Triplett CTT47 User Manual

User Manual

CTT47

Coating Thickness Tester

Introduction

Thank you for selecting the Triplett CTT47 Coating Thickness Tester.
The CTT47 is a portable meter designed for non‐invasive coating
thickness measurements with automatic recognition of the substrate
material under test.

The meter uses two measurement methods: magnetic induction (for

ferrous metal substrates) and eddy current (for non‐ferrous metal

substrates).
The CTT47 meter can connect to a PC via USB and transmit recorded

data for further analysis and for generating report documentation.
Proper use and care of this meter will provide many years of reliable

service.

Features

Applications

 Measured Coatings: Non‐magnetic coatings (e.g. paint,

zinc) on steel; Insulated Coatings (e.g. paint, anodized
coatings) on non‐ferrous metals

 Intuitive menu‐based programming
 Memory storage of up to 1500 readings in 30 groups (50

readings per group)

 Delete single readings or all groups easily
 Auto Power OFF with disable feature
 Data transfer to PC via USB
 User Zero Calibration ability

 Corrosion protection
 Paint Shops and Electroplaters
 Chemical, Automobile, Shipbuilding, and Aircraft

industries Laboratory, Workshop, and Field use

Probe Description

The CTT47 probe is spring mounted in the sensor sleeve. This ensures
safe and stable positioning of the probe and ensures constant contact
pressure.

A V‐groove in the sleeve of the probe facilitates reliable readings on
small cylindrical parts. The hemispherical tip of the probe is made of
hard and durable material.

Measuring metallic coatings

This meter can measure non‐magnetic metal coatings (Zinc) on a
magnetic (ferrous) substance base, and non‐metal coatings on a
metal base (ferrous or non‐ferrous).

Description

Meter Description

1. LCD display

2. Power and Select button

3. Up arrow

4. Zero Button

5. Micro USB Connector

6. Back Button

7. Down Arrow

8. Sensor

Note: Battery compartment on rear of meter

Display Description

1. Data record memory group

number

2. Record Number in current

memory group

3. Battery status icon

4. Measurement units: µm or

mils

5. DEL (Delete): Press the back ( ) button to delete the

previous reading

6. Metal type (FE=ferrous, NFE=non‐ferrous)

7. Automatic (Auto) metal detect mode

Operation

Meter Power

Install two ‘AAA’ 1.5 V batteries into the rear battery compartment.
Press the power button to switch the meter ON. The display will
switch ON. If the display does not switch ON, install or replace the
batteries. When powering up, please keep the meter at least 10cm
(4”) from metal objects. Replace the batteries when the battery
status icon appears low, the meter will give inaccurate readings if the
battery voltage falls very low.

Measurements

Before each measurement session please perform a Zero Calibration
as described later in this User Guide.

Practice with the film and zero reference metal substrates to learn how
the meter operates before moving to a professional application. The
heavier metal substrate is the ferrous (magnetic) zero substrate (Fe)
and the lighter metal substrate (Al) is the non‐ferrous (non‐ magnetic)
zero substrate. In Auto mode, the meter automatically senses ferrous
and non‐ferrous substrates.

1. Place a reference film (250µm, for example) on the ferrous

substrate (FE).

2. Power the meter on by pressing the power button.

3. Place the spring‐loaded meter sensor against the reference film.

4. The meter will emit an audible tone indicating that the

measurement has been taken.

5. The LCD will show the reading at the center of the display area.

6. For a typical display see the Display description diagram.

Automatic Power OFF

In order to conserve battery life, the meter will automatically turn off
after approximately 3 minutes. To defeat this feature, use the
programming menu detailed in the next section (menu parameter
AUTO POWER OFF under SET).

Programming Menu

Top level

Sub level 1

Sub level 2

Description

WORKING
MODE

Group 1…30

Shows Memory Groups and
the number

of readings in each group

(Group 0 has no memory)

MEASURE
MODE

NFE, FE, Auto*

Non‐Ferrous, Ferrous, or
Auto

(Automatic) Metal selection

SET

Unit settings

µm*

Micrometers

mil

Mils = mm * 2.54 / 100

Backlight

Increase/decrease backlight using up/down
arrows

Auto Power
OFF

Enable*

Allows Auto Power OFF

Disable

Defeats Auto Power OFF
feature

Contrast

Increase/decrease contrast using up/down
arrows

The meter can be configured and calibrated through simple button
presses in the programming menu.

 Press the SEL button to access the menu; refer to the menu

‘tree’ below.

 Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll the menu
 Use the SEL button to select the highlighted mode
 Use the ( ) button to exit or back out of a mode
 Other button presses are mode specific, follow on‐screen

prompts explained below.

In the table below the factory default settings are in bold with an
asterisk (*).
Each parameter is explained in detail in the subsequent sections.

Info

Shows firmware version number and model
number

MEASURE
VIEW

View or delete stored data in all groups or selected groups

CALIBRATION

CAL Zero of FE

Perform FE Zero Calibration (refer to
Calibration section)

CAL Zero of
NFE

Perform NFE Zero Calibration (refer to
Calibration section)

Delete Zero of
FE

Delete FE Zero Calibration data

Delete Zero of
NFE

Delete NFE Zero Calibration data

NOTE: Disable the Auto Power OFF feature before lengthy programming to
avoid inconvenient automatic power down while programming.

WORKING MODE

1. Press the LEFT button (SEL) to access the menu.

2. Scroll to WORKING MODE (if necessary) using up/down buttons.

3. Press the LEFT button (SELECT) to open WORKING MODE.

4. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to scroll through the groups and to

see the number of saved readings in each group. Group 0 does not
have memory.

5. Press the LEFT button (SELECT) to select the group and exit Working

mode and return to the main menu or press the RIGHT button ( )
twice to return to the normal operating mode.

MEASURE MODE

1. Press the LEFT button (SEL) to access the programming menu

2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll to the Measure Mode

3. Press the LEFT button (SELECT) to select the Measure Mode

4. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to

scroll to Auto, FE, or NFE. Press
the LEFT button (SELECT) to
make a selection.

AUTO mode ‐ the meter automatically recognizes the
metal that is being measured. Ferrous (FE) Mode ‐ the
Magnetic induction measurement mode is used. Non‐
Ferrous (NFE) Mode ‐ the eddy current measurement
mode is used.

5. Press the RIGHT button ( ) to return to the normal operating

mode.

SET

1. Press the LEFT button (SEL) to access the menu.

2. Use the UP/DOWN arrows to scroll to SET.

3. Press the LEFT button (SELECT) to open the SET menu.

4. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to scroll through the selections.

5. Press the Left button (SELECT) to open the selected item.

a. Units of measure selections

Select µm or mil using the arrow buttons (µm = micrometers;
mils). Press the LEFT button (SELECT) button to confirm and
to return to the SET menu (otherwise press the right button (

) to abort the edit and return to the SET menu).

b. Backlight

Use the UP and DOWN arrows to adjust the
brightness of the backlight. Press the RIGHT

button ( ) to confirm and return to the SET
menu.

c. Auto Power OFF

Select ENABLE or DISABLE using the arrow buttons. When
enabled, the meter automatically switches OFF after 3
minutes of inactivity. When disabled, the meter will only
switch OFF with a power button press or when the battery
power is weak.

Press the LEFT button (SELECT) button to confirm and to
return to the SET menu (otherwise press the right button ( )

to abort the edit and return to the SET menu).

d. Contrast

Use the UP and DOWN arrows to adjust the
display contrast up or down. Press the LEFT button
(OK) button to confirm and to return to the SET
menu

(otherwise press the right button ( ) to abort the edit and
return to the SET menu).

e. Info

The model number and firmware version level are displayed.
Press the right button ( ) to exit to the SET menu.

MEASURE VIEW

The Measure View menu allows for scrolling through the readings in all
of the groups.
Readings can be viewed or deleted in this mode.

1. Press the LEFT button (SEL) to access the main menu.

2. Use the DOWN ARROW button to scroll down to MEASURE VIEW.

3. Press LEFT (SELECT) to open the MEASURE VIEW parameter.

4. Use the UP/DOWN ARROW buttons to scroll through the groups of

stored readings.

5. When a group is highlighted that contains stored readings, use the

LEFT (SELECT) button to open the readings list. Now use the
UP/DOWN arrows to view the readings. Press the LEFT button
(Delete Group) to delete all readings in this Group or press the

RIGHT button ( ) to return to the main Group list.

6. Highlight ‘Delete All’ and press the LEFT button (SELECT) to

delete all of the readings in all groups. Otherwise press the
RIGHT button ( ) to return to the previous menu.

CALIBRATION

The Calibration menu allows the user to perform a Ferrous (Zero FE) or
non‐ferrous (Zero NFE) ZERO Calibration. The Calibration menu also
allows the user to delete ZERO calibration data for both ferrous (Zero
F) and non‐ferrous (Zero N) modes.

1. Press the LEFT button (SEL) to access the main menu.

2. Use the DOWN button to scroll to CALIBRATION.

3. Press LEFT (SELECT) to open the CALIBRATION parameter.

4. To perform a ZERO Calibration, refer to Zero Calibration in the next

section.

5. To delete ZERO Calibration data, scroll to DEL Zero of FE or DEL

Zero of NFE and then press the LEFT button (SELECT). This
executes the Zero delete function and returns the meter to the
SET menu.

6. Press the RIGHT button ( ) to return to the normal operating

mode.

Reference Film Accuracy Verification

1. The CTT47 meter comes with a set of reference films to

check the measurement accuracy of the meter.

2. The base materials are Ferrous (Steel) and the Non‐Ferrous

(Aluminum).

3. Turn on the meter 1 meter away from any material.

4. Set the Measure Mode to FE, NFE, or Auto.

5. Perform a Zero calibration on the base material of your choice.

6. Place a thickness film on the base and make a measurement.

7. Refer to the accuracy specifications to validate the accuracy of

the meter.

ZERO Calibration

Preparing for ZERO Calibration

* Clean the probe tip and the substrate (grease, oil, metal scraps.

The slightest impurity will affect measurement and will distort
readings.

* Switch the meter ON at a 10 cm (4”) minimum distance from any

Zero Calibration

metal.

* Set the meter to the correct substrate type, FE or NFE.
* The meter is now ready for calibration.

ZERO Calibration from the Programming Mode

1. From the normal measurement mode, press the LEFT button

(SEL) to access the menu.

2. Use the UP/DOWN button to scroll to CALIBRATION mode.

3. Press LEFT (SELECT) to open the CALIBRATION parameter.

4. Scroll to ‘CAL ZERO OF FE’ or ‘CAL ZERO OF NFE’

5. Press the LEFT button (SELECT) and ‘FE CAL’ or ‘NFE CAL’

should be displayed on the LCD’s lower level.

6. Press the sensor against the FE or NFE zero reference substrate

and wait for the beep.

7. Press the LEFT button (OK) to accept the calibration value

or press the RIGHT button (CANCEL) to abort the
calibration.

8. If the meter did not read 0.0 you can try again or “Set” the

Zero reference by pressing and holding the ZERO button
until the meter beeps.

9. When the Zero calibration is complete, the meter is ready to

make measurements.

Note that the user can delete ZERO Calibration data by
selecting ‘Del ZERO of FE’ or ‘Del ZERO of NFE’ from the
CALIBRATION mode in the Programming menu.

ZERO Calibration – Relative Mode

1. This mode can be used to set a zero point on reference

Record Readings in Memory Groups

The CTT47 offers 30 memory storage groups, Group ‘0’ through ‘30’.
Group ‘0’ does not allow data to be stored; it is simply a group that can

be selected if readings are to be taken without being stored.
From the Normal measurement mode, Use the UP/DOWN arrow

keys to scroll to a particular group. When a reading is taken it is
automatically stored in the selected group.

Each Group can store up to 50 readings (for a total of 1500 for the 30
groups).

To delete all groups, or an individual group, use the MEASURE VIEW
mode as explained in the programming menu section of this User
Guide.

In GROUP mode, if the storage capacity is exceeded. The meter will
display (50) in the upper right corner and will beep twice.

substrate or on a known thickness of material.
For a relative measurement, any thickness greater or lesser will
be referenced to this set value.

2. Press the sensor against the FE or NFE zero reference

substrate or on a known thickness value of material.

3. Press and hold the ZERO button until it beeps to set the relative

zero calibration to 0.0.

SOFTWARE

This meter is capable of storing data and can download that data to a PC
through the supplied Windows© compatible software and micro‐USB
cable. To install and use the software, please go to: Download Triplett

Product Software — Triplett — Triplett Test Equipment & Tools

The instructions are provided in the HELP Utility within the software
program.

Error Messages

The following error messages will appear on the meter’s LCD if a
problem arises.

Err1 Magnetic induction probe (FE) error
Err2 Eddy current probe (NFE) error
Err3 Both probes ‐ Eddy current and Magnetic induction

errors
Err4 Magnetic induction probe (FE) fault
Err5 Eddy current probe (NFE) fault

Please contact Triplett Instruments if a problem exists.

Maintenance

Cleaning and Storage

Periodically wipe the meter housing with a damp cloth and mild
detergent; do not use abrasives or solvents. If the meter is not to be
used for 60 days or more, remove the batteries and store them
separately.

Battery Replacement/Installation instructions

1. Open the rear battery door

2. Replace/install the two 1.5V ‘AAA’ batteries observing proper

polarity

3. Secure the battery compartment

Never dispose of used batteries or rechargeable
batteries in household waste. As consumers, users are
legally required to take used batteries to appropriate
collection sites, the retail store where the batteries

Disposal: Do not dispose of this instrument in household waste. The
user is obligated to take end‐of‐life devices to a designated collection
point for the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment

were purchased, or wherever batteries are sold.

Specifications

Ferrous

Non‐Ferrous

Measurement
principle

Magnetic induction

Eddy current principle

Measuring range

0~1350μm

0~1350μm

0~53.1mils

0~53.1mils

Accuracy

1

0~1000μm: ± (2.5% +
2μm)

0~1000μm: ± (2.5% + 2μm)

(% of reading)

1000μm ~1350μm:
(±3.5%)

1000μm ~1350μm: (±3.5%)

0~39.3mils: ± (2% +

0.08mils)

0~39.3mils: ± (2% + 0.08mils)

39.3mils ~53.1mils:
(±3.5%)

39.3mils ~53.1mils: (±3.5%)

Resolution

0~100μm: (0.1μm)

0~100μm: (0.1μm)

100μm ~1000μm: (1μm)

100μm ~1000μm: (1μm)

1000μm ~1350μm:
(0.01mm)

1000μm ~1350μm: (0.01mm)

0~10mils: (0.01mils)

0~10mils: (0.01mils)

10mils~53.1mil:s
(0.1mils)

10mils~53.1mils: (0.1mils)

Min. curvature
radius

59.06mils (1.5mm)

118.1mils (3mm)

Diameter of Min.
area

275.6mils (7mm)

196.9mils (5mm)

Basic critical
thickness

19.69mils (0.5mm)

11.81mils (0.3mm)

Industrial standards

Conforms to GB/T 4956‐1985, GB/T 4957‐1985, JB/T 8393‐
1996, JJG

889‐95, and JJG 818‐93

Operating
Temperature

0°C~40°C (32°F~104°F)

Operating Relative

20%~90% Relative
Humidity

Humidity (R.H.)

Power

2 x AAA batteries with Auto Power OFF after 3 minutes

Dimensions

120 x 62 x 32 mm (4.7 x 2.4 x 1.25”)

Weight

175g (6.17 oz.)

1

Accuracy note: Accuracy statement applies to use on a flat surface,
with a zero calibration performed and with the meter stabilized at
ambient temperature. The accuracy of the reference films or any
reference standards should be added to measurement results.

Warranty

Triplett / Jewell Instruments extends the following warranty to the original purchaser of
these goods for use. Triplett warrants to the original purchaser for use that the products
sold by it will be free from defects in workmanship and material for a period of (1) one
year from the date of purchase. This warranty does not apply to any of our products
which have been repaired or altered by unauthorized persons in any way or purchased
from unauthorized distributors so as, in our sole judgment, to injure their stability or
reliability, or which have been subject to misuse, abuse, misapplication, negligence,
accident or which have had the serial numbers altered, defaced, or removed.
Accessories, including batteries are not covered by this warranty

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