Omega HFH81 User manual

Thank you for your selection of
this Fruit Hardness Tester. To
ensure that you get the most
out of the instrument,we
strongly recommend you read
and follow the instructions in
this manual carefully.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
!
*
held compact penetrometer for
fruit firmness and some
vegetable hardness testing, the
universally accepted measure
of ripeness.
* The HFH80 series is the grower’s
indispensable tool for knowing
when to pick and ship.
* The HFH80 Fruit Tester measures
the force required to push a
The Ripeness Tester is a hand-
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
MULTIPLE DISPLAY UNIT-KG, LB, N & Pa
EASY ZERO ADJUSTMENT.
ACCURACY VERIFICATION
Accurate Fruit Testing Requires:
Controlling tip penetration.
Providing a means to verify
gage accuracy.
Controlling the speed of tip
penetration.
1. FEATURES
General operation precautions
WARNING 2. A GUIDE TO SELECT THE
MODEL
The model of HFH80 Fruit Testers
to chose from 3 models is used
with specific size penetrometer
tips for testing ripeness of
specific fruit.
HFH81
(3.5mm) Small Fruits, Soft Fruits,
HFH83
(7.9mm) Larger Fruits, Firm
Fruits ,Hard Fruits
(11.1mm) Apple, Firm Fruits
Small Fruits: e.g. Strawberry,
Cherry, Grape,
Berries
Soft Fruits: e.g. Peach, Banana,
Apricot, Plum,
M e l o n , C i t r u s ,
Persimmon
FirmFruits:e.g.Pear, Nectarine,Kiwi
Hard Fruits: e.g. Avocado
Display 4 digits,10 mm LCD
Range:
HFH81
2
0.2-5.0 kgf/cm
Tip size 3.5mm
HFH83
2
0.2-11.0kgf/cm Tipsize11.1mm
2
0.4-22.0kgf/cm Tipsize7.9mm
Tip size can be interchanged
after tip size is chosen.
Resolution:
0.01 if reading<10
0.1 if 10<reading<99.9
1 if reading>100
Unit conversion:
2
kgf (kgf/cm )
2
lbf (lbf/cm )
2
N (N/cm )
Pa
2
Accuracy: ± (1%H+0.1)kgf/cm
Power supply: 4x1.5 AAA size
3. SPECIFICATIONS
3-1 Display
3-8 RS-232C interface
3-9 Battery compartment
3-2 Power key (Multifunctional)
3-3 Unit conversion
3-4 Tip selection (HFH80 only)
3-5 Max hold key
3-6 Zero
3-7 Plunger tip
reading on the display should be 0.
If not, depress the 'ZERO' key to
make the HFH80 tester display “0”.
E. Hold the fruit against a hard
surface and force the tip
vertically into the pulp at a
uniform speed (take about 3
seconds).
F. The tip should consistently
penetrate to the break in tip
diameter or to the scribed line on
some tips.
G. Record reading on the display.
H. If a maximum reading is needed,
just press the key 'MAX' till the
mark 'Max' shows on the display
before taking measurements.
The appearance of mark 'Max' is
controlled by the key 'MAX'.
I. To take the next measurement, just
depress the 'ZERO' key and repeat
steps from E to G.
J. Unit conversion is controlled by
depressing the key 'UNIT'.
K. For the model HFH83, make sure
the plunger tip is in accordance
5. MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES
Larger Fruits
A. Select an appropriate plunger tip
for the commodity to be tested.
See “A GUIDE TO SELECT
THE MODEL”.
B. Select a random sample of 10 to 15
fruits of uniform size and the same
temperature or 3% of the lot to be
sampled. For best results, suggest
one person should test the lot.
C. R emove a disc of skin on
opposite cheeks of the fruit
midway between the stem and
bottom on sun and shade sides.
Then proceed with puncture test.
D. Zero adjustment
Hold the HFH80 vertically with the
plunger tip hanging in the air, the
plunger tip of specified size
into the fruit pulp. The force
reading assists in determining
the appropriate picking time or
mon i t ori n g fru i t soft e nin g
during storage.
* Because of the number of fruit
and vegetable varieties,
geographical locations and
other variations, the
a p p r o p r i a t e f i r m n e s s f o r
harvesting will vary. Therefore
HFH80 users must combine
experience and expertise to
establish the firmness value
that applies to their specific
variety and locale.
* Automatic power off to conserve
power.
* Can communicate with PC for
recording, printing and
analyzing by the optional
software and cable for RS232C
interface.
Power off : 2 modes
Manual off at any time
A u t o p o w e r o f f a f t e r 5
minutes from last key
operation
Operating conditions:
Temperature : 0-45℃
Humidity : below 90% RH
Dimensions:
204x62x33mm or
8.0x2.4x1.3 inch
Weight:
230g (not including batteries)
Standard accessories included :
Carrying case ………………1 pc.
Operation manual………… .1 pc.
Optional accessory:
Cable and software for
R
P/N: HFH80-SW
S232C and USB
4. FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTIONS
3-5
3-4
3-3
3-2
3-6
3-8
3-1
3-7
3-9
HFH80 SERIES
Fruit Hardness Tester
M5080/0112
Shop online at: omega.com e-mail: [email protected]
Made in Taiwan
For latest product manuals: omegamanual.info
INSTRUCTION
SHEET

Apply a force N to the tip.
When readings are almost
unchanged, press the key
'MAX' to hold the reading P
which should satisfy the
equation below.
P=k× N
e. g. if applying 0.4 kgf to HFH81,
the reading should be
0.4 10.399=4.16
Max. deviation is
±(4.16*1%+0.1)=±0.14
so correct reading should lie in
×
7. MAINTENANCE
A. Before daily use, exercise the
plunger in and out for 10
s e c o n d s t o e n s u r e t h e
mechanism functions freely.
B. After daily use, clean the
penetrometer tips. Carefully
hold the tester with the load
shaft pointing down under a
slowly flowing water faucet
for a few seconds, dry with a
towel and allow to dry further
by s ta nd ing it with shaft
pointing down.
C. The HFH80 tester should never
be lubricated with oil since
this will accumulate dust
causing increased friction and
decreased accuracy. Model Tip Coefficient
HFH81
HFH83
3.5mm
7.9mm
11.1mm
k=10.399
k=2.041
k=1.053
with the tip size on the display. If
not, press the key '7.9/11.1' to
choose.
Smaller Fruits
Similar to large fruit testing except:
A. Make a puncture test on only
one cheek midway between
the stem and the bottom.
B.Removal of the skin is
unnecessary.
C.Penetration should be
sufficient to obtain peak
reading. Repetitive testing is
a perfect testing technique for
small fruits.
6. BATTERY REPLACEMENT
A. When the battery symbol
appears on the display, it is
time to replace the batteries.
B. Slide the Battery Cover away
from the tester and remove the
batteries.
C. Install batteries paying
careful attention to polarity.
!
WARNING
PART 8 AND 9 ARE ONLY FOR
SKILLED AND PROFESSIONAL
PERSONNEL ONLY.
Users are not suggested to try
to carry out the operations in
part 8 and part 9. Improper
operation will lead to the HFH80
tester inaccurate, even could
not work.
8.HOW TO SET THE TIME OF
AUTO POWER OFF
The default setting for auto power
off at the factory is 5 minutes.
That means the tester will auto
power off 5 minutes from the time
of last key operation. Users can
change it to any value between 0-
9 minutes by following steps.
Depress the POWER for about 4
seconds, release it after "OFF"
shows on display, then press the
key 'MAX' to preset the time as
desired. To disable the function of
auto power off, just preset the
time to 0. the tester will only be
shut down manually in such a
case.To quit the time setting, just
press the key ZERO.
9.ACCURACY VERIFICATION
Prior to use, the HFH80 tester
accuracy should be verified by
testing with weights.
HFH80 accuracy can be easily
verified by the following formula.
P=N/S
Here P is HFH80 reading
N is the force applied to the
plunger tip
S is the area on which the
force is applied.
Based on the above formula,
coefficients are given for
different models below.
=4.02-4.30kgf
But if applying 11.0 kgf to
HFH83 (7.9mm) the reading
should be
11x2.041=22.45
Max. deviation is
±(22.45*1%+0.1)=±0.32
so correct reading should lie in
22.45±0.32
=22.13-22.77kgf
If the deviation is beyond its
accuracy, Depress Power key
and not release it till 'CO'
appears on the Display. It takes
about 6 seconds from starting
depressing Power key. Then
adjust the reading P by the
'MAX' key (increase) or 'UNIT'
key (decrease) to the desired
value. store that value and quit
by pressing Zero key.
A. Install the optional RS232C
software to the PC.
10. COMMUNICATE WITH PC
B. Connect the tester to the COM
or USB port of the PC with the
optional RS232 cables. To
connect to a USB port, a USB
adaptor is required.
C. Run the software on the desktop
and select the COM port or
USB port in the system
settings.
D. Click the button of data
collection, then click the
button of Begin/Continue.
WARRANTY/DISCLAIMER
OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. warrants this unit to be free of defects in materials
and workmanship for a period of 13 months from date of purchase. OMEGA’s
WARRANTY adds an additional one (1) month grace period to the normal one
(1) year product warranty to cover handling and shipping time. This ensures
that OMEGA’s customers receive maximum coverage on each product.
If the unit malfunctions, it must be returned to the factory for evaluation.
OMEGA’s Customer Service Department will issue an Authorized Return (AR)
number immediately upon phone or written request. Upon examination by
OMEGA, if the unit is found to be defective, it will be repaired or replaced at no
charge. OMEGA’s WARRANTY does not apply to defects resulting from any
action of the purchaser, including but not limited to mishandling, improper
interfacing, operation outside of design limits, improper repair, or unauthorized
modification. This WARRANTY is VOID if the unit shows evidence of having
been tampered with or shows evidence of having been damaged as a result of
excessive corrosion; or current, heat, moisture or vibration; improper specifica-
tion; misapplication; misuse or other operating conditions outside of OMEGA’s
control. Components in which wear is not warranted, include but are not limited
to contact points, fuses, and triacs.
OMEGA is pleased to offer suggestions on the use of its various products.
However, OMEGA neither assumes responsibility for any omissions or errors
nor assumes liability for any damages that result from the use of its
products in accordance with information provided by OMEGA, either verbal
or written. OMEGA warrants only that the parts manufactured by the
compamy will be as specified and free of defects. OMEGA MAKES NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER,
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, EXCEPT THAT OF TITLE, AND ALL IMPLIED
WARRANTIES INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: The remedies of purchaser set forth herein are
exclusive, and the total liability of OMEGA with respect to this order,
whether based on contract, warranty, negligence, indemnification, strict
liability or otherwise, shall not exceed the purchase price of the component
upon which liability is based. In no event shall OMEGA be liable for
consequential, incidental or special damages.
CONDITIONS: Equipment sold by OMEGA is not intended to be used, nor shall it
be used: (1) as a “Basic Component” under 10 CFR 21 (NRC), used in or with any
nuclear installation or activity; or (2) in medical applications or used on humans.
Should any Product(s) be used in or with any nuclear installation or activity,
medical application, used on humans, or misused in any way, OMEGA assumes
no responsibility as set forth in our basic WARRANTY/ DISCLAIMER language,
and, additionally, purchaser will indemnify OMEGA and hold OMEGA harmless
from any liability or damage whatsoever arising out of the use of the Product(s) in
sucha manner.
RETURN REQUESTS / INQUIRIES
Direct all warranty and repair requests/inquiries to the OMEGA Customer
Service Department. BEFORE RETURNING ANY PRODUCT(S) TO OMEGA,
PURCHASER MUST OBTAIN AN AUTHORIZED RETURN (AR) NUMBER FROM
OMEGA’S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT (IN ORDER TO AVOID
PROCESSING DELAYS). The assigned AR number should then be marked on
the outside of the return package and on any correspondence.
The purchaser is responsible for shipping charges, freight, insurance and proper
packaging to prevent breakage in transit.
FOR WARRANTY RETURNS, please
have the following information
available BEFORE contacting OMEGA:
1. Purchase Order number under
which the product was
PURCHASED,
2. Model and serial number of the
product under warranty, and
3. Repair instructions and/or specific
problems relative to the product.
FOR NON-WARRANTY REPAIRS,
consult OMEGA for current repair
charges. Have the following information
available BEFORE contacting OMEGA:
1. Purchase Order number to cover the
COST of the repair,
2. Model and serial number of the
product, and
3. Repair instructions and/or specific
problems relative to the product.
OMEGA’s policy is to make running changes, not model changes, whenever an
improvement is possible. This affords our customers the latest in technology
and engineering.
OMEGA is a registered trademark of OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC.
© Copyright 2012 OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. All rights reserved. This docu-
ment may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any
electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without the
prior written consent of OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC.
It is the policy of OMEGA Engineering, Inc. to comply with all worldwide
safety and EMC/EMI regulations that apply. OMEGA is constantly pursuing
certification of its products to the European New Approach Directives.
OMEGA will add the CE mark to every appropriate device upon certification.
The information contained in this document is believed to be correct, but
OMEGA accepts no liability for any errors it contains, and reserves the right
to alter specifications without notice.
WARNING: These products are not designed for use in, and should not be
used for, human applications.
4.16±0.14