Elcometer 456 User manual

English
Elcometer 456
Blanket Probe
Operating Instructions

English
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The Elcometer 456 Blanket Probe has been tested in accordance with EU regulations governing
Electro-magnetic compliance and it meets the required directives.
is a registered trademark of Elcometer Limited.
All other trademarks acknowledged.
© Copyright Elcometer Limited. 2008.
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.
Doc.No. TMA-0310 Issue 01
Text with Cover No: 19000

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CONTENTS
Section Page
1 About your probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Fitting the probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Calibrating the probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 Taking a reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5 Measuring print blankets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7 Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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hank you for your purchase of this Elcometer 456 Blanket Probe. 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 456 Blanket Probe 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 www.elcometer.com
1 ABOUT YOUR PROBE
The Elcometer 456 Blanket Probe is a separate style F1 2 scale probe which plugs in to an Elcometer
separate gauge type F or FNF.
The probe features a large diameter base which is designed to prevent the probe tip from sinking into the
surface it is measuring.
The Elcometer 456 Blanket Probe enables fast and accurate measurement of non-magnetic coatings on
magnetic substrates.
The probe is particularly suited to the measurement of the thickness of the print blankets used in the printing
industry.
The Blanket Probe can also be used on paint, plastic, galvanising, enamel, powder paint, hard chrome and
other coatings such as electro-less nickel applied to steel or iron.
T

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1.1 What the box contains
• Elcometer 456 Blanket Probe
• 3 x Foils : 500µm, 1000µm and 2mm
• Operating instructions
2 FITTING THE PROBE
To ensure correct transfer of data from the probe and detection of the new probe, the gauge must
be switched off when the Blanket Probe is fitted.
To fit the probe
Align connector keyway and push in direction shown.
The connector locks automatically.
Note: The design of the probe connector allows some movement between the probe and the
gauge. This is intentional and does not affect measurement performance.

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To release the probe
Grasp knurled section and pull gently away from the gauge. The connection will unlock and
the probe will release.
Note: A probe must be calibrated once it has been fitted - refer to your Elcometer 456
Operating Instructions.
2.1 Set the Probe Scale Range
Use the probe set-up function to set scale 2 measuring range on the probe.
3 CALIBRATING THE PROBE
Calibrate a Blanket Probe in the same way as any standard separate probe.
4 TAKING A READING
Take a reading with a Blanket Probe in the same way as any standard separate probe.
5 MEASURING PRINT BLANKETS
Read this section if you are using the Blanket Probe to measure the thickness of print blankets.
5.1 CALIBRATION
1. Set calibration method to Smooth.
2. Select a thickness standard which is slightly thicker than the print blanket being measured.

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3. Place the thickness standard on a bare roller and carry out Step 1 of gauge calibration (calibration on
thickness standard).
4. Remove the thickness standard, place the gauge on the bare roller and carry out Step 2 of the gauge
calibration (calibration on zero plate).
The gauge is now calibrated and may be used to take readings.
5.2 SAVING READINGS IN BATCHES
Users of the Elcometer 456 Top gauge can set up multiple batches to allow easy monitoring of the thickness
of individual blankets on multiple presses. Each of these batches will have its own calibration data.
Consult your Elcometer 456 Operating Instructions for full details of setting up and using batches.
5.3 LIMITS
Users of the Elcometer 456 Top and Standard gauges can take advantage of the Set Limits function of these
gauges.
Set Limits allows upper and lower limits to be defined for measurements. If a reading is outside the limits
set, the gauge will beep and store an ‘out of limits’ indicator in its reading memory.
Typically the lower limit would be set to the lower reasonable limit of wear on the print blanket.
5.4 TRANSFERRING DATA TO A PC
Users of the Elcometer 456 Top and Standard gauges can take advantage of the data transfer feature of
these gauges.
Software is available from Elcometer which allows reading data to be transferred from the gauge to a PC.

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Readings data can be automatically transferrred to an Excel spreadsheet and analysed graphically. This
quickly shows trends in blanket wear and allows prediction of when the blanket should be adjusted or
replaced.
This software may be downloaded from the Elcometer website www.elcometer.com
Consult your Elcometer 456 operating instructions for details of connecting the gauge and using the
software.
6 MAINTENANCE
The Elcometer Blanket Probe does not contain any user-serviceable components. In the unlikely event of
a fault, the probe should be returned to your local 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 at www.elcometer.com
7 TECHNICAL DATA
Minimum substrate thickness 300 µm (12 mils)
Maximum surface temperature measurable 150°C (300°F)
Range 0 mm to 5.0 mm
(0 mil to 200 mil)
Accuracy
a
±1% to ±3%
or ±0.02 mm (1 mil)
a. Whichever is the greater. The lower value is achieved when calibrated close to the thickness to be measured.

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Note: The probe also has a measuring range of 0 to 1500µm, but this cannot be used to measure the
thickness of a blanket.
Packaging
The Elcometer Blanket Probe 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.