Extech TKG250 Operating Manual
USER GUIDE
Model TKG250
Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Extech Instruments
WARRANTY
FLIR Systems, Inc. warrants this Extech Instruments brand device to be free of
defects in parts and workmanship for two years from date of shipment (a six month limited
warranty applies to sensors and cables). If it should become necessary to return the
instrument for service during or beyond the warranty period, contact the Customer Service
Department for authorization. Visit the website www.extech.com for contact information. A
Return Authorization (RA) number must be issued before any product is returned. The
sender is responsible for shipping charges, freight, insurance and proper packaging to
prevent damage in transit. This warranty does not apply to defects resulting from action of
the user such as misuse, improper wiring, operation outside of specification, improper
maintenance or repair, or unauthorized modification. FLIR Systems, Inc. specifically
disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a specific purpose and will
not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages. FLIR’s total
liability is limited to repair or replacement of the product. The warranty set forth above is
inclusive and no other warranty, whether written or oral, is expressed or implied.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and describes only the
product defined in the introduction of this documentation. This document is intended for
the use of Extech Instruments customers only (a Flir Systems, Inc. brand) for the purposes
of the agreement under which the document is submitted, and no part of it may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or means without the prior written permission. For
information address: Flir Commercial Systems, Inc.. 9 Townsend West, Nashua NH, 03063
U.S.A.
The information or statements given in this document concerning the suitability, capacity, or
performance of the mentioned hardware or software products cannot be considered binding
but shall be defined in the agreement made between Flir Systems and the customer.
However, Flir Systems has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the instructions
contained in the document are adequate and free of material errors and omissions. Flir
Systems will, if necessary, explain issues which may not be covered by the document.
Other product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks of their respective
companies, and they are mentioned for identification purposes only.
Copyright 2013 Flir Systems, Inc., All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
LIABILITY
Ultrasonic testing is a function of using the proper equipment (electronics, transducer,
cable and couplant combination) for the inspection and a qualified operator who knows
how to use this manual, the instruments and all calibration procedures. The improper use
of this equipment, along with the improper calibration can cause serious damage to
components, factories, facilities, personal injury and even death. ALL FLIR SYSTEMS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS GAUGES ARE NOT INTRINSICALLY SAFE AND
SHOULD NOT BE USED IN ANY HAZARDOUS OR EXPLOSIVE AREAS.
It is understood that the operator of this equipment is a well-trained inspector qualified by
either their own company or another outside agency to issue Ultrasonic Level I, 40 hour
class room training in Ultrasonic Theory. Flir Systems and any of its employees or
representatives shall not be held responsible for improper use of this equipment for its
intended use. Proper training, a complete understanding of Ultrasonic wave propagation,
thorough reading of this manual, proper transducer selection, correct zeroing of the
transducer, correct sound velocity, proper test blocks, proper cable length, proper
couplant selection all play a factor in successful ultrasonic thickness gaging. Special care
should be taken when test pieces have rough or painted surfaces, particularly those
applications where the test piece is thin to begin with as doubling of the echoes is
possible even if the transducer is capable of measuring the desired thickness. As
transducers wear or heat up, results can be either too thin due to a lack of sensitivity as a
result of wear or too thick due to heating up of the transducer, referred to as “drift.”
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents........................................................................................................... 4
1 Getting Started ............................................................................................................ 6
About the TKG250 Wave............................................................................................. 6
Probe Zero ..................................................................................................................... 7
Keypad Functions ......................................................................................................... 7
Function Keys................................................................................................................ 8
Display Screen .............................................................................................................. 8
Using the Battery Pack .............................................................................................. 10
Monitoring the Battery Charge from the Display Screen................................... 10
Replacing the Battery.............................................................................................. 10
2 Basic Gauge Operations......................................................................................... 11
Power on the Gauge .................................................................................................. 11
Performing a Reset..................................................................................................... 12
Database Reset ....................................................................................................... 12
Parameter Reset...................................................................................................... 13
Database/Parameter Reset ................................................................................... 14
Backlight....................................................................................................................... 14
About Screen............................................................................................................... 15
3 Calibrating the Gauge and Making Measurements ......................................... 16
Velocity Calibration Only............................................................................................ 16
Velocity and Zero Calibration.................................................................................... 17
Zero Calibration Only ................................................................................................. 17
Delay Line Calibration ................................................................................................ 17
Automatic Zero ............................................................................................................ 18
Measurement Mode with a Datalogger ................................................................ 19
4 Adjusting parameters in A-Scan mode: ............................................................. 20
5 Using Setup Mode on the Gauge.......................................................................... 22
Using the Clock ........................................................................................................... 24
Understanding an LOS Reading .............................................................................. 26
Using the Hold Option ................................................................................................ 26
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Using the Fast Option ................................................................................................ 26
Using the Gain Option................................................................................................ 29
Using the Diff Option .................................................................................................. 31
Using the Alarm Option.............................................................................................. 31
Setting the Visual and Audible Alarm................................................................... 35
Setting the Vibra Alarm........................................................................................... 35
Using the Echo-to-Echo Option ................................................................................ 36
6 Special Gauge Functions ....................................................................................... 39
Using the Save Option ............................................................................................... 39
Using the Freeze Option............................................................................................ 40
7 Using the Datalogger Directory Mode................................................................. 42
Managing the Datalogger File System .................................................................... 45
Creating a new File..................................................................................................... 47
Selecting a Custom Linear File ............................................................................. 49
Selecting a Custom Grid File ................................................................................. 49
Reviewing a File.......................................................................................................... 50
Reviewing a Linear File .......................................................................................... 51
Reviewing a Grid File.............................................................................................. 52
Renaming a File .......................................................................................................... 52
Clearing all readings within a File ............................................................................ 55
Copying a File.............................................................................................................. 56
Deleting a File.............................................................................................................. 58
Waveform Adjustments.............................................................................................. 65
Blanking........................................................................................................................ 69
8 Technical Specifications ........................................................................................ 72
Specifications for the TKG250 .................................................................................. 72
9 Software Options...................................................................................................... 74
Echo-to-Echo..................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
B-Scan .......................................................................................................................... 74
Saving a B-Scan to memory. .................................................................................... 75
10 Technical Assistance ............................................................................................ 76
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1 Getting Started
About the TKG250 Wave
The TKG250 is a portable, digital, handheld thickness gauge and is specifically
designed to measure the remaining wall thickness of primarily steel structures.
Vibralarm (vibrates gauge below/above minimum/maximum thickness value)
Illuminating keypad for easy to view go-no go thickness values (patent pending)
Automatic transducer replacement intelligence built in (patent pending)
Unique, programmable left-hand/right-hand operation (patent pending)
Up to 50 hour battery life with 2 AA batteries
Small, easy to hold, ergonomic, custom molded, durable case with rubber keypad
Automatic zero capability
Gain boost
Multiple dual and single element transducer options including high temperature
The TKG250 offers a simple user interface packaged in a custom molded high-density
plastic case with rubber keypad. This gauge offers reliable, accurate thickness readings
on mostly steel structures with access to only one side. The TKG250 offers live color
waveform (A-Scan).
The TKG250 provides a gain adjustment, vibrating alarm and illuminating keypad
conditions, and automated transducer replacement notification feature.
The TKG250 advanced features include:
Live Color Waveform with gain, range, rectify adjustments
50,000 (expandable to 100,000) reading (5,000 waveform) datalogger capacity
with complete setup tracking
Three pre-set files for linear, grid (row advance) and grid (column advance)
Echo-to-Echo
B-scan
Custom molded carrying pouch with belt clip and elastic strap
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Probe Zero
When turning on the TKG250, the gauge does an automatic zeroing of the transducer
thus eliminating the need for an on-block zero. It will also electronically zero the
transducer upon power up and at a particular time during normal operation. This feature
ensures the transducer is working in accordance with electronic zeroing procedures. This
feature is particularly important on high temperature materials and when the transducer
becomes worn.
Important Notice: Please make sure the transducer is not coupled to the test piece when
the gauge is first turned on and that there is no couplant on the end of the transducer. The
transducer should also be at room temperature, clean without any noticeable wear.
For a more accurate “span” of calibration, Flir Systems recommends a zero calibration
and sound velocity calibration as well.
Upon first turning on the gauge, you can match the transducer part number on the back of
the transducer to the screen, wipe couplant off face and press MENU OK. Here is what
the first screen will look like, see reset and backlight sections for additional details.
Keypad Functions
The figure below shows the full keypad. Refer to the following table that lists the
function of each key on the keypad.
Key Function
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Up arrow key
Down arrow key
Left arrow key
Right arrow key
On/Off symbol (under the F1 key)
OK key
F1 key
F2 key
F3 key
Function Keys
Function keys, or F keys, such as F1, F2, and F3 have various gauge functions and may
change depending on the display screen. View the bottom of the display screen for the
function that corresponds with the appropriate F key. For example, F1 may correspond
with the Save function, F2 with the Freeze function, or F3 with the Directory function
(Dir).
Display Screen
The gauge has a graphic style color TFT with 270x220 pixel density. Viewing the screen
is best from straight above or slightly below the surface rather than from side to side. If
external temperatures are below 32F (0C), the display may be slower to update
information.
At the top right corner of the display screen is the “available key mode”.
Color thickness
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Color Waveform in Echo-to-Echo, filename, id, minimum, large thickness value, Echo-to-Echo,
range, echoes, blanking, gain, rectification, battery life, save, freeze and directory.
RF in Zoom mode “Z”
F1 F2 F3
The top part of the display screen shows the File name, ID number, AA, and 0001 for
grid column and row. The lower part of the display acts as an interactive tool that allows
you to decide how you want to proceed with the information that is displayed on the
screen. The middle part of the screen shows the thickness value, In, mm or usec, Echo-toEcho symbol, LOS for loss of signal, Freeze, Fast Min or Max, Alarm indicator,
Differential mode, Low, Med or High gain and percent remaining battery life.
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Using the Battery Pack
Monitoring the Battery Charge from the Display Screen
The TKG250 constantly displays the percent battery life on the bottom right hand corner
of the measurement display screen. When the gauge gets below 10 %, the indicator will
turn from green to red and a 5% it will flash.
Note: You should power down the TKG250 to ensure any saved data is stored internally.
Replacing the Battery
To replace the battery pack, unscrew the battery door on the bottom of the gauge and
slide out the two “AA” batteries. Replace with two new “AA” batteries paying attention
that both positive ends should be facing towards the top of the gauge.
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
2 Basic Gauge Operations
Power on the Gauge
To power on the TKG250 thickness gauges follow these steps:
1. Press and hold the F1 key for more than 3 seconds. The power symbol is under
the F1 key printed on the keypad as shown below.
Power symbol
under the F1 key
2. The company information screen will appear on the display screen of the
thickness gauge.
3. The next screen that appears automatically is the Xducer (transducer) selection
screen, also referred to as Home screen in the manual.
4. Use the up and down arrow keys to select a transducer and press OK key. (Please
note, the transducer selection will automatically display the transducer last used
prior to shut off.) The following default transducer choices are available:
USER 5.0MHz
DC110 1.0MHz
DC175 1.0MHz
DK250 2.0MHz
DC250 2.0MHz
DK525(s) 5.0MHz
DC525 5.0MHz
DK550 5.0MHz
DC550 5.0MHz
DK537 5.0MHz
DC537 5.0MHz
DHT537 5.0MHz
DK718 7.5MHz
DK1025 10.0MHz
DC1025 10.0MHz
5. Press F1 to select the Setup option.
6. Press F2 to select the Reset option.
7. Press F3 to select the Bklite option.
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Performing a Reset
You can reset the gauge settings back to the default settings by performing a gauge reset.
Note: Performing a reset permanently deletes all of the saved parameters from the gauge
and replaces the settings with default values.
To perform a reset, follow these steps:
1. From the Home screen, press the F1 – Reset key. The following Reset screen
appears:
2. Select the Database, Parameter, or Database/Parameter option by using the up
and down arrow keys and press the Menu Ok key to make a selection. See the
following sections to perform each of these reset options.
Database Reset
Performing a Database Reset clears all the files in the database and keeps the first three:
Linear, Row increment and Col increment database files with cleared readings. All the
user created files in the database will be cleared and deleted. To perform a Database
Reset, follow these steps:
1. From the Home screen, press the F1 – Reset key. The Reset screen appears.
2. Select the Database option and press the OK key. The following screen appears:
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
If you want to exit this screen press either the F1 – Exit key or F3 – No key to
take no action and return to Home screen.
3. Press the F2 – Yes key to perform a Database reset.
After performing a Database Reset, the Home screen appears automatically.
Parameter Reset
Performing a Parameter Reset restores default parameters to the factory settings. To
perform a Parameter Reset, follow these steps:
1. From the Home screen, press the F1 – Reset key. The Reset screen appears.
2. Select the Parameter option and press the OK key. The following screen
appears:
If you want to exit this screen press either the F1 – Exit key or F3 – No key to
take no action and return to Home screen.
3. Press the F2 – Yes key to perform a Parameter reset.
After performing a Parameter Reset, the Home screen appears automatically.
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Database/Parameter Reset
Performing a Database/Parameter Reset clears all the files in the database and keeps the
first three Linear, Row increment and Col increment database files with cleared readings.
All the user created files in the database will be deleted and the default parameters will be
restored at the same time. This selection is the equivalent of performing MASTER
RESET on the instrument, restoring original factory setting. To perform a
Database/Parameter Reset, follow these steps:
1. From the Home screen, press the F1 – Reset key. The Reset screen appears.
2. Select the Database option and press the OK key. The following screen appears:
If you want to exit this screen press either the F1 – Exit key or F3 – No key to
take no action and return to Home screen.
3. Press the F2 – Yes key to perform a Database/Parameter reset.
After performing a Database/Parameter Reset, the Home screen appears
automatically.
Backlight
The backlight can be turned On or Off by pressing F3 – Bklite. Backlight can also be
turned On, Off or set on Auto using the Bklight option in the Setup Menu/Display Menu.
The Wave goes out with the Backlight automatically set to Auto to optimize viewing in
various lighting while conserving battery life.
Note: Leaving the backlight on will reduce battery life.
If you set the backlight to Auto, the backlight will turn on during active readings and hold
for 12 seconds or unless otherwise specified.
Note: If the backlight is set to Auto and you have the gauge in Hold mode, the backlight
will shut off after 12 seconds. If you would like the hold to remain lit, then you must
enable the backlight on instead of using Auto.
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
About Screen
You can find information about the TKG250 thickness gauge such as the model number,
version number and contact information from the gauge’s About screen. To go to the
About Screen, follow these steps:
1. From the Home screen, press the F1 – Reset key. The following Reset screen
appears:
2. Press the F3 – About key. The About screen appears showing company contact
information.
3. Press the F1 – Exit key to return back to Reset selection screen.
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3 Calibrating the Gauge and Making Measurements
Calibrating is the process of adjusting the gauge for a specific material and transducer
before testing material to make sure that all measurements are accurate. You must always
calibrate before measuring material for standard accuracy.
To measure a thickness of unknown material you need to know the velocity of the sound
in the unknown material. To find the velocity of the sound you can use one of the
following methods:
Velocity calibration only
Velocity and zero calibration
Zero calibration only
Delay line calibration
Velocity Calibration Only
If you are working with a test piece of known thickness but unknown material, then you
can calibrate the velocity of the sound in the unknown material by measuring the time of
flight from main-bang to the first back echo. By using the known thickness you can
calculate velocity of the sound for the unknown material.
To perform any calibration, first go to the measure mode and press Menu/OK. Then go to
the Cal option in the Menu screen and press OK. The following Cal mode screen should
appear. To exit the cal screen without performing any calibration, press OK. To proceed
to velocity cal, follow the following instructions.
Cal screen for non-datalogger version
While measuring the thicker step, select VEL by pressing F3. After selecting VEL, you
can take the transducer off the test block. If the displayed measurement is different than
the known value of the step, use the up or down arrow key to adjust the displayed value
to the known value of the step. Press OK to perform the calibration. The unit will briefly
display the calibrated velocity value in the top of the screen and then return to measure
mode.
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Velocity and Zero Calibration
If you have a test step block of known thicknesses but unknown material, then you can
calibrate the zero and velocity of the sound in the unknown material by measuring the
time of flight from the main-bang to the first back echo for thinner step and thicker step.
To calibrate both: velocity and zero at the same time, first go to the Cal mode as shown in
Velocity Calibration Only section. While measuring the thicker step, select VEL by
pressing F3. After selecting VEL you can take the transducer off the test block. If the
displayed value is different than the known value of the step, adjust the value by pressing
up or down arrow keys and press F1/CAL. Then while measuring the thinner step select
ZERO by pressing F2. After selecting ZERO you can take the transducer off the test
block. If measured value is different than the known value of the step, adjust the
measured value by pressing up or down arrow key and then press OK. The unit will
briefly display the calibrated zero value and then return to Measure mode. Note that the
order of Velocity and Zero calibration could be reversed. If Velocity calibration is
performed after Zero calibration, the calibrated velocity value will be displayed at the end
of the calibration process.
Zero Calibration Only
If you have a test step block of known thickness and known velocity of sound in the
material, then you can calibrate the zero by measuring the time of flight from main-bang
to the first back echo for the thinner step. The calibrated zero is the calculated zero minus
the measured zero.
To accurately measure a thickness of unknown material you need to know the velocity of
the sound in the unknown material and the errors introduced by the cable and electronics.
This is called delay line and zero calibrated value for the transducer.
To perform a zero calibration, go to the Cal mode as shown in Velocity Calibration Only
section. Then while measuring the thinner step, select ZERO by pressing F2. After
selecting ZERO, you can take the transducer off the test block. If the displayed
measurement is different than the known value of the step, use the up or down arrow key
to adjust the displayed value to the known value of the step. Press OK to perform the
calibration. The unit will briefly display the calibrated zero value in the top of the screen
and then return to measure mode.
Delay Line Calibration
Delay line calibration is done every time the thickness gauge is powered on and a
transducer is selected, or when a different transducer is selected during normal operation.
Delay line calibration is performed by measuring the echo of the transducer itself when it
is not placed on any material and there is no couplant on the transducer surface.
Under normal usage, the surface of the transducer wears out over time, which reduces
sensitivity of the transducer. When you power on the thickness gauge and select a
transducer, the gauge performs automatic calculations and warns you (patent pending) if
the sensitivity of the transducer is too low and whether the transducer should be replaced.
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Automatic Zero
To perform an Automatic Zero or Auto Zero, you must first select a transducer option
from the Xducer selection screen and press the OK key.
To continue the Auto Zero, follow these steps:
1. Follow the instructions given on each display screen; the first of which will
prompt you to wipe off any couplant from the transducer and wait three seconds.
The waiting time is shown in the changing pie-clock graphic on the display
screen.
2. After three seconds the gauge automatically begins to zero the transducer. During
the delay line calibration a screen appears displaying the message “Performing
Auto Zero”.
3. A warning message will appear on the display screen if the delay line is below the
acceptable limit for accurate thickness measurements. You will need to replace
the transducer or select the F1 key to acknowledge the warning message and
continue using the same transducer, which may have a worn surface.
4. After three seconds or after acknowledging the warning message, the display
shows the instrument parameters for 3 seconds before going to Measurement
mode.
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Measurement Mode with a Datalogger
The TKG250 thickness gauge is equipped with a datalogger, and the display screen in
Measurement mode will look like the screen below:
To continue in Measurement mode, follow these steps:
1. Press the F1 key to select the Save option. (See: Save section for datalogger
version.)
2. Press the F2 key to select the Freeze option. (See: Freeze section.)
3. Press the F3 key to select the Dir (Directory) option. (See: Directory section.)
4. Press the Menu = OK key to select the Menu option. (See: Menu section.)
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4 Adjusting parameters in A-Scan mode:
In addition to changing parameters via the Menu OK key, you can also adjust the
following parameters while in A-Scan:
Units (in, mm, usec)
Alarm (high, low, high-low, high vib, low vib, high-low vib, off)
Gain (AGC or manual in 1 db from 20 dB as min and 94 dB as Max)
Rectify (RF, Full Wave, Half + or Half -)
Range (.5,1,2,5,10 and 20 inch or 12.7, 25.5,50,127, 254, 508mm)
Blanking (MB for Main bang and IF for interface echo)
Echo-to-Echo (on or off)
To change a parameter use either the right or left arrow until the parameter to be adjusted
is highlighted. Use the up or down arrow to adjust the parameter. You can also view the
functions for each parameter by pressing the Menu OK key. When finished adjusting the
parameter press the F1 done key (set up for left hand user), F3 for right hand user. For
gain control, F2=AGC or Automatic Gain Conrol. When in AGC, the gauge will use its
sophisticated algorithms to automatically set the gain to the desired height. If echoes are
not being detected but are somewhat visible, try increasing or decreasing the gain as
described above.
Here are screen shots highlighting the various parameters that can be adjusted:
Alarm Highlighted Units Highlighted
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Rectify Highlighted Echo-to-Echo Highlighted
Range Highlighted Gain Highlighted
NOTE:
Pay close attention when turning on Echo-to-Echo as thickness readings will not be
accurate with Echo-to-Echo on versus off if you do not re-calibrate. You will also see an
Echo-to-Echo cursor on the bottom of the screen to indicate where the measurements are
being made.
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5 Using Setup Mode on the Gauge
The following modes are available:
To select Measurement mode, follow these steps:
1. Press Menu OK to get to Measurement mode.
2. Use the up and down arrow keys to select the Measurement option and press the
OK key.
The following Setup choices are available:
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TKG250 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
3. Use the up and down arrow keys to select any of the setup parameters available
and press the OK key to change the setting. You can also change the setting using
the “Quick Access mode”. To do this, simply use the left and right key (indicated
in the top right hand of the display screen) to change the setting of the highlighted
parameter.
The entire list of available Measurement parameters are as follows:
Note: Hold is off screen in the above image.
Here is a list of what is under the Measurement Screen:
RANGE 00.500
RECT Full
VEL 0.23300 IN/US
XDUCER DK537EE 5MH
ZOOM OFF
ALARM OFF
BSCAN OFF
DIFF OFF
E-TO-E OFF
FAST OFF
GAIN 32 dB
HOLD OFF
Here is a list of what is under the Display screen:
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Backlight ON
USER LEFT HAND
Color Flags, Grid, Text, Waveform, Background
Some color changes are dynamic, meaning you will see the changes as you make
the change; examples include Flag, File, ID. Others, such as waveform and
background, can only be seen once the change is made and you return to the
screen.
Note: the TKG250 will not allow the superimposition of two simultaneous colors.
To change a color, Press Menu/OK, scroll to Display, press Menu/OK, choose the
item to change the color on using the up and down arrows, then use the left or
right arrow to toggle through the color choices of:
Red, green, blue, yellow, white, black, grey, light grey. By varying the colors, you
can optimize ease of visibility and improve contrast. The Wave is readable in
direct sunlight as well as in-doors. It is highly recommended to use the back light
set to on or auto when using the wave indoors. You can not make two colors be
the same and the Wave will prompt you with a message such as wave and
background not allowed and the gauge will move to the next available color.
Using the Clock
The TKG250 has an internal real-time clock that includes the year, month, day and time.
From the Initial Setup screen press menu/OK and scroll to clock and press Menu/OK.
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