ElektroPhysik PoroTest 7 Technical Reference And Operating Manual

PoroTest® 7

Technical Reference and Operating Manual

Advancing with T echnology ElektroPhysik

© B13-A6 08/2014

Subject to change without notice.

ElektroPhysik Dr. Steingroever GmbH & Co. KG

Pasteurstr. 15
D-50735 Cologne, Germany
Tel. [phone]; Fax [phone]

www.elektrophysik.com; [e-mail]

ElektroPhysik USA

778 West Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights IL 60005
Phone [phone]; Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

Caution!

Safety Note

Please refer to the safety notes in section 2 before starting
operation of PoroT est® 7.

Table of contents

Table of Contents

1. General Information...........................E-3

1.1 Applications............................................ E-3

1.2 Description ................................................. E-3

1.3 Supply schedule .................................... E-3

1.4 Accessories............................................. E-4

2. Safety notes.......................................E-4

3. Preparing PoroTest® 7 for

operation ..........................................E-5

4. Preparing the test object....................E-6

5. Selection of the test electrode ...........E-6

6. Instrument settings ..........................E-6

6.1 T est parameters (test volt age) ................. E-7

6.2 Sensitivity.................................................. E-7

6.3 Limit for pores .......................................... E-8

6.4 High voltage trigger ................................. E-8

6.5 Signal LED ................................................ E-8

6.6 Display contrast ......................................... E-9

6.7 Display backlight ....................................... E-9

6.8 Language ................................................... E-9

6.9 Setting mode ............................................ E-9

6.10 Display mode ........................................... E-9

7. General remarks on Operation and

Application .....................................E-10

7. 1 T esting procedure....................................E-1 1

8. Power supply ...................................E-12

9. Charging storage batteries............E-12

10. Changing storage batteries ...........E-12

1 1.Error Messages ...............................E-13

12. Battery charging messages...........E-14

13. T est principle..................................E-15

14. T echnical specification ..................E-16

15.After-sales service ...........................E-18

Index......................................................E-20

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Fig. 1

PoroTest® wiring

5 Cable lug for protection earth with earth clamp
1 PoroTest® control unit
2 Mains cable

3 Equipotential cable (Earting cable) (green/yellow)
4 Connecting cable (probe-control unit) (black)

ElektroPhysik E-1

6 Cable lug for earth magnet or earth clamp

7 High voltage probe

8 Silicon-rubber electrode

9 Metall sweeper electrode

PoroTest® sockets

Mains cable socket

Sockets for earthing cable and high voltage probe
connecting cable

Fig. 3

Fig. 2

E-2 ElektroPhysik

General information, Supply schedule

1. General Information

Designed for high voltage porosity detection, PoroT est®
7 conforms to the following industrial standards:

DIN 55670
DIN 50191 (VDE 0104)
DIN EN 61010 /Teil 1 (VDE 0411/ Part 1)

1.1 Applications

PoroTest® 7 holiday detector detects pores and holes
in insulating materials on conductive substrates such
as steel, aluminum, etc. Typical applications: Testing
linings and coatings applied on ducts, pipes, hulls, oil
and storage tanks , enamel, paint, rubber and bitumen
linings, vessels and tanks, GFK and other plastics
materials.Tanks or vessels must be filled with water or
other conductive material. To detect porosity, the
appropriate test voltage specific to the material thickness
is set on the control unit which applies, when activated,
a spark discharge at the moment a material flaw is
detected. In addition to the spark discharge, flaws are
counted and indicated by a visible and audible signal.
Depending on the test electrode, test voltage can be set
from 0.5...7 kV (P7) for coatings from 30 microns to

1.7mm or from 6 to 35kV (P35) for coatings from 1.4mm
to 11,3mm.

1.2 Description

The test instrument consists of a high voltage probe with
an integrated high voltage generator and a test electrode
connected to the probe. The control unit features a digi­tal display and control pad. The control unit housing is
fully portable and made of rugged ABS plastic with an
integrated handle. The high voltage probe and control
unit are connected via a rugged cable

1.3 Supply schedule

- rugged plastics carrying case

- control unit with integrated storage battery

- connecting cable (probe - control unit)

- high voltage probe (optional accessories)

- metal sweeper electrode

- earth magnet

- earth clamp

- equipotential cable, 5 m (16 ft.) length

- mains cable

- shoulder belt

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Accessories, Safety notes

1.4 Accessories

· Aluminium case

· Brush, rolling spring, ring and right-angle
electrodes in various designs, silicon-rubber
electrode, 200 mm (7.8 ft.) width

· 3-pin plug, cable-free, directly plugs into the
integrated signal contact (make/break
contact).The signal contact is automatically
actuated if a pore is detected and may be used
for an external signal devices.

· Earthing rod

· Earthing/equipotential cable, 10 m (32 ft.) length

· Connecting cable for control unit and high voltage
probe in special lengths: 5m (16 ft.), 10m ( 32 ft.)

· Non-destructive coating thickness gauges, help
you to adjust test voltage specific to coating
thickness

2. Safety notes

- PoroTest® 7 is designed for safe use. When ob­serving the safety notes, operation of the
instrument is absolutely risk free to the operator.
Current and capacitance limits conform to the
German standards DIN EN 61010/ Part 1 (VDE
0411/Part 1).

- Persons with cardiac pacemakers should consult
their physician about the possibility of interference
with the instrument.

- Caution!

Never use unearthed equipment! Before
use, make sure both, PoroT est® 7 and the test
object are well earthed (see section 3.)

- Only use rechargeable NiMH C-cells. Non
rechargeable batteries pose an explosion hazard
if on charge!

- After the control unit has been switched off,
discharge the high-voltage generator to earth.

- Do not carry out high voltage discharge to the
instrument or to the connecting cable between
instrument and probe.

E-4 ElektroPhysik

Preparing PoroTest® 7 for operation

3. Preparing PoroTest® 7 for
operation

1. Plug the yellow/green earth cable into the two­pin earth socket of the gauge. Connect one of
the wire ends to the earth clamp or the earth
magnet (for magnetic substrates). Fix the earth
clamp or the earth magnet to an uncoated spot of
the test object (Fig. 5)

Fig. 5

3. Use the wing nut to connect the test electrode to

Fig. 4

Earth cable (yellow / green), left
High voltage cable (black), right

2. Build-up an additional protection earth by securely
connecting the second end of the yellow/green
earth cable to a water pipe, heating installation,
to the earthing contact of a socket-outlet or to
another suitable earthed metal construction. For
in the field testing, the earth rod (available as an
option) should be used.

ElektroPhysik E-5

the high voltage probe (Fig. 1). The met al sweeper
electrode can directly be connected to the high
voltage probe.

4. Use the black high-voltage cable to connect the
high voltage probe to the control unit (4-pin
socket).

5. Hold the high voltage probe by the metal handle
to prevent static charge.