GE StressTel T-MIKE E User manual

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
1
of
10
SCOPE
This section is intended for the guidance of NDE personnel qualified in accordance with the requirements of
M&NP “Training and Qualification of Personnel”. The inspection processes and procedures described in this
document may be used for line pipe
, piping components and pressure vessel plates. Ultrasonic Thickness testing
may also be used to evaluate the thickness of the parent material after grinding etc. This procedure is not
intended to be exhaustive in the treatment of ultrasonic technique as
it is provided for general guidance only.
SAFETY
Prior to excavation for inspection, verification shall be made that the pipeline has been established at a safe
working pressure in accordance with the requirements of
O&MSM
Section 12, Reference 17
-
Safe Working
Pressure
. Defect excavation shall then be completed in accordance with the requirements of
O&MSM
Section 11,
Reference 13
-
Defect Excavation and Assessment
.
EQUIPMENT
F
igure 1
T
-
MIKE E
A.
INITIAL SETUP
1.
Introduction
For those setting
s which are seldom changed during operation of the T
-
Mike E the INITIAL SET UP
procedure is designed to allow the operator access to those settings without unnecessary complication of
the units normal operation.
These settings include:
Backlight on/off
Selection of Metric or English units of measure
Calibration Lock

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
2
of
10
The INITIAL SET UP procedure is accessed by holding the CAL key down and pressing the ON/OFF key.
When this is done the T
-
Mike E will display the version code of the operating software
contained in the
unit until the CAL key is released. This information will be useful should the unit require service or
updated software is desired.
Upon release of the CAL key the SETUP procedure continues as follows:
2.
Backlight On/Off
When the CAL key
is first released the T
-
Mike E will display the words ON or OFF to indicate the status of
the backlight. The backlight setting can be selected by pressing the UP or DOWN arrow key.
NOTE: It is recommended that the backlight be OFF when measurements are
made in well
-
illuminated
areas, as this will greatly increase battery life.
3.
Metric/English Units
Press the CAL key a second time.
The T
-
Mike E will display the units
in which it is set to measure thickness (IN or MM).
Press the UP or DOWN arrow keys to
select the desired unit of measurement.
4.
Calibration Lock
Press the CAL key a third time.
The T
-
Mike E will display the status of the calibration lock function (CAL or LOC).
When Cal is displayed the velocity calibration function can be performed as descr
ibed in the 4
th
step under
section B, OPERATION. When LOC is displayed the calibration function is disabled. The velocity used in
measurement cannot be changed without entering this SETUP procedure again to change settings to
CAL.
It is recommended that
the lock feature be used when supervising personnel wish to prevent unauthorized
change of the calibrated velocity.
Pressing the Cal key a final time completes the SETUP procedure and returns the T
-
Mike E to the
measurement mode.
B.
OPERATION

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
3
of
10
1.
Lemo quick
-
disconnect transducer connectors.
2.
Battery charger connector / data port.
3.
Built
-
in calibration block.
4.
Coupling indicator.
5.
Backlit amber LCD indicates modes, measureme
nts and icons.
6.
Durable, lightweight, extruded aluminum case.
7.
Environmentally sealed keypad.
8.
Power key.
9.
One
-
step material calibration key.
10.
Arrow keys for calibration.
11.
Operator selectable metric or English measurement mode.
Figure 2
T
-
Mike E
-
Front
Panel
1.
ON/OFF Function
(item 8 on Figure 2)
Press this key to turn the T
-
Mike E on. The unit will display a reading of zero. The T
-
Mike E is now ready
for measurement of calibration. In order to compensate for any change in the ultrasonic transducer,
a
PROBE ZERO function should be performed at this point.
2.
Probe Zero Function
The PROBE ZERO function compensates the T
-
Mike E for the fixed delay of the ultrasonic transducer.
This function should be performed at the start of each day (to compensate for
transducer wear) or
whenever the transducer is changed.
Apply a drop of couplant to the end of the transducer. Press the
ON/OFF button on they keyboard to turn on the T
-
Mike E.
Place the transducer in steady contact with the probe disk located on the to
p of the T
-
Mike E. DO NOT
use another 0.250 test piece since the velocity of the probe disk is carefully controlled and errors will
result.
The T
-
Mike E recognizes that the probe is in contact with the probe disk, and automatically performs the
PROBE ZER
O function. Upon completion of the function Prb 0 will appear on the display indicating that
the appropriate transducer delay factor has been entered into memory.
NOTE:
During the PROBE function, the T
-
Mike E velocity is temporarily reset to the velocit
y of the probe
disk (0.2330 in./msec.). Upon completion of the PROBE function the velocity will return to the last
calibrated value. This allows the operator to continue measurements on the previously calibrated
material.

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
4
of
10
U
P
3.
Material Calibration to Known
Thickness
The following procedure is used to calibrate the T
-
Mike E sound velocity to a known sample of material.
Some materials may exhibit sound velocity variations which can cause errors
in measurement. Be sure to
check a representative group of samp
les to determine if such variation is present.
First follow the above PROBE ZERO procedure (step 2) to calibrate the delay of the ultrasonic transducer
being used.
Apply a drop of couplant to the representative piece of material of known thickness. This
piece is called
the sample.
Place the probe in steady contact with the surface of the sample. The T
-
Mike E will display a thickness
reading using the last calibrated velocity.
Press the CAL key (item 9 in Figure 2) to lock in the reading. The transduc
er may now be removed from
the sample. The display on the T
-
Mike E will momentarily display CAL. Small arrows will appear in the
upper left portion of the display above the thickness readings. This indicates that the T
-
Mike E is in the
calibration mode
and enables the UP/DOWN arrow keys.
Adjust the thickness shown on the T
-
Mike E display by using the UP and DOWN arrows
(item 10 in Figure 2). Note that when these keys are held continuously, the speed at which
the thickness changes will increase, making
it easy to make the large adjustments for
materials such as plastic and aluminum.
When the correct thickness appears on the display, press the CAL key again to display the sound velocity
of the calibrated material as calculated by the T
-
Mike
E. The display of sound velocity will be indicated by
the appearance of appropriate velocity units (IN/ms or M/S) above the displayed velocity value. Press
CAL key one final time to accept this sound velocity and return to the measurement mode.
Check t
he calibration by replacing the probe on the sample piece. The T
-
Mike E is in the CALIBRATION
mode the unit will not make further measurement until the calibration procedure is completed.
4.
Calibration from Known Velocity
The following procedure is used t
o calibrate the T
-
Mike E to a given material velocity.
Follow the above PROBE procedure to calibrate the delay of the ultrasonic transducer being used.
Press the CAL key (item 9 in Figure 2). The arrow symbols will appear in the upper left portion of th
e
display indicating the UP/DOWN arrow keys are active.
Press the CAL key a second time. The display on the T
-
Mike E will display the current velocity and the
appropriate units of measure.

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
5
of
10
UP
DOWN
IN /µs
.
2330
Or if metric units are selected:
Use the UP and D
own arrow keys to scroll to velocity to the known velocity of the material. Note
that when these keys are held continuously, the speed that the velocity changes will increase,
making it easy to make the large adjustments for materials such as plastic and
aluminum.
When the desired velocity appears on the display, press the CAL key again to enter the velocity
for use in thickness measurements and to return to the measurement mode..
5.
Thickness Measurement
Remove dirt, loose material, and couplant resid
ue from the surface of material at points where
measurements are desired. Verify that the PROBE and CAL functions have been performed.
Place a drop of couplant on the material surface at the measurement point.
Place the transducer in steady contact with
the surface of the material at the measurement point.
When a detectable echo is received from the back surface of the material, the echo indicator in the upper
right of the display will indicate the detection of an echo by changing in appearance to repre
sent contact
between the pictured transducer and the same surface.
ECHO DETECTED
NO ECHO
m / s
5 9 1 8

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
6
of
10
The T
-
Mike E will display the thickness of the material and the appropriate units of measure (inches or
millimeters).
NOTE: If the detected echo is of marginal magnitude a question mar
k? Will appear to the left of the echo
indicator. This will alert the operator that the measurement may be subject to error, and steps should be
taken to improve the transducer coupling or position.
If no echo is detected for a period of 4 ½ minutes, t
he T
-
Mike E will automatically switch to its
low power or dormant state as indicated by the display becoming blank. In this state probe and
velocity calibration factors are retained in memory. Operations may be resumed immediately by
pressing the power k
ey.
6.
Measurement Units
The T
-
Mike E can display thickness in either English or Metric units.
The unit system may be selected during the INITIAL SETUP of the T
-
Mike E as described previously.
7.
Low Battery
The T
-
Mike E automatically monitors the charge st
ate of the battery to insure that sufficient charge is
available to operate the unit properly.
When the T
-
Mike E detects minimum allowable battery level the numbers on the display will blink on and
off. This alerts the operator that the batteries should
be replaced or recharged before further operation.
When the battery level fails below the minimum allowable level the T
-
Mike E will turn off and not allow
further operations until batteries are replaced or recharged.
8.
Replacing or Recharging Batteries
Th
e T
-
Mike E comes standard with 4 AA alkaline batteries. The user may elect to use rechargeable
NiCad AA batteries that can be inserted as a direct replacement of the alkaline cells. The NiCad batteries
may be charged externally or in the T
-
Mike E as desc
ribed below.
To change the batteries, loosen the screw on the bottom end cap and remove the spent batteries.
Replace batteries with fresh Alkaline AA cells or recharged NiCad AA cells.
Care must be used to replace the batteries in the correct polarity a
s indicated on the battery holder.
To recharge the NiCad batteries in the T
-
Mike E connect the optional battery charger to the combination
DATA/CHARGER jack on the top end cap
(item 2 of Figure 2)
of the T
-
Mike E. The NiCad batteries will
be fully charge
d in approximately 14 hours.
NOTE: After changing batteries be sure to perform the probe zero procedure and recalibrate the T
-
Mike
E for the material to be measured.
ON
OFF

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
7
of
10
\\Stresstel T-Mike Update
Turn on instrument Now
X
CLOSE
5918.2
English

Backlight
Measurement Units
Serial Port
Inches
Millimeters
COM1
COM2
T-Mike Settings
\\Stresstel SetMike
Transmit Settings
Velocity (M/S)
Language
CLOSE
SEND
X
C.
T
-
MIKE PROGRAMMABLE
1.
Configuration and Calibration
The T
-
Mike Programmable is preset
to display in inches or millimeters; the back light enabled or disabled;
and the sound velocity fixed. This can be done at the factory prior to shipping or this may be done by
connecting the T
-
Mike programmable to an IBM compatible computer running speci
al software, or from a
T
-
Mike E. When using a T
-
Mike E, a special cable is required.
2.
To Program From a T
-
Mike E
Set the T
-
Mike E in the desired mode by holding down the CAL key while turning on the power. Now
calibrate the sound velocity of the T
-
Mike
E to the desired sound velocity. Turn off both gauges. Connect
the special cable between the two data/charger ports. Turn on the T
-
Mike E; press the Cal key twice and
the LCD will indicate the velocity. Now turn on the T
-
Mike Programmable. The T
-
Mike
Programmable
should display CAL, followed by the new velocity and then will go into the measurement mode. Be sure
this new velocity matches with the sound velocity in the T
-
Mike E.
3.
To Program from an IBM Compatible PC
Remove rubber plug from the serial
port of the T
-
Mike and insert the LEMO connector of the T
-
Mike serial
cable (Part Number 022
-
506
-
783). Connect the serial cable to COM1 or COM2 of the PC. Run SETMIKE
from Start/Programs/Stresstel or from the appropriate
installation directory. Select M
easurement Unit:
Inches or Millimeters. Enter sound velocity in inches/uS or M/S. Press
Enter
to accept the new velocity.
Check Backlight to illuminate T
-
Mike reading. Select Serial Port: COM1 or COM2.
Use the Tab key to cycle through the
SET
MIKE Windows application
controls
.
Press
SEND
to initiate update of the T
-
Mike. Turn on the T
-
Mike. If the T
-
Mike was already on, turn it off
and turn on gain.
The T
-
Mike P/B may require several attempts to synchronize
with SETMIKE. Repeat Off
/ON cycles until the correct velocity
appears in the display.

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
8
of
10
MAT
When you turn off the T
-
Mike Programmable, it will display the EPROM software version. When you
turn on the T
-
Mike Programmable, it will momentarily display the calibrated sound velocity.
Test the T
-
Mike Programmable on a material sample to verify that it reads the correct thickness.
4.
Special Cables
From a T
-
Mike E to T
-
Mike Programmable Part # 062
-
500
-
055
From IBM Compatible Computer to T
-
Mike Programmable adaptor 9 pin to 25 pin
–
Part
# 021
-
031
-
995;
9 pin
–
Part # 022
-
506
-
783
D.
T
-
MIKE BASIC
1.
Configuration and Calibration
The T
-
Mike Basic has five operator selectable materials (steel, aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and
plexiglass) with is preset sound velocities. One custom mat
erial ca be programmed by connecting the T
-
Mike B to an IBM compatible computer running special software, or from a T
-
Mike E. In either case, a
special cable is required.
2.
Material Selection
First follow the above PROBE ZERO procedure to calibrate the de
lay of the ultrasonic transducer being
used.
Press the MAT key to select the material being tested.
Select the material by using the UP and DOWN arrows. Press the MAT key a second time to
store the velocity for the selected material.
Some materia
ls may exhibit sound velocity variations which can cause errors in measurement. Be sure to
check a representative group of samples to determine if such variation is present.
3.
Initial Setup
In order to change the settings of the T
-
Mike B, the instrument m
ust be powered on in the Initial Setup
mode. The settings, which may be changed, are the units of measure and the backlight. This procedure
is defined in the INITIAL SETUP (“A”
–
page 1). Use the MAT key on the T
-
Mike B as CAL key
referenced in the proc
edure.
4.
To Program from a T
-
Mike E
Set the T
-
Mike E in the desired mode by holding down the CAL key while turning on the power. Now
calibrate the sound velocity of the T
-
Mike E to the desired sound velocity. Turn off both gauges. Connect
the special ca
ble between the two data/charger ports. Turn on the T
-
Mike E; press the CAL key twice and

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
9
of
10
\\Stresstel T-Mike Update
Turn on instrument Now
X
CLOSE
5918.2
English

Backlight
Measurement Units
Serial Port
Inches
Millimeters
COM1
COM2
T-Mike Settings
\\Stresstel SetMike
Transmit Settings
Velocity (M/S)
Language
CLOSE
SEND
X
the LCD will
indicate
the velocity. Now turn on the T
-
Mike B. The T
-
Mike B should display
CAL, followed
by the new velocity and then will go into the measurement m
ode. Be sure this new velocity matches with
the sound velocity in the T
-
Mike E.
5.
To Program from an IBM Compatible PC
Remove rubber plug from the serial port of the T
-
Mike and insert the LEMO connector of the T
-
Mike serial
cable (Part Number 022
-
506
-
783)
. Connect the serial cable to COM1 or COM2 of the PC. Run SETMIKE
from Start/Programs/Stresstel or from the appropriate installation directory. Select Measurement Unit:
Inches or Millimeters. Enter sound velocity in inches/uS or M/S. Press
Enter
to a
ccept the new velocity.
Check Backlight to illuminate T
-
Mike reading. Select Serial Port: COM1 or COM2.
Use the Tab key to cycle through the
SETMIKE Windows application
controls
.
Press
SEND
to initiate update of the T
-
Mike. Turn on the T
-
Mike. If the T
-
Mike was already on, turn it off
and turn on gain.
The T
-
Mike P/B may require several attempts to synchronize
with SETMIKE. Repeat Off/ON cycles until the correct velocity
appears in the display.
When you turn off the T
-
Mike B, it w
ill display the EPROM software version. When you turn on the T
-
Mike B, it will display the active material. Press MAT again to display the sound velocity. Test the T
-
Mike B on a material sample to verify that it reads the correct thickness.
E.
HELPFUL HI
NTS on OPERATION
1.
Backlight
The T
-
Mike E features a backlight LCD display. The display illuminates when tan echo is detected.
Using the backlight will significantly reduce battery life. Therefore, you may wish to deactivate the
backlight when using the
T
-
Mike E in a well
-
lit environment.
2.
Clean the Surface
Clean the probe and the material to be material to be measured and apply only enough couplant to
obtain a steady, valid reading. Usually one drop is enough.

Section No.
Reference No.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
09
07
Section:
Subject:
EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
ULTRASONIC THICKNESS MEASUREMENT
Procedure Issue Date:
February 2007
Revision
2
Approved by:
Page
10
of
10
3.
Material Consistency
Maximum measurement
accuracy will be contained if the work piece and the calibration piece are the
same temperature, shape, material, and size.
NOTICE
Since velocity of sound varies from test piece to work piece, accuracy of measurement
depends on
consistency of ultrasonic
velocity. Ultrasonic velocity also varies with internal stress, so that heat
treatment of the material will also affect accuracy. The following table expresses accuracy variations for
some common materials. NOTE: These specifications are intended only
as a general guide. Actual
accuracy may be different.
Aluminum
+/
-
2%
Cast iron
+/
-
8%
Steel
+/
-
0.5%
Nylon
+/
-
10%