Grease Thief Colorimeter User Manual

Grease Thief - COLORIMETER

MRG Labs

USER MANUAL

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Table of Contents

Set Up Procedures

Check Spacer Stack 3
Taring Arbor Press 3
Final Press Checks 5
iPad Setup 6
iPad Email/Mail Account 6

Sampling Procedures
RGB Values and CIE L*a.b. Values 7
Getting Started 7
Sampling Grease Overview 8

Nix Pro Sensor Application
Sampling with Nix Pro Sensor App 10
Two Grease Comparison with Nix Pro Sensor App 14
Exporting Data with Nix Pro Sensor App 17

Nix Quality Control Application
Sampling with Nix Quality Control App 21
Editing Graphical Thresholds with Nix Quality Control App 27
Exporting Data with Nix Quality Control App 28

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Set Up Procedures

Check Spacer Stack
Carefully check and wipe clean each Spacer then place all four together as a stack. Using a Dial
Indicator, verify the total stack thickness within 0.948” ± 0.002”; if the stack fails this check,
contact MRG Labs for to schedule reconditioning or obtain replacement spacers if necessary.

Taring Arbor Press
The arbor press is designed to compress the grease to various thicknesses (0.035”, 0.010”, and

0.005”). Spacer A is the thickest and used to zero out the distance between the press with foil
applied and the flat adapter.

Remove all Spacers (A, B, C, D) from colorimeter base. Feel for presence of debris, grit, or other
interferences to flatness of base, including dents and/or dings on the metal surface. Wipe clean
with clean hands. Check and wipe clean Spacer A and carefully lower Spacer A onto the
colorimeter base with the short side aligned to the arbor press tower.

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Place a Flat Adapter into the optical channel hole on the GT Colorimeter Sensor and firmly seat
the adapter. If necessary, clean the flat adapter window of any debris and/or smudges. Place the
GT Colorimeter Sensor, with the Flat Adapter facing up, under the arbor press. The sensor
should nest between the three pins and sit flat on Spacer A. Power connection should be facing
either to the left or right side of the unit. Remove one circle of disposable foil and affix flatly
and smoothly to the flat piston press end.

Holding the blue lever housing securely, loosen both cap screws with an allen-wrench and lower
the foil covered press end into contact with the Flat adapter. With foil in contact with the Flat
Adapter window, pull the press lever down as far as it will go, as this will raise the blue housing
to the appropriate height. Moving the press lever downward as far as it will go is called the full­travel limit of the arbor press.

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While holding the lever securely in this full-travel limit position, snug each cap screw and then
alternate increasing the torque on each screw until they are both firmly seated to secure the blue
lever housing.

Final Press Checks
Install and zero the dial indicator in the hole in the top of the ram arm. Verify that at full-travel
limit that the dial indicator deflection is less than 0.001”. Place the smallest feeler gauge

(0.0015”) between the foil and the Flat Adapter window. Verify a deflection between 0.0005”

and 0.003” on the dial indicator.

Remove the GT Colorimeter Sensor and Spacer A from base of the press. Handle all Spacers
carefully and ensure Spacers are in protective holders if not in use. Check and wipe clean Spacer
D and carefully slide onto base. Place GT Colorimeter Sensor with Flat Adapter facing up on
top of the Spacer.

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iPad Setup
If not using a smart-phone, the supplied iPad will be used. Charge the iPad prior to setup with the
charging cable to a USB or wall outlet supplied power source. To access the application store
for downloads of the required applications an Apple ID will need to be created for this iPad.
Refer to the website https://support.apple.com/apple-id for login and password support.

Select appropriate Language, Region, and connect to a Wi-Fi Network. Do not set up the Touch

ID as this may lock out other users. On the Passcode screen select “Passcode Options” and
“Don’t Use Passcode”. Set Up as New iPad. Enter appropriate personal or business

information. Select security question/answers. Enter the app store and search “Nix color” to find
the NIX Pro Color Sensor and NIX Quality Control applications. When first downloading any
application, the iPad will prompt to further fill out additional business information to complete
the log in process. Once log in is finalized, access the App Store to download Nix Pro Color
Sensor and Nix Quality Control applications to the iPad.

iPad Email/Mail Accounts
To first setup an iPad email, select the Mail icon on the iPad. From the list, select the email
hosting options and enter the email information and select Next. To create an email, select
iCloud from the list and on the spot create an email/password for the iPad.

To add an email address to the iPad, first select the Setting icon. Select Mail, Contacts,
Calendars. Select Add Account, and finally select Other. Enter the information for the
additional email address along with Name, Address, Password, and Description. Select Save to
finish the process.

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Sampling Procedure

RGB Values and CIE L*a.b. Values
Nix Pro Color Sensor and Nix Quality Control applications are used to determine the RGB
Values and the CIE L*a.b. Values of grease references and samples. These values calculate the
Delta-E2000 for difference in color-space and Delta-E2000 may be used as a go/no-go
depending on need.

For a proper threshold of data and accurate RGB and CIELAB values, at least one RGB color
value must be greater than 100. If not achieved with Spacer D (0.035”), continue sampling with
Spacer C (0.010”) and then subsequently Spacer B, should Spacer C also not return an RGB
color value above 100. This action closes the gap between the press and the window, thinning
the grease sample. Thinner grease allows for more light to reflect back to the sensor and more
accurately indicate the grease’s color.

Getting Started
Prior to sampling, ensure the Nix Pro Color Sensor and Nix Quality Control applications are
downloaded to the iPad or smart-phone or other device via the correspoding app store. The
device must be set up prior to download. For instructions on setting up the supplied iPad, refer
to section iPad Setup for details. For specific use of Nix Pro Color Sensor and Nix Quality
Control applications, refer to their respective sections, or for additional information visit

https://www.nixsensor.com/.

Ensure Spacer D (0.035”) is installed under the Sensor with the D etching opposite from the
arbor press tower. Apply grease to the Flat Adapter window and press grease flat with arbor
press lever. Release lever slowly and ensure grease has fully coated the window portion of the
Flat Adapter – add more grease if needed.

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Sampling Grease Overview
Apply grease sample to cover center window of sensor.

To sample grease at first spacer, Spacer D (0.035”), pull arbor press lever to its full-travel limit
to press the grease to the corresponding thinness. .

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Use the lever to lift the column press and ensure the grease imprint is covering the entire sensor
window. If necessary, apply additional sample grease and press again to ensure full coverage.
With the press at full-travel limit and with proper sensor window coverage, select Scan with Nix
Pro on the app screen. Once data shows in phone app, secure the sensor wit a free hand and
slowly release the lever. Refer to each applications section for more specific details.

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