Cooper M5-1000 User Manual

Users Guide

Series 5 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

3 MECHANICAL SETUP...................................................................................................................2

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

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

6 DIGITAL FILTERS..........................................................................................................................8

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

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

9 COMMUNICATIONS....................................................................................................................10

10 CALIBRATION............................................................................................................................17

11 PASSWORDS...............................................................................................................................20

12 OTHER SETTINGS......................................................................................................................22

13 SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................................................................23

14 WARRANTY................................................................................................................................25

2

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Thank you for purchasing a Cooper Series 5 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 5 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 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 5 force gauge should be fully trained in appropriate
operation and safety procedures.

1 OVERVIEW

1.1 List of included items
Part No.

M5-012 –

Qty.

1 12-1049 12-1049 12-1049 Carrying Case
1 08-1022 08-1022 08-1022 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, MESURgauge DEMO, User’s

1.2 Safety / Proper Usage

M5-20

M5-50 –
M5-100

M5-200 –
M5-500

Description

Guide)

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 5 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.

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.

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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:

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 backli ght 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.

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.

3 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

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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 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 be used for load bearing purposes. Fa ilure 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 operator 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

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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

A – Average Mode

ET – External Trigger Mode
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.

8 Battery / AC adapter

indicator

9 High / low limit indicators

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:

– the displayed value is greater than th e upper force limit

– the displayed value is between the limits

– the displayed value is less than the lower force limit

10 Set points

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 Set Points menu item.

4.2 Controls
Primary Label Primary Function

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

Secondary Label Secondary Function
ENTER

Various uses, as described in
the following sections.

to power off. Active only
when the home screen is
displayed.

ZERO

MENU

Zeroes the primary
reading and peaks.

Enters the main menu.

(UP)

ESCAPE

Navigates up through the
menu and sub-menus.

Reverts one step backwards
through the menu hierarchy.

MODE

Toggles between
measurement modes.

(DOWN)

Navigates down through the
menu and sub-menus.

DATA

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

DELETE

Enables and disables Delete
mode while viewing stored

data.
external device,
depending on setup.

UNITS

Toggles between
measurement units.

DIRECTION

Reverses the display during

calibration, and toggles

between tension and

compression directions while

configuring set points and

other menu items.
Turns the LCD backlight
on and off. Backlight

N/A

N/A
turns on automatically

upon powering on the
gauge.

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, press 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.

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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 an d 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 indicate 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.

Five operating modes are possible with Series 5 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 actu al 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.

5.4 Average Mode (AVG)

Average mode is used to obtain an average force reading over a specified period of time. Applications include
measurement of peel force, muscle strength, frictional force, and other tests requiring time-averaged readings.

Before the parameters of Average Mode can be configured, it must be enabled. T o do so, select Average

Mode from the menu, scroll to Enable and press ENTER. The display appears as follows:

8

Then, scroll to Settings, and press ENTER to configure the parameters. The parameters are as follows:

Parameter Description

Initial Delay The time delay, in seconds, before the averaging sequence commences.
Averaging Time The time duration, in seconds, of the averaging sequence.

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