Itm Mark-10 Series 3 User Manual
Series 3
DIGITAL FORCE GAUGES
User’s Guide
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Series 3 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide
1
Thank you…
Thank you for purchasing a Mark-10 Series 3 digital force gauge, designed for
tension and compression force testing applications from 0.12 lbF to 500 lbF
(0.5 N to 2,500 N) full scale. The Series 3 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. Mark-10 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 3 force gauge should be fully trained i n
appropriate operation and safety procedures.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW .........................................................2
POWER ...............................................................3
SETUP ................................................................4
HOME SCREEN AND CONTROLS ...................5
OPERATING MODES .........................................7
CHANGING THE UNITS .....................................7
DIGITAL FILTERS ..............................................7
SET POINT INDICATORS ..................................8
COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTPUTS ...............9
CALIBRATION ................................................ 10
OTHER SETTINGS .......................................... 14
SPECIFICATIONS ........................................... 17
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Series 3 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide
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Qty.
Part No.
Description
M3-012 –
M3-20
M3-50 –
M3-100
M3-200 –
M3-500
1
12-1049
12-1049
12-1049
Carrying Case
1
AC1030 /
AC1032
AC1030 /
AC1032
AC1030 /
AC1032
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, user’s guides,
software, User’s Guide)
1 OVERVIEW
1.1 List of included items
AC1031 /
1.2 Safety / Proper Usag e
AC1031 /
AC1031 /
MESUR Lite software, MESURgauge DEMO
Caution!
Note the force gauge’s capacity before use and ensure that the capacity is not exceeded.
Producing a force greater than 200% of the gauge’s capacity can damage the internal load cell. An
overload can occur whether the gau g e is powered on or off.
Typical materials suitable for testing 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 operation:
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
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Series 3 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide
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USB connector
Power input jack
accumulate in the sample during test ing. 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 the
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 supplied or instrument damage may occur.
If the AC adapter is plugged in, an 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 five-step process:
1. When battery life is greater than 75%, the following indicator is present:
2. When battery life is between 50% and 75%, the following indicator is present:
3. When battery life is between 25% and 50%, the following indicator is present:
4. When battery life is less than 25%, the following indicator is present:
5. When battery life drops to approximately 2%, the indic a tor from step 4 will be flashing.
Several minutes after (timing depends on usage and whether the backlight is turned on or
off), a message appears, “BATTERY VOLTAGE TOO LOW. POWERING OFF”. An audio
tone 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, it can be accessed by separating the two halves of the gauge. Refer
to the Mechanical Setup section for details.
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3 SETUP
3.1 Mechanical Setup
3.1.1 Loading shaft orientation
In order to accomm odate a variet y of testin g requ irem ents, th e orienta tion of the loading s haf t ma y be set
up in either of the two positions s hown belo w. In order to change the load ing shaf t orientation, l oosen the
two captive screws on the bac k side of t he h ousing, separat e t he t wo hous ing h alves , rota te one half 180
degrees, and reassem ble. Exerc ise care when re assem bling the two ha lves of the housing, ensuring that
internal wires do not interfere.
Load cell shaft up Load cell shaft down
3.1.2 Mounting to a plate
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 Mark-10 test stands include a dowel pin and clearance holes
for the four threaded holes located near the corners of the housing. An additional two holes are supplied
for metric screws. 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
for load bearing purposes. Failure to use a dowel pin properly can result in a hazardous situation.
3.1.3 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. 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 Mark-10, 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.
be used
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Series 3 Digital Force Gauges User’s Guide
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No.
Name
Description
1
Tension /
These indicators are used throughout the display and menu.
2
Peaks
The measured compression and tension readings. These readings are reset
by pressing ZERO or by powering the gauge off and on.
3
Primary reading
The current displayed force reading. See Operating Modes section for
details.
4
Load bar
Analog indicator to help identif y when an overlo ad condit ion is imm inent. T he
details.
5
Units
The current unit of measurement. Abbreviations are as follows:
1
2
3
4 5 6
7 8 9
3.2 Installing the USB driver
If communicating via USB, install the USB driver provided on the Resource CD. Installation instructions
may also be found on the CD or may be downloaded from
www.mark-10.com.
Caution!
Install the USB driver before physically connecting the gauge to a PC with the USB cable.
Further instructions for configuring and using the gauge’s outputs are provided in the Communications
and Outputs section.
4 HOME SCREEN AND CONTROLS
4.1 Home Screen
compression
indicator
- indicates a compression (push) direction
- indicates a tension (pull) direction
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
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