Elcometer 204 User manual

User Guide
Elcometer 204
Steel Ultrasonic Material
Thickness Gauge
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Section
Page
1
Gauge Overview
en-2
2
Box Contents
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3
Using the Gauge
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4
Getting Started
en-4
5
Setting the Zero Point
en-5
6
Taking a Reading
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7
Statistics
en-7
8
Menu Structure
en-8
9
Upgrading Your Gauge
en-8
10
Spares & Accessories
en-8
11
Warranty Statement
en-12
12
Technical Specification
en-12
13
Legal Notices & Regulatory Information
en-13
14
Appendix 1: Preparing The Test Surface
en-14
For the avoidance of doubt, please refer to the original English language version.
Gauge Dimensions: 145 x 73 x 37mm (5.7 x 2.87 x 1.46") - without transducer
Gauge Weight: 210g (7.4oz) - including batteries, without transducer
Material Safety Data Sheets for the ultrasonic couplant supplied with the Elcometer 204 and available as an
accessory, are available to download via our website:
Elcometer Ultrasonic Couplant Material Safety Data Sheet:
www.elcometer.com/images/stories/MSDS/Elcometer_Ultrasonic_Couplant_Blue.pdf
Elcometer Ultrasonic Couplant (High Temperature) Material Safety Data Sheet:
www.elcometer.com/images/stories/MSDS/elcometer_ultrasonic_couplant_hi_temp.pdf
© Elcometer Limited 2015-2017. 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 Limited.
CONTENTS
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1 GAUGE OVERVIEW
6
1
5
1 LED Indicators - Red (left), Green (right)
2 LCD Display
3 Softkeys
4 On/Off Key
5 Zero Disk
6 Transducer Connection Point
7 USB Data Output Socket (below cover)
8 Battery Compartment (¼ turn open/close)
9 Wrist Strap Connection
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2 BOX CONTENTS
7
9
8

Elcometer 204 Steel Ultrasonic Material Thickness Gauge

5MHz 1/4" Potted Right Angle Dual Element Transducer

Ultrasonic Couplant; 120ml (4fl oz Bottle)

2 x AA Batteries

Protective Case

Wrist Harness

Screen Protector

Calibration Certificate

User Guide
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3
4
2

3 USING THE GAUGE
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a
Power: Batteries or USB -
including battery life indicator
b
Measurement Mode - P-E: Pulsed Echo
c
Reading Stability Indicator
d
Measurement Units - mm, Inch
e
Menu Softkey
f
Display Softkey
g
Save Reading Softkey
h
Reading Value
i
Statistics
h
b
a
c
d
e
f
i
4.1 FITTING THE BATTERIES
Each gauge is supplied with 2 x AA alkaline
batteries.
To insert or replace the batteries:
1 Lift the latch on the battery compartment
cover and rotate anti-clockwise to remove
the cover.
2 Insert 2 batteries taking care to ensure
correct polarity.
3 Refit the cover and rotate the latch clockwise to close.
The battery condition is indicated by a symbol in the top right of the
display ( ):
 Full symbol (orange) = batteries at full capacity
 Empty symbol (red, flashing) = batteries at lowest
sustainable level
4.2 CONNECTING A TRANSDUCER
1 Align the red dot on the transducer
plug with the red dot on the base
of the gauge.
2 Push the transducer into the
gauge, ensuring that the connector
is fully engaged.
+
+
4 GETTING STARTED
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All dual element transducers which can be connected directly to the
base of the gauge - see Section 10.1 ‘Transducers’ on page en-8 - are
‘intelligent’ transducers. The transducer frequency and diameter will
be identified automatically by the gauge.
Details of the transducer connected can be viewed at any time via
Menu/About/Transducer Information.
A transducer adaptor is available which enables other Elcometer
‘non-intelligent’, dual element transducers and other manufacturers’
transducers, to be used with the gauge - see Section 10.4 ‘Transducer
Adaptor’ on page en-11.
4.3 SELECTING YOUR LANGUAGE
1 Press and hold the ON/OFF button until the Elcometer logo is
displayed.
2 Press Menu/Setup/Language and select your language using the
 softkeys.
3 Follow the on screen menus.
To access the language menu when in a foreign language:
1 Switch the gauge OFF.
2 Press and hold the left softkey and switch the gauge ON.
3 Select your language using the softkeys.

4.4 SCREEN SETTINGS
A number of screen settings can be defined by the user via
Menu/Setup/Screen Settings including:
 Screen Brightness; This can be set to ‘Manual’ or ‘Auto’ - the
brightness is adjusted automatically using the gauge’s ambient
light sensor.
 Screen Timeout; The display will dim if inactive for more than
15 seconds and will go ‘black’ if inactive for the period defined.
Press any key or tap the gauge to awaken it. The gauge can
also be set to switch off automatically after a user defined
period of inactivity via Menu/Setup/Gauge Auto Off. The
default setting is 5 minutes.
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4 GETTING STARTED (continued)
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4.5 SETTING UP THE READING DISPLAY
The colour LCD display is split into two halves;
Top Display and Bottom Display. The user can
choose to view readings only, statistics only or
both.
To setup the display:
1 Press Display/Setup Display/Top Display
(or Bottom Display as required).

2 Use the softkeys to highlight the

required option and press ‘Select’.
4.6 THE MEASUREMENT MODE
The Elcometer 204 has a single measurement
mode, ‘Pulsed Echo’; the total thickness from
the base of the transducer to the material
density boundary (typically the back-wall) is
measured.
‘Pulsed Echo’ is suitable for measurement of materials between
a
0.63mm and 500mm (0.025" to 20") thick.
4.7 SELECTING THE MEASUREMENT UNITS
Rea measurement dings can be displayed in mm or Inch. To select the
units, press Menu/Setup/Units.
4 GETTING STARTED (continued)
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Readings & Statistics
Readings Only
a Thickness range is dependent on the material being measured and the transducer used.
5 SETTING THE ZERO POINT
Setting the zero point for the transducer is important. If the zero point
is not set correctly, all measurements will be inaccurate.
The gauge will remember the last zero point. It is generally a good
idea however, to set the zero point whenever the gauge is switched
on, and when a different transducer is used. This will ensure that the
zero point is correct.

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5 SETTING THE ZERO POINT (continued)
To set the zero point:
1 Plug the transducer into the gauge
ensuring that the connector is fully
engaged.
 The wearface of the transducer should
be clean and free of any debris.
2 Press the On/Off button to switch the
gauge on.
3 Press Menu/Calibration/Zero Set and
apply couplant to the zero disk.
4 When prompted, press the
transducer on to the zero disk,
making sure it is flat against the
surface.
 The display will show a thickness value
which is constantly updating. The
stability of the reading is indicated on the
stability bar to the right of the display. A
valid reading has a stability of 5 or more.
5 Remove the transducer from the zero
disk. The last reading is held on
screen. If not representative, repeat
Step 4.
 Excessive use of couplant can result in a
distorted reading when the transducer is
removed from the surface.
6 Press ‘Zero’ to set the zero point.
6 TAKING A READING
6.1 BEFORE YOU START
1 Press the On/Off button to switch the gauge on.
2 Connect a transducer to the gauge.
 All dual element transducers which can be connected directly to the base
of the gauge - see Section 10.1 ‘Transducers’ on page en-8 - are
‘intelligent’ transducers and will be identified automatically by the gauge.
If using other Elcometer ‘non-intelligent’ dual element transducers or other
manufacturers’ transducers, a transducer adaptor is required - see
Section 10.4 ‘Transducer Adaptor’ on page en-11.
3 Set the zero point of the transducer - see Section 5 on page en-5.
4 Prepare the test surface - see Appendix 1 on page en-14.

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6 TAKING A READING (continued)
6.2 TAKING A READING
1 Apply a small amount of couplant to the test surface.
2 Press the transducer into the couplant, making sure it is flat
against the surface.
 Moderate pressure on the top of the transducer using the thumb or index
finger is sufficient; it is only necessary to keep the transducer stationary
and seated flat against the surface of the material.
3 The display will show a value which is constantly updating. The
gauge will take 4 readings per second when the transducer is in
contact with the surface of the material.
 The stability of the reading is indicated on the stability bar to the right of
the display. A valid reading has a stability of 5 or more. If the stability
indicator has fewer than 5 bars showing or the numbers on the display
seem erratic, make sure there is an adequate film of couplant beneath the
transducer, and that the transducer is seated flat against the material. If
the condition persists, it may be necessary to select a different transducer
(size or frequency) for the material being measured.
4 Press ‘Save’ to include the current reading in the statistics
calculations. The last reading is held on screen when the
transducer is removed from the surface.
 The last saved reading can be deleted and removed from the statistics
calculations by pressing Menu/Delete Last Reading.
7 STATISTICS
The Elcometer 204 calculates and displays the following statistical
values:
 Number of Readings (n:)
 Mean (X:)
 Lowest Reading (Lo:)
 Highest Reading (Hi:)
 Standard Deviation (σ:)
 Coefficient of Variation (cv%:)
To display the statistics, press Display/Setup Display/Top Display (or
Bottom Display as required).
To clear the current statistical values, press Display/Clear Statistics.

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8 MENU STRUCTURE
Regulatory
Menu
Delete Last Reading
Calibration
Setup
About
Reset
Emergency Light
Calibration
Zero Set
Setup
Units
Language
Beep Volume
Screen Settings
Gauge Auto Off
Units
mm
Inch ○
○
Screen Settings
Screen Brightness
Screen Timeout
Opening Screen ○
About
Gauge Information
Transducer Information
Contact
Legal Legal
Legal Notices
Regulatory
Display
Clear Statistics
Setup Display
Display Information Setup Display
Top Display
Bottom Display
Bottom Display
None
Statistics
Readings
○
○
○
Top Display
None
Statistics
Readings
○
○
○
10.1 TRANSDUCERS
Each gauge is supplied complete with 5MHz 1/4" Potted Right Angle
Dual Element Transducer. Other transducers are available to order as
accessories - see Table 1 ‘Transducers’ on page en-9.
Transducers are potted - the transducer cable is permanently fixed to
the transducer head - right angle, dual element, ‘intelligent’
transducers. When connected, the transducer frequency and diameter
will be automatically identified by the gauge.
When choosing a transducer, the frequency, diameter and material
under test should be considered. As the Elcometer 204 is pre-
calibrated for steel, only transducers suitable for measuring on steel
should be used with this gauge.
Details of the transducer connected can be viewed at any time via
Menu/About/Transducer Information.
10 SPARES & ACCESSORIES
Gauge firmware can be upgraded to the latest version by the user via
® ®
ElcoMaster , as it becomes available. ElcoMaster will inform the user
of any updates when the gauge is connected to the PC with an
internet connection.
9 UPGRADING YOUR GAUGE

10 SPARES & ACCESSORIES (continued)
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# High temperature transducer, suitable for measuring hot surfaces up to 343°C (650°F).
‡ Extra resolution transducer with increased near surface resolution, ideal for use on thin substrates.
TABLE 1: TRANSDUCERS
Part Number
Frequency
Diameter
TXC5M00BP-4
5.0MHz
3/16"
TXC5M00EP-3
5.0MHz
1/2"
TXC5M00EP-4
5.0MHz
1/2"
TXC5M00CP-4
5.0MHz
1/4"
TXC5M00CP-6
5.0MHz
1/4"
#
TXC5M00CP-8
5.0MHz
1/4"
TXC7M50BP-3
7.5MHz
3/16"
‡
TXC7M50CP-4
7.5MHz
1/4"
TXC7M50CP-5
7.5MHz
1/4"
TXC10M0BP-1
10.0MHz
3/16"
TXC10M0CP-4
10.0MHz
1/4"
Other transducers are available which can be connected to the gauge
using a transducer adaptor - see Section 10.4 ‘Transducer Adaptor’ on
page en-11. For a complete list of transducers, visit
elcometerndt.com.
10.2 CALIBRATION STANDARDS
Available as a set or individually, allowing
users to select the most appropriate
thicknesses for their application, Elcometer
calibration standards are manufactured
b
from 4340 steel to a tolerance of ±0.1% of
the nominal thickness.
Calibration standard sets and individual standards are supplied
complete with calibration certificate.
b Calibration standards manufactured in other materials are available on request. Contact Elcometer for
further information.