Cooper M4 User Manual

Users Guide

Series 4 Digital Force Gages

www.cooperinstruments.com

PH: 540-349-4746  FAX: [phone]

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Table of Contents

1 OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................................1

2 POWER.............................................................................................................................................2

43 MECHANICAL SETUP.................................................................................................................3

4 HOME SCREEN AND CONTROLS...............................................................................................4

5 OPERATING MODES .....................................................................................................................6

6 DIGITAL FILTERS..........................................................................................................................6

7 SET POINTS.....................................................................................................................................6

8 DATA MEMORY AND STATISTICS............................................................................................7

9 COMMUNICATIONS......................................................................................................................8

10 CALIBRATION............................................................................................................................13

11 OTHER SETTINGS......................................................................................................................17

12 SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................................................................18

13 WARRANTY REPAIR POLICY.................................................................................................20

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Thank you for purchasing a 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. Cooper
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 question s,
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.

1 OVERVIEW

1.1 List of included items

Part No.

Qty.

1 12-1049 12-1049 12-1049 Carrying Case
1 AC1030 /

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, MESUR

M4-012 – M4-20 M4-50 – M4-100 M4-200 – M4-500

AC1031 /
AC1032

AC1030 /
AC1031 /
AC1032

AC1030 /
AC1031 /
AC1032

Description

AC adapter body with US, EU, or UK
prong

Lite software, MESURgauge DEMO
software, User’s Guide)

1.2 Safety / Proper Usage

Caution!

Note the force gauge’s capacity before use and ensure that the capaci ty 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 gauge is powered on or off.
Before use, each person who is to use the Series 4 force gauge should be fully trained in appropriate

operation and safety procedures.

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.

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

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
accumulate in the sample during testing. 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.

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.

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

2. When battery life drops to approximately 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.

43 MECHANICAL SETUP

3.1 Loading shaft orientation

In order to accommodate a variety of testing requirements, the orientation of the loading shaft may be set up
in either of the two positions shown below. In order to change the loading shaft orientation, loosen the two
captive screws on the back side of the housing, separate the two housing halves, rotate one half 180
degrees, and reassemble. Contact between the two halves is made by the spring pins and contact pads on
the printed circuit boards.

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 withstand the load during a test. A
mating dowel pin should be used (see illustration below). Mounting plates on Cooper test stands inclu de a
dowel pin and clearance holes for the four threaded holes located near the corn ers of the housing. These
holes are designed to accommodate screws in order to hold the gauge in place (Cooper test stands include a
set of thumb screws for gauge mounting). The screws must not be used 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 the5operator and others in
the vicinity. If using a grip or fixture from a supplier other than Cooper, 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.

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4 HOME SCREEN AND CONTROLS

4.1 Home Screen

No. Name Description
1 Measurement direction

2 Peaks

3 Primary reading
4 Load bar

5 Units

6 Mode

7 Number of stored data

points

8 Battery / AC adapter

indicator

9 High / low limit indicators

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- indicates a compression (push) direction

- indicates a tension (pull) direction
These indicators are used throughout the display and menu.
The maximum measured compression and tension readings. These
readings are reset by pressing ZERO or by powering the gauge off and
on.
The current displayed force reading. See Operating Modes section for
details.
Analog indicator to help identify when an overload condition is
imminent. The 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 details.
The current measurement unit. Abbreviations are as follows:

lbF – Pound-force
ozF – Ounce-force
kgF – Kilogram-force
gF – Gram-force
N – Newton
kN – Kilonewton

mN – Millinewton
Note: not all gauge capacities measure in all the above units. Refer to
the capacity / resolution table in the Specifications section for details.
The current measurement mode. Abbreviations are as follows:

RT – Real Time

PC – Peak Compression

PT – Peak Tension
See Operating Modes section for details about each of these modes.
The number of stored data points in memory, up to 50. Displayed only
if Memory Storage is enabled for the DATA key.
Either the AC adapter icon, battery icon, or no icon will be shown,
depending on power conditions. Refer to the Power section for details.

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