Mecmesin Tornado User manual

testing to perfection
Tornado
digital torque te ter
Operating Manual
S.I. Instruments
256 South Rd. Hilton
South Australia 5033
Ph [phone]
[email protected]
www.si-instruments.com.au

page 1
Contents
The Tornado
Assembly of the Tornado 3
Powering the Tornado 5
Using the Tornado 6
Basic Functions 7
Advanced Menu Options 11
RS232 Commands 32
Advanced Menu Options Flowcharts 38
Dimensions 45
Tornado Specifications 47

Introduction
Thank you for choosing Mecmesin’s Tornado Digital Torque Tester. With correct use and
regular re-calibration it will give many years of accurate and reliable service.
The Tornado has been specifically designed as a high-accuracy, portable instrument for
measuring clockwise and counter-clockwise torques. Using the latest integrated circuit
technology and intuitive programming, the Tornado is easy to use by all operators.
Before Use
Upon receiving the unit please check that no physical damage has occurred to the
packaging material, plastic case or the instrument itself. If any damage is evident please
notify Mecmesin immediately.
Operation
The most commonly used features, such as displaying torque, zeroing the display,
transmitting data and changing the displayed units of measurement can all be done by
pressing single dedicated keys on the front panel.
To configure the advanced features of the Tornado, a full menu-driven system is accessible
using the keys identified on the front panel with blue text - see page 11, Advanced Menu
Options.
The Tornado
page 2
Maintenance
When cleaning the keypad care must be taken to avoid liquids, especially alcohols, seeping
around the edge of the membrane. Therefore, we recommend the use of a lightly dampened
cloth to avoid liquid spillage onto the membrane.

page 3
Unscrew the top plate handle so that the peg holders move
towards the outside edge of the plate. Align the top plate
with the torque drive so that the handle is on the left-hand
side of the top plate. Using the 2.5mm Allen key (provided),
tighten the four socket countersunk screws hand tight.
Assembly of
the Tornado
6N.m and 10N.m
When Tornado is in transit, the top
plate is removed to avoid damage
to the torque cell.
Fitting Instructions for the
Torn Top Plate
Step 1. Tornado with
torque drive shown
Step 2. Align top plate
with torque drive.
The handle is
positioned to the
left.
Step 3. Tighten screws
hand-tight only.
Step 4. For use of Tornado
with handle at
front, repeat steps
1 to 3 but position
top plate
accordingly during
step 2.

page 4
Assembly of
the Tornado
1.5N.m and 3N.m
When Tornado is in transit, the top
plate is removed to avoid damage
to the torque cell.
Fitting Instructions for the
Tornado Top Plate
Step 1. Tornado with
torque drive shown
Step 2. Align top plate
with torque drive.
The handle is
positioned to the
left.
Step 3. Tighten screws
finger-tight only.
Step 4. For use of Tornado
with handle at the
front, repeat steps
1 to 3 but position
top plate
accordingly during
step 2.
Unscrew the top plate handle so that the peg holders move
towards the outside edge of the plate. Align the top plate
with the torque drive so that the handle is on the left-hand
side of the top plate. Using the 2.5mm Allen key (provided),
tighten the four socket countersunk screws hand tight.
N.B. Do not overtighten as this may cause damage to the
delicate sensor

The Tornado is supplied with a set of 5 Nickel Metal
Hydride AAA rechargeable batteries, which are supplied
fully charged to allow use straight from the box. Do not use
any other battery charger other than that supplied with the
torque tester.
Under normal circumstances these rechargeable batteries
will not need to be replaced. However, if required, to
replace the rechargeable batteries you must first remove the
base plate on the base of the torque tester by removing the
6 retaining screws. This will reveal a retaining plate.
Remove this by releasing the 2 screws on the retaining
plate. Remove the fitted rechargeable batteries and fit the 5
new rechargeable batteries in the battery holder, ensuring
that you observe polarity and the batteries are placed on
top of the ‘release tag’ and they will be freed from the
spring-loaded contacts.
Refit the retaining plate and tighten the 2 screws. Refit the
base plate and tighten the 6 retaining screws.
Connect the mains adaptor/charger to the Tornado charger
socket located at the right hand side of the torque tester
next to the display and charge the new set of rechargeable
batteries for 14 - 16 hours. Only use the adaptor/charger
supplied. A fully charged battery pack will provide
approximately 20 hours constant use between charges.
A low battery symbol will appear in the display
approximately 2 minutes before the gauge powers down
automatically. See Fig. 1, below.
The Tornado may also be powered directly from the mains.
Simply maintain the mains adaptor/charger connection to
your mains supply as above. Only use the adaptor/charger
supplied.
page 5
Powering the
Tornado
Replacing rechargeable
batteries
Low battery warning
Mains operation
Fig. 1
Low battery
warning

The Tornado is supplied with 4 pegs which grip the sample
during testing.
Screw the pegs into the runners on the top fixture equally
spaced to ensure the sample is securely gripped when the
runners are brought together using the star handle on the
end of the lead screws.
nsure that the pegs are finger tight and the sample
securely clamped otherwise rotation in the fixture will
occur during testing.
As shown in Fig. 2 the control panel has 6 keys:
To power up the Tornado press
the red key. A short self
test runs during which the
display will show the capacity
in ‘N.m’ (newton metres).
After the self test, providing no torque has been applied to
the instrument, the display will show all zeros. This is
because the Tornado re-zeros itself during the self test
routine.
If a torque is applied rotationally via the fixture, the reading
on the display will register the applied torque.
page 6
Using the Tornado
Fitting accessories
When using the Tornado 1.5N.m,
take care not to overtighten the
sample in the pegs to avoid
damaging the torque sensor.
Powering up Fig. 2

page 7
Do not overload the torque sensor, as this could cause
irreparable damage.
Loads greater than 120% of full-scale will produce an
audible beep until the load is released and an OL symbol
will appear on the display
for 30 seconds .
Loads greater than 150% of full-scale will produce an
audible beep until load is released and an OL symbol will
appear
permanently on the display. Consult your supplier
to arrange repair.
To power down the Tornado press the red key.
Clockwise torque is displayed on the Tornado and
recognised by the symbol shown in Fig. 3.
Counter-clockwise torque is displayed on the Tornado and
recognised by the symbol shown in Fig. 4c.
A torque indicator bar alerts the operator to how much
load has been applied to the torque sensor. As the load
approaches the maximum rating of the torque sensor, the
indicator bar changes appearance when above
approximately 80% of the rated capacity. This warns the
operator that steps should be taken to prevent excessive
torque being applied.
Fig. 3
Symbol for
clockwise
torque Unit of
measurement
Load indicator
bar
Basic Functions
Clockwise and
counter-clockwise values
If the Tornado has suffered a serious
overload condition, the torque
indicator bar will be partially
displayed even when no torque is
present. This is a warning that the
torque sensor is damaged and you
should immediately contact your
supplier to arrange repair.

page 8
Zeroing the Tornado
Changing the unit of
measurement
Max (peak) readings
Max mode
When applying clockwise torque, the indicator bar begins
solid in appearance, then becomes striped when the
capacity is approached. When applying counter-clockwise
torque, the indicator bar begins striped, then becomes solid
(see Fig. 4b & 4c).
During operation of the Tornado it is sometimes necessary
to zero the display - e.g. when you wish to tare out a
displayed torque applied by the sample, so it does not
become part of the measured reading. Press and release the
ZERO key.
You can choose from the following units of measurement
depending on the capacity of your Tornado: N.m, N.cm,
mN.m, gf.cm, kgf.cm, kgf.m, lbf.ft, lbf.in, ozf.in.
To change the display units press and release the UNITS
key. ach successive key press will select the next available
units until the Tornado returns to its original setting.
The Tornado automatically converts readings as new units
of measure are selected.
The Tornado detects and stores maximum (peak) torque in
both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
Note: the following max display modes do not apply when
the % TAMP EV function is enabled. See page 19 for
alternative modes.
Press the MAX key. The display will show the word MAX
together with the highest counter-clockwise torque and the
highest clockwise torque detected during the test. The
current load being applied to the torque sensor is also
displayed - see Fig. 4a.

page 9
Press the MAX key again and the display will show the
maximum clockwise torque identified by its symbol.
Press the MAX key again and the display will show the
maximum counter-clockwise torque identified by its
symbol.
Fig. 4b
Max
counter-clockwise
reading
Fig. 4a
Max clockwise
reading
Max counter-
clockwise reading
Torque currently
applied
Dual max
Max clockwise torque
Max counter-clockwise
torque
Note: When % TAMP EV function
is enabled, different max modes
are shown, see page 19.
Direction of
torque
currently
applied
Max clockwise
reading
Fig. 4c

page 10
'Normal' mode
Data output
Analogue output
RS232 and
Digimatic output signals
A full range of interface cables are
available to connect your Tornado
to peripheral devices - see page 49
for details.
Continuous data
transmission
The continuous data stream rate is
25Hz, unless 115200 Baud is
selected, when it is 50Hz.
When using continuous
transmission over RS232 only, select
the TX METHOD as RS232 (see
page 24). If DIGIMATIC or DUAL is
selected, and no digimatic device is
connected, the display will
periodically freeze.
Press the MAX key again and the word MAX has now
disappeared from the display. The display will now indicate
torques applied in both directions as they are applied to the
torque sensor and maintain a 'running' display.
Press the RESET key to clear both maximum registers and
prepare for detecting the next maximum readings.
(See also COMMS section of Advanced Menu Options on
page 23)
An uncalibrated analogue output is available from the ‘D
type’ connector marked ‘coms’ for use with chart recorders,
oscilloscopes or any other devices requiring analogue
inputs. See technical specifications on pages 47 - 49 for
details.
It is possible to transmit the displayed reading to peripheral
devices (e.g. PC, printer) via the communications port, by
pressing and releasing the TXD key.
Displayed readings can also be requested individually from
a PC via the RS232 interface by sending a "?" character.
See page 32.
For sending a continuous data stream to a PC, printer, etc
press and hold the TXD key for 2 seconds then release.
TX will now appear in the display to indicate that data is
being sent, (see figure 5). To stop sending data, simply press
and release the TXD key, at which point TX will disappear
from the display.
Please note that the continuous data output only starts
when the load threshold default of 2% of the rated capacity
of the Tornado is reached. This threshold can be set from
0-100% (see page 24).
Fig. 5

page 11
Hold down the Ctrl key on the PC keyboard and press:
ato simulate pressing the TXD key*
bto simulate pressing the UNITS key
cto simulate pressing the MAX key
dto simulate pressing the RESET key
eto simulate pressing the ZERO key
See page 32 for full table.
* Note that the continuous transmission mode cannot be
entered via this method.
The Tornado Advanced Menus are navigated using the blue
text on the function keys.
Press and hold the MENU key for approximately 3 seconds
to access page 1 of the main-menu, (see Fig. 6). Pressing
the MENU key again takes you to pages 2 and 3 of the
main menu in turn. To move between the options listed on
the 3 main-menu pages, press the UP and DOWN keys to
move the cursor. Press the ENTER key to select sub-menus,
activate features and enter values. Within sub-menus the
UP and DOWN keys will also change numerical values.
Press the ESC key to return to the relevant main-menu page
and ESC again to return to the main display.
PC Communication or
other RS232 input device,
eg. PLC.
Tornado uses 9600, 19200, 57600
or 115200 Baud, 8 data bits, 1 start
bit, 1 stop bit, no parity and no
flow control. (See Advanced Menu
Options for setup details).
Advanced Menu
Options
Navigating the menus
MAIN MENU PAGE 1 Fig. 6
Main menu page 1

page 12
The Tornado has an audible and visual pass/fail alarm
feature. A band of acceptable torque result values can be
appointed, and the alarm set to trigger when recorded
values fall outside of, or within this band.
Up to 5 alarm settings may be stored, but only one setting
may be used at any one time.
To set an alarm, press and hold the MENU key until page 1
of the main-menu appears. The cursor arrow will point to
ALARM. Press the ENTER key.
The display will show ALARM OFF, and 5 separate alarms,
which may each be set up independently and stored by the
user for easy access when changing test routines.
The cursor will be positioned against the current alarm in
use, or against ALARM OFF if no alarm is selected.
To activate an alarm, move the curser to the desired alarm
and press ENTER.
This will access the ALARM sub-menu 2, however this
alarm has now been activated, and you can return to the
main display by pressing the ESC key twice. The main
display will now show an alarm ‘bell’ symbol accompanied
by the number of the alarm selected, indicating that that
alarm is activated (see Fig. 7).
If, however, you wish to change the settings of the selected
alarm, choose S T by pressing the ENTER key in ALARM
sub-menu 2.
ALARM
Alarms will not trigger in the first
1% of full-scale use.
ALARM sub-menu 1
(SETTING SELECTION)
ALARM sub-menu 2
(ALARM SET)
Fig. 7 Alarm symbol with
setting number in use

page 13
The display will now show the two limits - LIMIT 1 (lower
limit) and LIMIT 2 (upper limit) - plus the value they are set to
and whether they are in a clockwise (CW) or
counter-clockwise (CCW) direction. A diamond cursor
indicates which value is selected. Use the UP and DOWN
keys to change the value, press and hold to scroll values.
When the correct value is reached, press the ENTER key to set
LIMIT 1. Repeat procedure for LIMIT 2 (see Fig. 8).
Note: The alarm limits are not active below 1% of the
capacity of the tester.
The display shows AUDIBL , L D and BOTH with the arrow
cursor indicating which feature is selected. This menu selects
how the PASS/FAIL status of a value will be indicated.
AUDIBL Only the audible alarm will be activated when
the value is a pass/fail.
L D The PASS L D will illuminate green to indicate
a pass status, the FAIL L D will illuminate
orange or red to indicate low or high failures
respectively.
BOTH Both the L D and the audible alarm will be
activated.
Use the UP and DOWN keys to move the cursor and press
the ENTER key to select the desired feature.
ALARM sub-menu 3
(ALARM LIMITS)
ALARM sub-menu 4
(ALARM INDICATOR)
Fig. 8

page 14
The display shows OUT BAND and IN BAND. This menu
selects which values are to be considered.
OUT BAND Any value falling outside the set
limits LIMIT 1 and LIMIT 2.
IN BAND Any value falling between the set
limits LIMIT 1 and LIMIT 2.
Use the UP and DOWN keys to move the cursor and press
ENTER key to select the desired feature.
The display shows PASS or FAIL. This menu sets the OUT
BAND criteria.
PASS Values, which fall either OUT BAND
(or IN BAND, if selected), are a PASS
and will cause an audible beep,
illuminate an L D or both.
FAIL Values, which fall either OUT BAND
(or IN BAND, if selected), are a FAIL
and will cause an audible beep,
illuminate an L D or both.
Use UP and DOWN keys to move the cursor and press
ENTER key to select the desired feature.
The display shows BUZZ R ON, CONTINUOUS and
PULS . This menu selects the length of time that the buzzer
will sound, if AUDIBL or BOTH has been selected in
sub-menu 5.
CONTINUOUS The buzzer sounds at a pre-set
alarm value and stays on until the
load falls below that pre-set.
PULS The buzzer pulses for a fixed time
of one second every time the load
crosses over each of the presets.
Use the UP and DOWN keys to move the cursor and press
the ENTER key to select the desired feature.
The display will now return to the main menu page 1, press
ESC to return the main display.
ALARM sub-menu 5
(ALARM BAND)
ALARM sub-menu 6
(ALARM PASS/FAIL)
ALARM sub-menu 7
(ALARM BUZZER MODE)

page 15
In order to quickly and easily switch between pre-set
alarms, it is possible to instantly access an ALARM S L CT
page by holding down the R S T key for 3 seconds whilst
in the main display.
The ALARM S L CT page is similar to the ALARM
sub-menu 1- the display will show ALARM S L CT; OFF,
and the 5 separate alarms. The cursor will be positioned
against the current alarm in use, or against ALARM OFF if
no alarm is selected.
To activate an alarm, move the cursor to the desired alarm
(or to OFF to deactivate alarms) and press ENTER.
Alternatively, to cancel the command, press ESC.
The screen will return to the main display.
For PLC applications, this function requires an external
cable with a built-in solid-state relay - see Specifications on
pages 47-48 for details of the signal.
To configure the signal output of the Tornado, press and
hold the MENU key until page 1 of the main menu
appears. Press the DOWN key to move the arrow cursor to
PLC and press ENTER.
The display will show PLC OUTPUT:
OFF Indicates PLC function status
AT LIMITS Will set PLC signal at specified
load limits
AT ALARM Will tie in PLC signal with the
Tornado alarm settings
Select the desired function and press the ENTER key.
Fast Selection of Alarms
PLC
(Programmable Logic
Controller)
PLC sub-menu 1

page 16
The display will show:
R S T When the load limit is reached, the output
signal triggers and the RESET key must be
pressed to clear the line before starting the
next test.
CONTINUOUS The output signal will be activated every
time the load limit is reached and will
remain on whilst the load exceeds the set
limit.
PULS The output signal will be activated
momentarily when the load limit is
reached. The RESET key must be pressed
before starting the next test.
Select the desired function and press the ENTER key.
The display will show S T and a default load limit at which
the output signal will trigger. To set the required load limit use
UP and DOWN keys to adjust the value and the ENTER key
to confirm the selection.
The display will show STAT :
HIGH Will set PLC signal high at Tornado's alarm.
LOW Will set PLC signal low at Tornado's alarm.
Select the desired function and press the ENTER key.
The display will revert back to PLC sub-menu 1 and PLC ON
will now be displayed.
Press ESC key to return to the main menu page 1.
AT LIMITS sub-menu 1
AT LIMITS sub-menu 2
AT ALARM sub-menu 1

page 17
Once the desired settings for the Tornado have been
established, it is possible to password protect the menu
pages, so that no further changes may be made without
authorised access.
To access the PASSWORD function, press and hold the
MENU key until page 1 of the main-menu appears.
Using the UP and DOWN keys, move the arrow cursor to
PASSWORD, and press ENTER.
The display shows M NU PASSWORD:
OFF nables access to menu pages.
ON Requires a password be entered to access the
menu pages.
Use the UP and DOWN keys to move the arrow cursor
against the desired selection and press ENTER, then press
the ESC key twice to return to the main display.
If the PASSWORD function has been enabled, and the
MENU key is held down to access the menu pages from
the main display, a screen showing 0000 will appear, and
the menu password ‘6284’ must be entered to proceed.
Use the UP and DOWN keys to select the first number,
followed by ENTER to move on to the next number, and so
on. If the password is entered incorrectly, the display will
return to the main display.
This feature is used to ‘freeze’ the main-display when an
external signal is received. The Tornado can be configured
to freeze when going either low 1-0, falling edge (LO) or
high 0-1, rising edge (HI). This is particularly useful for
applications where an event occurs (e.g. rotary switch
testing). To clear the display press the RESET key.
To configure this function, press and hold the MENU key
until main menu page 1 appears. Press the DOWN key to
move the arrow cursor to FR Z and press the ENTER key.
Select the desired LO or HI function using UP or DOWN
arrow keys and press ENTER to select. When set, the
sub-menu will display FR Z ON. To disable the FR Z
function, align the cursor with FR Z ON and press the
ENTER key. FR Z OFF will now be displayed. Press ESC
to return to the main menu page 1.
PASSWORD
PASSWORD sub-menu 1
FREEZE
Use pins 7 & 10 for this
function – page 48 for details.
When unconnected, pin 7 is pulled
high internally.
FREEZE sub-menu 1

page 18
% TAMP EV
% TAMP EV sub-menu 1
(SET)
% TAMP EV sub-menu 2
(PERCENTAGE)
When testing tamper-evident caps and seals, the Tornado
enables the value at both the slip torque (1st peak) and
bridge torque (2nd peak) to be measured and displayed.
Once calculated, either result or both can be transmitted to
a peripheral device (see COMMS on page 23).
Different designs for tamper-evident seals can produce
slightly different profiles when tested. To accommodate this,
the Tornado has an adjustable feature (% drop) to ensure
the correct values are calculated on different types of seal.
The % drop feature is based on the capacity of the Tornado
unit, and refers to the amount that the 1st peak to be
calculated must drop before the software starts to look for
the 2nd peak. The default setting is based on a drop of 5%
(see Fig. 9). This can be adjusted depending upon the
profile of the cap to be tested.
To enable the % TAMP V function, press and hold the
MENU key until page 1 of the main menu appears. Press
the DOWN key to move the cursor to % TAMP V and
press the ENTER key.
The display will show % DROP OFF and S T.
Press the ENTER key to change OFF to ON.
Press the DOWN key to move the arrow cursor to S T and
press the ENTER key.
Use the UP and DOWN keys to set the percentage to the
desired value and press the ENTER key.
5%
For illustration only
Fig. 9

page 19
The values which are to be transmitted to a peripheral
device when using the TXD key on a dual max screen must
now be selected. The following display will appear.
TX 1st P AK Sets the Tornado to transmit the slip
torque (1st peak) only.
TX 2nd P AK Sets the Tornado to transmit the bridge
torque (2nd peak) only.
TX BOTH Sets the Tornado to transmit both the
slip torque (1st peak) and the bridge
torque (2nd peak).
Use the UP and DOWN keys to move the arrow cursor to
the desired selection and press ENTER.
The display will return to the % TAMP V sub-menu 1.
Press ESC to return to the main menu page 1, and again to
return to the main display.
When the % TAMP V function has been enabled, pressing
the MAX key will scroll through the following max display
modes, in order:
1) 1st and 2nd clockwise peaks
2) 1st clockwise peak only
3) 1st and 2nd counter-clockwise peaks (see Fig. 10).
4) 1st counter-clockwise peak only
5) Current 'live' reading
Mode 3) is required for measurement of tamper-evident
closure slip and bridge release torques.
Screen of 1st and 2nd peaks of tamper-evident closures
% TAMP EV sub-menu 3
(TX PEA S)
Max Modes with
% TAMP EV
function enabled
Testing Hints:
Where possible, apply torque to
tamper evident closures in a
smooth single turn. This will ensure
that accurate peaks for both slip
torque (1st peak) and bridge torque
(2nd peak) are calculated.
When setting up the Tornado, a
graphical representation of the test
provides a clear insight into the %
drop factor required. Please contact
Mecmesin or your approved
supplier for details on DataPlot
graphical charting software.
Direction of
torque
Unit of
measurement
2nd peak
1st peak
Direction of
torque
Fig. 10