DAKOTA ULTRASONICS ZX-6 User manual

OPERATION MANUAL
DAKOTA ULTRASONICS
Z
ZX X- -6 6
Ultrasonic Multi-Echo
Thickness Gauge
P/N P-305-0002 Rev 1.00, September 2018

CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1
1.1 DISCLAIMER ......................................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER TWO KEYPAD, MENU, DISPLAY & CONNECTORS ..................... 2
2.1 ON/OFF/ENTER KEY… ..................................................................................................... 2
2.2 PRB 0 KEY… ....................................................................................................................... 2
2.3 CAL KEY…. ......................................................................................................................... 3
2.4 GAIN KEY…. ....................................................................................................................... 3
2.5 SCAN KEY…. ...................................................................................................................... 3
2.6 +/- INCREMENT/DECREMENT KEY’S…. .................................................................................. 3
2.7 MULTI KEY…. ..................................................................................................................... 3
2.8 MENU KEY…. ..................................................................................................................... 3
2.9 THE DISPLAY ....................................................................................................................... 5
2.10 THE TRANSDUCER .............................................................................................................. 6
2.11 TOP END CAP .................................................................................................................... 8
CHAPTER THREE PRINCIPALS OF ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENT ......... 10
3.1 TIME VERSUS THICKNESS RELATIONSHIP ............................................................................. 10
3.2 SUITABILITY OF MATERIALS ................................................................................................. 10
3.3 RANGE OF MEASUREMENT AND ACCURACY .......................................................................... 10
3.4 COUPLANT ......................................................................................................................... 10
3.5 TEMPERATURE ................................................................................................................... 11
3.6 MEASUREMENT MODES ...................................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER FOUR SELECTING THE MEASUREMENT MODE ....................... 14
4.1 WHICH MODE & TRANSDUCER DO I USE FOR MY APPLICATION? ............................................ 14
CHAPTER FIVE MAKING MEASUREMENTS ................................................. 16
5.1 PROBE ZERO ...................................................................................................................... 16
5.2 MATERIAL CALIBRATION ..................................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER SIX THROUGH PAINT MEASUREMENT - MULTIMODE ............. 2 5 
6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 25
6.2 MULTI MODE TRANSDUCERS .............................................................................................. 25
CHAPTER SEVEN VELOCITY GAUGE ........................................................... 27
7.1 VELOCITY GAUGE (VX) ....................................................................................................... 27

7.2 CALIBRATION TO A KNOWN THICKNESS ................................................................................ 28
7.3 CALIBRATION TO A KNOWN VELOCITY .................................................................................. 29
CHAPTER EIGHT ADDITIONAL FEATURES ................................................. 31
8.1 GAIN ................................................................................................................................. 31
8.2 HIGH SPEED SCAN ............................................................................................................. 32
8.3 ALARM ............................................................................................................................... 33
8.4 DIFFERENTIAL .................................................................................................................... 34
8.5 UNITS ................................................................................................................................ 35
8.6 LITE ................................................................................................................................... 36
8.7 BEEP ................................................................................................................................. 37
8.8 ZERO ................................................................................................................................. 38
8.9 VELOCITY (VX) .................................................................................................................. 39
8.10 PROBE DIAMETER & FREQUENCY ..................................................................................... 40
8.11 LOCK ............................................................................................................................... 41
8.12 FACTORY DEFAULTS ........................................................................................................ 41
CHAPTER NINE CONNECTIVITY & POWER ................................................. 43
9.1 CONNECTIVITY ................................................................................................................... 43
9.2 INSTALLING SERIAL DRIVER (CDC) ..................................................................................... 43
9.3 LINE POWER ...................................................................................................................... 45
APPENDIX A - VELOCITY TABLE .................................................................. 46
APPENDIX B- APPLICATION NOTES ........................................................... 48

1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The Dakota Ultrasonics model ZX-6 is a basic dual element thickness gauge with
through paint measurement capability, and the ability to locate blind surface pitting
and internal defects/flaws in materials. Based on the same operating principles as
SONAR, the ZX-6 is capable of measuring the thickness of various materials with
accuracy as high as  0.001 inches, or  0.01 millimeters. The principle advantage of
ultrasonic measurement over traditional methods is that ultrasonic measurements
can be performed with access to only one side of the material being measured.
Dakota Ultrasonics maintains a customer support resource in order to assist users
with questions or difficulties not covered in this manual. Customer support may be
reached at any of the following:
Dakota Ultrasonics Corporation
1500 Green Hills Road, #107
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.dakotaultrasonics.com
1.1 Disclaimer
Inherent in ultrasonic thickness measurement is the possibility that the instrument will
use the second rather than the first echo from the back surface of the material being
measured. This may result in a thickness reading that is TWICE what it should be.
Responsibility for proper use of the instrument and recognition of this phenomenon
rest solely with the user of the instrument. Other errors may occur from measuring
coated materials where the coating is insufficiently bonded to the material surface.
Irregular and inaccurate readings may result. Again, the user is responsible for
proper use and interpretation of the measurements acquired.