Elcometer 121. Paint Inspection Gauge

Transcription

1 English Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge Operating Instructions

2 English The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge has been tested in accordance with EU regulations governing Electromagnetic compliance and it meets the required directives. is a registered trademark of Elcometer Instruments Ltd. All other trademarks acknowledged. Copyright Elcometer Instruments Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this Document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored (in a retrieval system or otherwise) or translated into any language, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Elcometer Instruments Ltd. Doc No. TMA 0139 Issue 04 Text with Cover No. 4285

3 CONTENTS Section Page 1 About your gauge Standards What the box contains Getting started The parts of your gauge Fitting a cutter Fitting the battery Taking a measurement Maintenance Technical specification Spares Related equipment

4 T hank you for your purchase of this Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge. Welcome to Elcometer. Elcometer are world leaders in the design, manufacture and supply of inspection equipment for coatings and concrete. Our products cover all aspects of coating inspection, from development through application to post application inspection. The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge is a world beating product. With the purchase of this product you now have access to the worldwide service and support network of Elcometer. For more information visit our website at 1 ABOUT YOUR GAUGE Destructive thickness measurement is the only method available to test certain coating/ substrate combinations, such as paint applied to concrete, wood or plaster, and for testing single coat thicknesses in a multi-coat application. The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge offers a quick, versatile method of coating examination and measurement in a portable, easy-to-use gauge. The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge uses a principle of basic trigonometry. A cut is made at a known angle by the gauge 2

5 cutter. The coating thickness is then determined from the width of the cut which is measured using the graticule scale in an illuminated microscope. The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge measures total film thicknesses as well as individual layers in a multi-coat system, when the colour or texture of the underlying coats is identifiable. Paint film thickness can be measured on all substrates including steel, wood, plastic and concrete. Additionally, microscopic examination for craters, small blisters, pores, cracks, scaling, adhesion, flexibility, adhesion of separate coats to each other and substrate cleanliness can be carried out. Elasticity of the coating, cleanliness of the substrate and adhesion of individual coats can be assessed from the appearance of the cut. To maximise the benefits of your Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge please take some time to read these Operating Instructions. Do not hesitate to contact Elcometer or your Elcometer supplier if you have any questions. 3

6 1.1 Standards The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge can be used in accordance with the following National and International Standards: ASTM D 4138 BS EN 3900-CS-5B ISO B 1.2 What the box contains Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge 3 x Cutters (one fitted in the gauge) Black marker pen Carrying Case Operating Instructions 4

7 2 GETTING STARTED 2.1 The parts of your gauge Cutter clamping screw 2. Cutter 3. Light switch and battery panel 4. Microscope 5. Light guide Figure 1. Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge 5

8 2.2 Fitting a cutter 1. Loosen the cutter clamping screw (Figure 1) and remove the cutter. 2. Replace the cutter with its highest point facing the two round pins that form the feet. The highest point of the cutter must protrude from the gauge by the same amount as the two feet. 3. Tighten the cutter clamping screw. 2.3 Fitting the battery Your gauge uses one 9 V battery a. 1. Unscrew battery panel retaining screw (Figure 2). 2. Remove battery panel. 3. Push battery onto clips ensuring correct polarity. 4. Replace battery panel and retaining screw. 5. Press the light switch to check for correct operation. a. When exhausted, the battery must be disposed of carefully to avoid environmental contamination. Please consult your local Environmental Authority for information on disposal in your region. Do not dispose of any batteries in fire. 6

9 1 2 3 Figure 2. Fitting the battery 7

10 3 TAKING A MEASUREMENT 1. Mark the surface to be tested with a stroke of the black marker pen provided with your gauge. There should always be a distinct contrast between the colour of the pen ink and the coating. Different pen ink colours may therefore be required. 2. Cut the coating at right-angles to the pen mark: Place the gauge on the specimen as shown (Figure 3). Pull the gauge in the direction shown by drawing the gauge towards you and applying a little pressure. Figure 3. Cut coating across pen mark Slight pressure is normally sufficient to penetrate through to the substrate. Heavier pressure may be required for very thick coatings and very hard surfaces. 3. Position the gauge so that the microscope lens is over the cut with the 8

11 feet touching the surface as shown (Figure 4). Figure 4. Measure scratch 4. Press and hold the light switch to illuminate the cut. 5. Focus the microscope; gently pull or push the microscope barrel from the body of the gauge until the cut is clearly visible. 6. Focus the graticule; rotate the eyepiece until the graticule is clearly visible. 7. Align the graticule scale at right-angles to the cut so that the scale divisions are parallel to the cut. Note that one side of the cut will have a straight edge and the other side is likely to be ragged - see Figure 5. 9

12 8. Measure the width of the cut coating (or coatings) by counting the number of graticule divisions (Figure 5). Count number of graticule divisions Coating (uncut) Exposed substrate Pen mark Cut coating Figure 5. Typical view through microscope 10

13 9. To convert the width of the cut coating into coating thickness, multiply the number of graticule divisions by the factor given below: Multiplication factor Cutter No. microns mils In the example given in Figure 5, with a No. 6 cutter, the coating thickness is: 34 divisions x 2 = 68 microns 34 divisions x 0.08 = 2.7 mils Multi-layer coatings: The thickness of individual layers can be calculated by measuring each layer (Figure 6) Figure 6. Typical multi-layer coating 11

14 4 MAINTENANCE Your Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge is designed to give many years reliable service under normal operating and storage conditions. The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge does not contain any user-serviceable components. In the unlikely event of a fault, the gauge should be returned to your Elcometer supplier or directly to Elcometer. Details of Elcometer offices around the world are given on the outside cover of these operating instructions. Alternatively, visit the Elcometer website, 5 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 5.1 Physical Scale Range: 2mm (0.08") (maximum) Dimensions: 110 x 85 x 25 mm (4.3" x 3.4" x 1") Material: Aluminium Microscope: 50 x magnification Weight: 610 g (1 lb 5 oz) (incl. cutting tips, marker pen, carrying case and operating instructions) 12

15 5.2 Cutters This gauge is supplied with three tungsten carbide cutters; Nos. 1, 4 and 6. The No. 6 cutter is fitted to your gauge at the time of dispatch from the Elcometer factory. Cutter No. Resolution of graticule (microns) Maximum Cutting thickness angle (microns) (degrees) Carrying Case Material: Tan leather Case Dimensions: 148 x 125 x 42 mm (5.8" x 4.9" x 1.6") 5.4 Power supply Type: Internal battery, 9 V Battery type: PP3/6LR61/MN Packaging The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge is packed in a cardboard and foam package. Please ensure that this packaging is disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner. Consult your local Environmental Authority for further guidance. 13

16 6 SPARES The Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge is complete with all the items required to get started and take measurements, however over the life of the kit replacements may be required The following items are available from Elcometer, or your local supplier. Cutter No. 1 T Cutter No. 4 T Cutter No. 6 T RELATED EQUIPMENT In addition to the Elcometer 121 Paint Inspection Gauge, Elcometer produces a wide range of other equipment for testing and measuring the characteristics of coatings. Users of the Elcometer 121 may also benefit from the following Elcometer products: Elcometer 157 Coating Thickness Gauge Elcometer 195 Säberg Drill Elcometer 456 Coating Thickness Gauge Elcometer Coating Adhesion Testers For further information contact Elcometer, your local supplier or visit our website at 14