Checkline TI-25M-MMX User Manual

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

01.0 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02

02.0 Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02

03.0 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

3.1 Gauge

3.2 Contents of Kit

3.3 Probe

3.4 Keypad

3.5 LCD Display

3.6 Probe Zero Plate

3.7 Probe Connector Receptacle

3.8 Battery Compartment (Charging the Battery)

04.0 Making Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09

4.1 Condition and Preparation of Surfaces

4.2 Probe Zero

4.3 Calibration

05.0 Quick Start Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

06.0 Scan Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

07.0 Alarm Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

08.0 Dual-Multi Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

09.0 RS 232 Serial Port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

10.0 Transducer Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

10.1 Initial Signal Strength

10.2 Absorption and Scattering

10.3 Geometry of the Transducer

10.4 Temperature of the Material

10.5 Through Paint and Coatings

11.0 Calibrations for Measuring Thickness

of Materials Other Than Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

11.1 Changing Acoustic Velocity

11.2 Acoustic Velocity Table

12.0 Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

13.0 Material Safety Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

14.0 Application Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

13.1 Measuring Pipe and Tubing

13.2 Measuring Hot Surfaces

13.3 Measuring Laminated Materials

13.4 Measuring Through Paint and Coatings

15.0 Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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14 .0 WARR A NT Y

ELECTROMATIC Equipment Co., Inc. (ELECTROMATIC) warrants to the
original purchaser that this product is of merchantable quality and confirms
in kind and quality with the descriptions and specifications thereof. Product
failure or malfunction arising out of any defect in workmanship or material in the
product existing at the time of delivery thereof which manifests itself within one
year from the sale of such product, shall be remedied by repair or replacement of
such product, at ELECTROMATIC’s option, except where unauthorized repair,
disassembly, tampering, abuse or misapplication has taken place, as determined
by ELECTROMATIC. All returns for warranty or non-warranty repairs and/or
replacement must be authorized by ELECTROMATIC, in advance, with all
repacking and shipping expenses to the address below to be borne by the
purchaser.

THE FOREGOING WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR APPLICATION. ELECTROMATIC
SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE NOR LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUEN­TIAL DAMAGE, OF ANY KIND OR NATURE, RESULTING FROM THE
USE OF SUPPLIED EQUIPMENT, WHETHER SUCH DAMAGE OCCURS
OR IS DISCOVERED BEFORE, UPON OR AFTER REPLACEMENT OR
REPAIR, AND WHETHER OR NOT SUCH DAMAGE IS CAUSED BY
MANUFACTURER’S OR SUPPLIER’S NEGLIGENCE WITHIN ONE YEAR
FROM INVOICE DATE.

Some State jurisdictions or States do not allow the exclusion or limitation of inci­dental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.
The duration of any implied warranty, including, without limitation, fitness for
any particular purpose and merchantability with respect to this product, is limited
to the duration of the foregoing warranty. Some states do not allow limitations on
how long an implied warranty lasts but, not withstanding, this warranty, in the
absence of such limitations, shall extend for one year from the date of invoice.

ELECTROMATIC Equipment Co., Inc.
600 Oakland Ave. Cedarhurst, NY 11516—USA
Tel: [phone]/ Tel: [phone]/ Fax: [phone]

Every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual. Electromatic Equipment Co., Inc.,
assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting
from the use of information contained herein. Any brand or product names mentioned herein are used for
identification purposes only, and are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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1.0 INT R O DU C TI O N

The TI-25M-MMX is a multi-mode Ultrasonic thickness gauge that is capable of
measuring the thickness of various materials with accuracy as high as ± 0.001
inches, or ± 0.01 millimeters. The principle advantage of ultrasonic measurement
over traditional methods is that ultrasonic measurements can be performed with
access to only one side of the material being measured. The multi-mode feature
of the TI-25M-MMX allows the user to toggle between pulse-echo mode (flaw
and pit detection), and echo-echo mode (eliminate paint or coating thickness).

2.0 PRECAUTIONS

Do not use the standard probe in applications where material temperatures exceed
200 °F (100 °C) as the probe will be damaged. Special High Temperature Probes
should be used. Consult factory.

Keep the gauge free of dust (especially metal powders, carbon, etc.) as they will
damage the gauge. Use a damp cloth to clean the gauge after use.
DO NOT USE CHEMICAL SOLVENTS OF ANY KIND.

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13.3 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.
The only way to reliably measure such materials is by performing a calibration
procedure on a sample piece of known thickness. Ideally, this sample material
should be a part of the same piece being measured, or at least from the same lam­ination batch. By calibrating to each test piece individually, the effects of varia­tion of sound-velocity will be minimized.

An additional important consideration when measuring laminates, is that any
included air gaps or pockets will cause an early reflection of the ultrasound beam.
This effect will be noticed as a sudden decrease in thickness in an otherwise regu­lar surface. While this may impede accurate measurement of total material thick­ness, it does provide the user with positive indication of air gaps in the laminate.

13.4 Measuring Through Paint & Coatings

Measuring through paints and coatings are also unique, in that the velocity of the
paint / coating will be significantly different from the actual material being meas­ured. A perfect example of this would be a mild steel pipe with approximately
.025” of coating on the surface. Where the velocity of the pipe is .2330 in/msec,
and the velocity of the paint is .0900 in/msec. If the user is calibrated for mild
steel pipe and measures through both materials, the actual coating thickness will
appear to be 2.5 times thicker than it actually is, as a result of the differences in
velocity. This error can be eliminated by using a special echo-echo mode to
perform measurements for applications such as these. In echo-echo mode, the
paint/coating thickness will be eliminated entirely and the steel will be the only
material measured.

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3.0 OVERVIEW OF GAUGE

3.1 Gauge

Probe

Receptacles

Probe Zero Test Plate and

Battery Compartment Cover

Backlit LCD
Display

Membrane
Keypad

Probe

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13 .0 A PPLICATI O N NOTES

13.1 Measuring pipe and tubing

When measuring a piece of pipe to determine the thickness of the pipe wall, ori­entation of the transducers is important. If the diameter of the pipe is larger than
approximately 4 inches, measurements should be made with the transducer orient­ed so that the gap in the wearface is perpendicular (at right angle) to the long axis
of the pipe. For smaller pipe diameters, two measurements should be performed,
one with the wearface gap perpendicular, another with the gap parallel to the long
axis of the pipe. The smaller of the two displayed values should then be taken as
the thickness at that point.

13.2 Measuring hot surfaces

The velocity of sound through a substance is dependent upon its temperature.
As materials heat up, the velocity of sound through them decreases. In most
applications with surface temperatures less than about 200 °F (100 °C), no
special procedures must be observed. At temperatures above this point, the
change in sound velocity of the material being measured starts to have a
noticeable effect upon ultrasonic measurement.

At such elevated temperatures, it is recommended that the user perform a
calibration procedure (refer to page 11) on a sample piece of known thickness,
which is at or near the temperature of the material to be measured. This will
allow the TI-25M-MMX to correctly calculate the velocity of sound through the
hot material.

When performing measurements on hot surfaces, it may also be necessary to use
a specially constructed high-temperature transducer. These transducers are built
using materials which can withstand high temperatures. Even so, it is recom­mended that the probe be left in contact with the surface for as short a time as
needed to acquire a stable measurement. While the transducer is in contact with
a hot surface, it will begin to heat up, and through thermal expansion and other
effects, may begin to adversely affect the accuracy of measurements.

A

B

Parallel

Perpendicular

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3.2 Contents Of Kit

The TI-25M-MMX is supplied as a complete kit with the following:

a. Gauge

b. Two (2) AA batteries

(installed in gauge)
c. Probe/cable assembly
d. 4 oz. Bottle of coupling fluid
e. NIST-traceable calibration

certificate
f. Operating instruction manual
g. Foam-filled carrying case

3.3 Probe

The probe transmits and receives the ultrasonic sound waves which the
TI-25M-MMX uses to calculate the thickness of the material being meas­ured. The probe must be used correctly in order for the TI-25M-MMX to
produce accurate and reliable results.

A small amount of “coupling” fluid, commonly called “couplant” is used to
insure that there are no air gaps between the probe and the material surface.
Grasp the probe by the molded rubber grip and place it on top of the mate­rial surface. Apply moderate pressure to the top surface of the probe with
your index finger (A) or thumb (B) to stabilize the probe and to keep the
wearface seated flat against the measurement surface.

a

d

c

e

g

Probe
Wearface

A

B

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12 .0 MAT E R I A L SAF E TY DATA S HEE T (MSDA )

Section 1— Product Identification

Product Name: TI-25M Generic Name: Ultrasonic Couplant
Manufacturer: Electromatic Equipt. Co. NFPA Hazardous Materials Identification System (est)

Health 0 Flammability 0 Reactivity 0

Section 2— Hazardous Ingredients

This material does not contain any ingredients having known health hazards in concentrations
greater than 1%. This material does not contain any known or suspected carcinogens.

Section 3 — Physical Data (nominal)

Boiling Point: >220°F Freezing Point: <20°F
Vapor Pressure: N/A Evaporation Rate: N/A
Specific Gravity: >1.0Z Solubility in Water: complete
pH: 7.35 – 7.9 Acoustic Imp.: 1.726x10

6

Vapor Density: N/A Appearance and Odor: water white, opaque gel; bland odor

Section 4 — Fire and Explosive Hazard Data

Flash Point: none Upper Exposure Limit: none Lower Exposure Limit: none
Special Fire Fighting Procedures: N/A Extinguishing media: N/A
Unusual Fire and Explosion Hazards: none

Section 5 — Reactive Data

Stability: Stable Conditions to Avoid: none
Incompatibility (Materials to Avoid): none known
Hazardous Polymerization: will not occur
Hazardous Decomposition or Byproducts: none known

Section 6 —- Health Hazard and First Aid Data

Routes of Entry

1

:

Skin: not likely Ingestion: not normally Eyes: not normally Inhalation: no

Effects of Overexposure:

Acute: May cause temporary eye irritation Chronic: none expected

First Aid Procedures:

Skin: Remove with water if desired. Eyes: Flush with water for 15 minutes.
Ingestion: For large quantities, induce vomiting and call a physician Inhalation: N/A

Section 7 - Storage and Handling Information

Precautions to be taken in handling and storage: Store between 20 °F and 120 °F. Spills are
slippery and should be cleaned up immediately. Steps to be taken in case material is released or
spilled: Pick up excess for disposal. Clean with water. Waste disposal method: Dispose of in
accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.

Section 8 — Control Measures

Respiratory Protection: not required Ventilation: not required
Protective Gloves: on individuals demonstrating sensitivity to TI-25M
Eye Protection: as required by working conditions Other Protective Equipment: not required

1. TI-25M-MMX contains only food grade and cosmetic grade ingredients.

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3.4 The Keypad

The TI-25M-MMX interacts with the operator through the
membrane keypad and the LCD display. The functions of
the various keys on the keypad are detailed below, followed
by an explanation of the display and its various symbols.

This key is used to turn the TI-25M-MMX on and off. When the
gauge is turned ON, it will first perform a brief display test by
illuminating all of the segments in the display. After one second,
the gauge will display the internal software version number. After
displaying the version number, the display will show “0.000” (or
“0.00” if using metric units), indicating the gauge is ready for use.
The TI-25M-MMX is turned OFF by pressing the ON/OFF key.
The gauge has a special memory that retains all of its settings even
when the power is off. The gauge also features an auto-power
down mode designed to conserve battery life. If the gauge is idle
for 5 minutes, it will turn itself off.

The PRB-0 key is used to “zero” the TI-25M-MMX 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. Refer to page 10 for an
explanation of this important procedure.

The CAL key is used to enter and exit the TI-25M-MMX’s

calibration mode. This mode is used to adjust the sound-velocity
value that the TI-25M-MMX will use when calculating thickness.
The gauge will either calculate the sound-velocity from a sample
of the material being measured, or allow a known velocity value to
be entered directly. Refer to page 11 for an explanation of the two
CAL functions available.

The IN/MM key is used to switch back and forth between English
and metric units. This key may be used at any time, whether the
gauge is displaying a thickness (IN or MM) or a velocity value
(IN/ms or M/s).

The UP arrow key has two functions. When the TI-25M-MMX is
in calibration mode, this key is used to increase numeric values on
the display. An auto-repeat function is built in, so that when the
key is held down, numeric values will increment at an increasing
rate. When the TI-25M-MMX is not in calibration mode, the UP
arrow key switches the SCAN measurement mode on and off.
Refer to page 15 for an explanation of the SCAN measurement
mode.

ON

OFF

PROBE

ZERO

CAL

INCH

MM

SCAN

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11 .0 S PECIFI CATI O NS

Range

TI-25M-MMX* Pulse-Echo Mode (Pit & Flaw Detection):

0.040–6.000" (1.01–152 mm)
Echo-Echo Mode (Through Paint & Coatings):

0.100–1.0" (2.54–25.4 mm). With up to 0.040" of coating.

TI-25M-MMX-EXT* Pulse-Echo Mode (Pit & Flaw Detection):

0.100–10.000" (2.54–254 mm)
Echo-Echo Mode (Through Paint & Coatings):

0.200–5.0" (5–127 mm). With up to 0.080" of coating.

Resolution .001" (0.01 mm)
Display 4

1

⁄2-Digit, 0.5" Backlit LCD

Velocity Range 0.0492 to .3937 in./µs. (1250 to 10,000 meters/second)
Probe

TI-25M-MMX 5 MHz, 0.25" Dia. (6.35 mm), High Damp
TI-25M-MMX-EXT 3.5 MHz, 0.5" Dia. (12.70 mm), High Damp

Probe Wearface PEEK (Polyethylethylkeytone)
Cable 4 ft. (1.2 m) waterproof cable with non-polarized,

quick-disconnect connectors.Optional lengths up to
100 ft. (30 m).

Probe Zero Steel plate built into batter y cover, appriximate thickness
Test Plate of 0.416" (10.57mm)

Temp. Limits Ambient

: –20 to 120 °F (–30 to 50 °C)
Material: 0 to 200 °F (–20 to 100 °C)
Special high temperature probes are optionally available.

Battery Type Two AA batteries
Battery Life 200 hours
Weight 7 ounces (196 g)
Size 2.4 x 4.5 x 1.25" (65 x 114 x 35 mm)
Accessories

Included Probe/cable assembly. 4oz. bottle of coupling fluid,

NIST Calibration Certificate, 2 AA batteries, operating
instructions,hard-plastic carrying case.

Warranty Gauge

: 5 years

Probe: 90 days

*Measuring Range indicated is for steel. Actual range for other materials will
vary based upon the material’s sonic velocity and attenuation.

CAL

ALRM

SCAN

DUAL

PRB

SEND

MULTI

MM

0

ON

IN

OFF