
on the printed circuit boards.

Load cell shaft up Load cell shaft down

3.2 Mounting to a plate

Although the gauge may be used by hand, proper mounting is important if attached to a fixture or test
stand. The round steel insert with a hole in the back of the housing is provided to withs ta nd the loa d
during a test. A mating dowel pin should be used (see illustration below). Mounting plates on Mark-10 test
stands include a dowel pin and clearance holes for the four threaded holes located near the corners of
the housing. These holes are designed to accommodate screws in order to hold the gauge in place
(Mark-10 test stands include a set of thumb screws for gauge mounting). The screws must not
for load bearing purposes. Failure to use a dowel pin properly can result in a hazardous situation.

3.3 Mounting attachments to the gauge

The force gauge’s threaded loading shaft is designed to accommodate common grips and attachments
with female mounting holes. To mount a grip, gently thread it onto the shaft. Other mounting adapters are
also available to prevent rotation. Ensure that the grip or fixture is positioned to ensure axial load with
respect to the loading shaft of the force gauge. When using a grip, ensure that it secures the sample in
such a way that it is prevented from slipping out during a test, preventing a potential safety risk to the

be used

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

5

No.

Name

Description

1

Measurement

These indicators are used throughout the display and menu.

2

Peaks

The maximum measured compression and tension readings. These readings
are reset by pressing ZERO or by powering the gauge off and on.

3

Primary reading

The current displayed force reading. See Operating Modes section for
details.

4

Load bar

Analog indicator to help identif y when an overlo ad condit ion is imm inent. T he

details.

5

Units

N – Newton

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10

operator and others in the vicinity. If using a grip or fixture from a supplier other than Mark-10, ensure that
it is constructed of suitably rugged materials and components.

Do not use jam nuts or tools to tighten grips or attachments onto the shaft. Finger-tighten only. Anti­rotation mounting adapters are available.

4 HOME SCREEN AND CONTROLS

4.1 Home Screen

direction

- indicates a compression (push) direction

- indicates a tension (pull) direction

bar increases either to the right or to the left from the midpoint of the graph.
Increasing to the right indicates compression load, increasing to the left
indicates tension load. If set points are enabled, triangular markers are
displayed for visual convenience. This indicator reflects the actual load, which
may not correspond to the primary reading (depends on operating mode).
The ZERO key does not reset the load bar. See Operating Modes section for

The current measurement unit. Abbreviations are as follows:
lbF – Pound-force
ozF – Ounce-force
kgF – Kilogram-force
gF – Gram-force

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

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kN – Kilonewton

capacity / resolution table in the Specifications section for details.

6

Mode

The current measurement mode. Abbreviations are as follows:

See Operating Modes section for details about each of these modes

7

Number of stored
data points

The number of stored data points in memory, up to 50. Displayed onl y if

Memory Storage

DATA

8

Battery / AC
adapter indicator

Either the AC adapter icon, battery icon, or no icon will be shown, depending
on power conditions. Refer to the Power section for details.

9

High / low limit

Correspond to the programmed set points. Indicator definitions are as follows:

– the displayed value is less than the lower force limit

10

Set points
Set Points menu item.

Primary

Label

Primary Function

Secondary

Label

Secondary Function

home screen is displayed.

ENTER
ZERO

Zeroes the primary reading and
peaks.

(UP)

Navigates up through the menu and
sub-menus .

MENU

ESCAPE

the menu hierarchy.

MODE

Toggles between measurement
modes.

(DOWN)

Navigates down through the menu
and sub-menus.

DATA

external device, depending on setup.

DELETE

Delete

UNITS

DIRECTION

menu items.

upon powering on the gauge.

N/A

mN – Millinewton
Note: not all gauge capacities measure in all the above units. Refer to the

RT – Real Time
PC – Peak Compression
PT – Peak Tension

indicators

4.2 Controls

is enabled for the

– the displayed value is greater than the upper force limit
– the displayed value is between the limits

The programmed force limits. Typically used for pass/fail type testing. 1, 2, or
no indicators may be present, depending on the configuration shown in the

Powers the gauge on and off. Press
briefly to power on, press and hold
to power off. Active only when the

Enters the main menu.

key.

Various uses, as described in the
following sections.

Reverts one step backwards through

Stores a value to memory and/or
transmits the current reading to an

Toggles between measurement
units.

Turns the LCD backlight on and off.
Backlight turns on automatically

Enables and disables
while viewing stored data.

Reverses the display during
calibration, and toggles between
tension and compression directions
while configuring set points and other

N/A

mode

Series 4 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide

7

4.3 Menu navigation basics

Most of the gauge’s various functions and parameters are configured through the main menu. To access
the menu press MENU. Use the UP and DOWN keys to scroll through the items. The current selection is
denoted with clear text over a dark background. Press ENTER to select a menu item, then use UP and
DOWN again to scroll through the sub-menus. Press ENTER again to select the sub-menu item.

For parameters that may be either selected or deselected, pr ess ENTER to toggle between selecting and
deselecting. An asterisk (*) to the left of the parameter label is used to indicate when the parameter has
been selected.

For parameters requiring the input of a numerical value, use the UP and DOWN keys to increment or
decrement the value. Press and hold either key to auto-increment at a gradually increasing rate. When
the desired value has been reached, press ENTER to save the change and revert back to the sub-menu
item, or press ESCAPE to revert back to the sub-menu item without saving. Press ESCAPE to revert one
step back in the menu hierarchy until back into normal operating mode.

Refer to the following sections for details about setting up particular functions and parameters.

5 OPERATING MODES

Caution!

In any operating mode, if the capacity of the instrument has been exceeded by more than 110%,
the display will show “OVER” to indic ate an overload. A continuous audible tone will be sounded
until the MENU key has been pressed or the load has been reduced to a safe level.

Three operating modes are possible with Series 4 gauges. To cycle between the modes, press MODE
while in the home screen.

5.1 Real time (RT)

The primary reading corresponds to the live measured reading.

5.2 Peak Compression (PC)

The primary reading corresponds to the peak compression reading observed. If the actual force
decreases from the peak value, the peak will still be retained in the primary reading area of the display.
Pressing ZERO will reset the value.

5.3 Peak Tension (PT)

Same as Peak Compression, but for tension readings.

6 DIGITAL FILTERS

Digital filters are provided to help smooth out the readings in situations where there is mechanical
interference in the work area or test sample. These filters utilize the moving average technique in which
consecutive readings are pushed through a buffer and the displayed reading is the average of the buffer
contents. By varying the length of the buffer, a variable smoothing effect can be achieved. The selection
of 1 will disable the filter since the average of a single value is the value itself.

To access digital filter settings, select Filters from the menu. The display will appear as follows: