Altana BYK byko-test User manual

byko-test
Film Thickness Gage
Measure what you see.
Manual

BYK-Gardner GmbH
Lausitzer Str. 8
D-82538 Geretsried
Germany
Tel. 0-800-gardner
(0-800-4273637)
[phone]
Fax [phone]
BYK - Gardner USA
9104 Guilford Road
Columbia, MD 21046
USA
Phone [phone]
301-483-6500
Fax [phone]
301-483-6555
byko-test
Film Thickness Gage
www.byk-instruments.com
November 2019
Manual

4
Tabe of Contents
1 Safety Information .............................................................................05
2 Preparations ........................................................................................06
3 System Description .............................................................................07
4 Set Up ..................................................................................................08
5 Operation ............................................................................................14
6 Maintenance and Repair ....................................................................15
7 Technical Data .....................................................................................16

5
1 Safety Information
CAUTION!
Read Instruction Manual before using this instrument.
WARNING!
This manual cannot address all of the safety considerations
associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user to
consult this manual and establish appropriate safety practices
for use with this equipment and the individual material being
tested.
WARNING!
The byko-test Film Thickness Gage is designed and intended for
the use described in this manual. Using the Film Thickness Gage
for other purposes for which it was not designed may reduce
or eliminate the protection offered by the features of the
instrument. Serious injury may result.
WARNING!
Ultimate disposal of this product should be handled according
to all national laws and regulations.
Please note the following points:
• Familiarize yourself with the layout and
operation of the controls.
!
!
!
!

6
2 Preparations
Unpack the unit being careful to check all packaging for items. Some
accessories required for specific tests may be found in a separate box
within the main box. Within the package are the following standard
items:
Quantity Description
1 byko-test Film Thickness Gage
2 AA alkaline batteries
1 Wrist strap
1 Fe zero plate
1 NFe zero plate
5 Plastic calibration shims
1 USB Cable
1 byko-test Connect software
To install the batteries, remove the battery cover using a #1
Philips screwdriver. Install the batteries taking note of the + and –
indications inside the battery compartment. Reinstall the cover and
tighten the screw. The instrument is powered by 2 AA size alkaline
batteries. Rechargeable batteries may be used but do not mix battery
types.
Power on the unit using the Menu/Power   button.
The battery cover screw is near
the bottom of the cover

7
3 System Description
The byko-test Film Thickness Gage is a small, hand-held instrument
used for measuring the thickness of coatings on metallic substrates. It
is powered by 2 AA size alkaline batteries.
A ruby tipped probe is at the bottom of the instrument. It is spring-
loaded and takes a reading every time it is placed on a sample.
Four buttons on the front control all of the functions.
They are Menu/Power  , Enter , Up , Down 
On the left side is a USB port that allows downloading of data to an
external device. No battery charging provision has been made and
the USB port will not power the instrument.
The sides are made from a soft-textured material to aid the user in
holding the instrument.
Small slots in the rear allow air to enter the unit to measure the air
temperature and humidity for display of those parameters along with
dew point if desired
A full-color TFT screen is used
to display the measurement,
statistics, and environmental
information as selected by the
user.
Battery power is indicated in
the upper right corner of the
screen. The dark line indicates
power remaining.

8
4 Set Up
The byko-test is customizable for your needs through an easy-to-
use menu system. Familiarize yourself with the menu prior to use so
you may get the maximum benefit from the features and options
available. Power on the instrument by pushing the Menu/Power
  button.
Each button has multiple functions which depend on the current mode.
The Menu/Power   button:
- Pressing once turns on the power.
- Holding for 3 seconds turns the power off.
- Once the power is on, pressing brings up the menu.
- Within the menu, pressing brings you back one level.
The Enter button:
- Within a menu item, pressing selects that item.
- In measurement mode, pressing deletes the last reading.
The Up button:
- Within the menus, pressing moves the selection area up.
- Within a number selection screen, pressing moves the number up.
- In measurement mode, pressing displays the next reading in an
average set.
The Down button:
- Within the menus, pressing moves the selection area down.
- Within a number selection screen, pressing moves the number down.
- In measurement mode, pressing displays the previous reading in an
average set.
Up
Menu /
Power
Down
Enter

9
4 Set Up
BUTTON DISABLE FUNCTION:
- The buttons may be disabled to allow the instrument to be used
in tight quarters or fast moving situations without concern of
accidentally deleting a reading.
- Press both the Menu/Power   and Down buttons for more
than 5 seconds.
- A Lock icon will appear in the upper right corner of the screen
next to the battery icon.
- Now short presses of the buttons will not be recognized, the
normal functionality of the buttons may be restored by pressing
both the Menu/Power   and Down buttons for more than 5
seconds.
- Power off may be accomplished by a long press of the Menu/Power
  button.
SCREEN LAYOUT:
Material Type
Measurement
Scale
Stability or Continuous
reading mode
Statistics
Temperature
Keypad Lock
Battery Level
Statistical group count
Humidity or Dew Point
Once the instrument is powered on, press the Menu/Power  
button. This brings up the Settings Menu where the following
selections are available:
UNITS
Fe/NFe
Environment
System Settings
Statistics
Calibration
Limits

10
4 Set Up
Move the green selection bar up and down with the and 
buttons and press Enter to select that setting. The options for each
selection are described below.
UNITS
The Units screen has the following selections:
Microns
Mills
MM
Inches
Move the green selection bar and press Enter to select. After
selection press Menu/Power   to return to the Main screen.
Fe/NFe
Fe
NFe
Both
Move the green selection bar and press Enter to select. After
selection press Menu/Power   to return to the Main screen.
ENVIRONMENT
Temp only
Temp/Humidity
Temp/Dew Point
Enviro off
Units F°/C°
- Select between F or C for the Temperature display.
SYSTEM SETTINGS
Each System Settings selection brings up a sub-menu to choose from.
Rotation on/off
- Turn automatic screen rotation on or off.
Key Beep on/off
- Turns the beeper off and on.

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4 Set Up
Stability Test on/off
- Turns off stability testing for use on moving vehicles.
Stability mode is indicated by the letter S in the display.
This setting is overridden when Continuous Mode is selected.
Continuous Mode on/off
- Turns continuous reading mode on or off. Continuous mode is
indicated by the letter C in the display. Continuous mode
selection overrides Stability Test.
Sleep Timer
Select between:
- 30 seconds
- 1 minute
- 5 minutes
- Disable sleep
Brightness
- Use the Up or Down arrows to change the brightness,
1 is backlight off, 10 is brightest.
Language
- Choose between English, German, French, Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese, Chinese or Japanese.
About
- Information screen, shows current software version and
copyright information
STATISTICS
Statistics on/off
- On – Standard statistics mode is on, calculations are based on
Number of Readings to Average setting. (see below)
- SSPC Mode – Spot and Area averaging mode to comply with
SSPC (Society of Protective Coatings) methods.
- Off – All statistics turned off.

12
Number of Readings to Average
- Standard Mode – Use Up and Down arrow buttons to set the
number of readings to use for statistics calculations.
- SSPC Mode Mmnt/Spot – Use Up and Down arrow buttons to set
the number of measurements per spot, minimum number is 3.
- SSPC Mode Spots/Area - Use Up and Down arrow buttons to set
the number of spots per area, minimum number is 5.
Clear Memory
- Clears the statistics memory.
CALIBRATION
Zero only
- Calibration on the zero plate only. Take one or more readings on
a zero plate. When finished press the Enter button to save.
Single Point
- Calibrates zero, then calibrates on a shim selected by the user.
Take one or more readings on a zero plate, then press Enter.
Place your selected shim on the zero plate and take one or more
readings, then press Enter. The Enter Shim Value screen will now
appear. Adjust each number to match the value of your shim.
Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to adjust, Enter to advance
to the next number.
SSPC Mode 1
- Calibration like Single Point.
SSPC Mode 2
- Calibration like Single Point except with 2 shims,
a low and high value.
Reset to Factory Values
- Resets the instrument to the factory programmed calibration.
4 Set Up

13
LIMITS
Limits on/off
- Turns limit warnings on and off.
Warning indication
- Beeper – Beeper only, long beep indicates limits exceeded
NOTE:
The Key Beep must be set to ON in the System Settings
to hear the beeper!
- Backlight Flash – Backlight flashes once for a no-sound
limit indicator.
- Both – The beeper will long beep and the backlight will
flash together.
- Off – Both are turned off.
Set Limits
- Set Low Limit – Use the Up and Down buttons to enter the
Low Limit, Enter button moves the highlight to the next number,
Menu button saves and exits.
- Set High Limit - Use the Up and Down buttons to enter the
High Limit, Enter button moves the highlight to the next
number, Menu button saves and exits.
4 Set Up

14
5 Operation
Grip the instrument in your hand with your
thumb on the ribbed section between the
buttons and your other fingers on the back.
Press the Menu/Power   button to
power on the instrument.
To calibrate, select the calibration type
then press the instrument to the calibration
surface and remove. For each reading,
place the instrument on the surface and
remove by at least 25 mm for each reading.
Press the Enter button to complete the
calibration after removing the instrument from the
calibration surface.
Press the instrument probe firmly against the surface to be measured.
Remove from the surface and read the measurement directly on
the screen. The backlight will turn off in 15 seconds, to restore the
backlight simply press either the Up or Down arrow buttons.
Statistics are shown on the lower area of the screen. The reading
number in the statistics count is shown above the stats preceded by
the letter N.
Along the lower edge of the screen are the environmental
measurements. Air temperature and humidity are measured by a
sensor system located below the three small slots on the upper back
of the instrument. Make sure these are clear of debris for the best
accuracy in measurements. The display can be set to show dew point
instead of humidity if so desired.
Environment measurements are best taken shortly after powering on
the instrument. Prolonged continuous use of the display backlight
may raise the indicated temperature slightly. If the temperature
appears to be rising, turn off the instrument for a few minutes and
then power it on and take another measurement to confirm.

15
6 Maintenance and Repair
CLEANING AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
Care should be taken to avoid dropping the instrument. Do not
immerse in water or any other liquid. If the instrument case becomes
dirty, clean the covers with mild soap and water as soon as practical.
Avoid using solvents to clean the instrument as it may be seriously
damaged by strong solvents.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If an error occurs, first remove the batteries and replace with a new
set. Use of high quality alkaline batteries are preferred however,
rechargeable batteries may be used. The instrument has no provision
to charge rechargeable batteries so they must be recharged using
a separate charger (not included). Do not mix battery types. If the
instrument is going to be stored for more than 30 days, remove
the batteries to prevent discharge and subsequent leakage. If new
batteries do not restore use, contact your local BYK-Gardner office
for assistance.
SERVICE AND SPARE PARTS
For all service and spare parts requirements, please contact your local
BYK-Gardner office.
Components
Ordering Information
Part Number Description
3790 byko-test Film Thickness Gage
Recommended Accessories
Part Number Description
3798 byko-test Connect Software
3799 USB connection cable
0470 BYK t200 IR Thermometer
(for surface temperature measurements)

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7 Technical Data
Weight 5.6 oz 160 g
Height 4.53 inches 115 mm
Width 2.65 inches 67 mm
Depth 1.75 inches 44 mm
Measurement
Range 0-79 mils 0-2000 microns
Accuracy ±.078 mils + 3%
of measured value
±2 microns + 3%
of measured value
Min Substrate
Thickness
FE – 0.008 in
NFE – 0.002 in
FE – 0.2 mm
NFE – 0.05 mm
Minimum Curvature Convex 0.2 in
Concave 1.2 in
Convex 5 mm
Concave 30 mm
Temperature
- Storage 0° – 150° F -18° – 66° C
Temperature
- Operating 32° – 140° F 0° – 60° C
Power 2 AA 1.5v Alkaline batteries
All technical data is subject to change.

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EC – Declaration of Conformity
We BYK-Gardner USA
9104 Guilford Road
Columbia, MD 21046 USA
herewith declare the product:
Type: byko-test Ne/NFe, byko-test Lite Coating Thickness Tester
comply with the requirements of the following EC directives:
Electromagnetic Compatibility 2014/30/EU
The following harmonized standards were applied:
EN 61326-1:2013
EN 61326-2-1:2013
Columbia, MD, August 30, 2019
Technical documentation is available
Mr. Michael J. Gogoel
V.P. General Manager