PCE Instruments PCE-1000N User manual

© PCE Instruments
PCE-1000N Barcol Hardness Tester
User Manual
User manuals in various languages (Deutsch,
français, italiano, español, português, nederlands,
türk, polski, русский, 中文) can be downloaded here:
www.pce-instruments.com
Last change: 13 October 2017
v1.0
English

© PCE Instruments
Contents
1Safety notes........................................................................................... 1
2Specifications........................................................................................ 2
2.1 Technical Specifications:.................................................................................................. 2
2.2 Delivery Contents:............................................................................................................ 2
3System description............................................................................... 3
3.1 Device.............................................................................................................................. 3
3.2 Structure and Function Keys ............................................................................................ 4
3.3 Display............................................................................................................................. 5
4Getting started.......................................................................................5
4.1 Power supply ................................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Preparation ...................................................................................................................... 5
5Operation ............................................................................................... 6
5.1 Measurement................................................................................................................... 6
5.2 Further Functions............................................................................................................. 6
6Calibration ............................................................................................. 7
6.1 Low end calibration .......................................................................................................... 7
6.2 High end calibration.......................................................................................................... 7
6.3 Display value calibration................................................................................................... 7
7Troubleshooting....................................................................................8
7.1 Pin Replacement.............................................................................................................. 8
8Further information............................................................................... 9
8.1 Approximate conversion curve ......................................................................................... 9
8.2 Hardness conversion........................................................................................................ 9
9Warranty...............................................................................................12
10 Disposal ...............................................................................................12

© PCE Instruments
1
1 Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you use the device for the first time.
The device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments
personnel. Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our
liability and not covered by our warranty.
The device must only be used as described in this instruction manual. If used
otherwise, this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature,
relative humidity, …) are within the ranges stated in the technical specifications. Do
not expose the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or
moisture.
Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
You must not make any technical changes to the device.
The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral
cleaner, no abrasives or solvents.
The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not
use the device.
Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under
any circumstances.
Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to
the user.
We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of
business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found at
the end of this manual.

© PCE Instruments
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2 Specifications
2.1 Technical Specifications:
Parameters
Barcol Hardness (Hba)
Brinell Hardness (HB)
Vickers Hardness (HV)
Webster Hardness (HW)
Rockwell Hardness (HRB/HRE/HRF/HRH)
Measurement range
0~100 HBa, equivalent to a Brinell hardness
of 25~150HB
Resolution
0.1 HBa
Measurement error
81~88 HBa±1 HBa
42~48 Hba±2 HBa
Repeatability error
81~88 HBa±1.5 HBa
42~48 HBa±2.5 Hba
Operating conditions
- temperature
- humidity
0~50°C
<50%RH
Power supply
2 x 1.5 V AAA batteries
Dimensions
170 x 63 x 82 mm
Weight
390g (without batteries)
2.2 Delivery Contents:
1 x Barcol hardness tester PCE-1000N
2 x spare pins
2 x calibration plates
1 x pin length calibration block
3 x screwdrivers
1 x wrench
1 x carrying case
1 x instruction manual

© PCE Instruments
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3 System description
3.1 Device
The PCE-1000N is a digital indentation hardness tester for measuring the hardness of
aluminium. It comes with many different features, such as a digital display, good stability, a
maximum and average value function. It is mainly used in the aluminium processing industry for
testing aluminium castings and forgings. It can also be used for softer metals, such as copper or
lead, as well as for fibre-reinforced plastics. The device meets the following standards: ASTM
B648-00, ASTM HD2583-07 and GB / T 3854-2005.
Features:
- The device is portable due to its small dimensions and can be operated with one hand
only.
- The device has a wide measuring range and can measure hard aluminium alloys as
well as soft pure aluminium and other softer metals, such as copper and lead. The
effective measuring range is equivalent to a Brinell hardness of 25~150HB.
- The max hold function shows the maximum value during the measurement.
- The PCE-1000N can be used for measuring not only Barcol hardness, but also Brinell
hardness (HB), Vickers hardness (HV), Webster hardness (HW) and Rockwell
hardness (HRB/HRE/HRF/HRH).
- With its average function, the device can calculate an average value of up to 29
readings.
With its standard load spring and standard pressure pins, the PCE-1000N can be used for a
variety of different materials, such as aluminium, aluminium alloy, copper, copper alloy, fibre-
reinforced plastics (glass, steel), other reinforced plastics, non-reinforced hard plastic, and other
materials. The typical hardness range is 25 –135 HBW (500kg, 10mm). The following chart
shows typical Barcol hardness values of different aluminium alloys:
Alloy and heat
treatment
1100-0
3003-0
3003H14
2024-0
Barcol
Hardness
35
42
56
60
Alloy and heat
treatment
5052-0
5052H14
6061T6
2024T3
Barcol
hardness
62
62
80
85

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3.2 Structure and function Keys
The PCE-1000N measures the indentation hardness by pressing a specific pressure pin with a
specific pressure into the surface of the sample. The hardness is calculated via the indentation
depth. The device uses the following formula:
HBa=100-h/0.0076
HBa Barcol hardness value
H indentation depth (mm)
0.0076 indentation depth at 1 Barcol
2-1 housing screws
2-2 high end calibration button
2-3 low end calibration button
2-4 spring tube
2-5 lower spindle spring
2-6 pressure pin
2-7 main spindle adjusting screw
2-8 upper spindle
2-9 upper spindle spring
2-10 lever
2-11 supporting feet
2-12 lower spindle connecting screw
2-13 shield ring
2-14 display
2-15 average/minus button
2-16 hardness scale
2-17 power/menu button
2-18 max/plus button

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3.3 Display
2-19 average indicator
2-20 statistical number indicator
2-21 battery indicator
2-22 number of recorded measurements
2-23 maximum indicator
2-24 measurement reading
4 Getting started
4.1 Power supply
When the low battery indication is displayed, you need to replace the batteries. Open the
battery cover and take out the batteries. Insert two new AAA batteries and close the cover of the
battery compartment. Mind the correct polarity.
4.2 Preparation
- To power on the tester, just press the Power / Menu key. There are 2 methods to
power off the tester: automatic power-off and manual power-off.
Press and hold the Power / Menu key for about 3 seconds to power off the device.
After 10 minutes of idling time, the tester shuts down automatically.
- To check the tester’s accuracy, place the supplied hardness blocks on a hard, flat
surface and take a measurement. The reading should be in the indicated range of two
hardness blocks. If it is out of the range, a calibration according to chapter 6 is
needed.
- The sample surface should be smooth, clean and without any mechanical damage.
The sample surface can be slightly polished to eliminate scratches or coatings.
- The specimen thickness should be not less than 1.5 mm and there should not be
any obvious deformation on the supporting surface after testing.
- The size of the sample should ensure that the minimum distance between the pin tip
and any edge is not less than 3 mm.
- Make sure that there are no previous test indentations in a radius of 3 mm around the
current test position.
- In order to ensure the accuracy of the measurement, the pin must be perpendicular to
the surface of the sample.
- Test samples should be placed stably. Small samples should be placed on a solid
surface. (e. g., steel, glass, etc.).
- During the measurement, the sample should not be tilted. The sample should also be
protected against slipping and deformation.

© PCE Instruments
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5 Operation
5.1 Measurement
Place the device on the sample and push it down on the surface with enough pressure. Read
out the hardness value from the display.
5.2 Further functions
5.2.1 Max hold function
Press the Maximum / Plus key. The ‘MAX’ indication appears in the upper right corner of the
display. The maximum value since the activation of the function is shown on the display. To exit
the max hold function, just press the Power / Menu Key. The ‘MAX’ indication disappears.
5.2.2 Average function
Press the Average / Minus key. The statistical measurement number indication ‘N’ and the
‘MAX’ indication appear on the display. Additionally, a ‘0’ appears on the left side of the display
and ‘0.0’ appears on the right side. The left value is the number of measurements taken. The
right value is the reading of the last measurement.
Take measurements until the number of measurements taken reaches the set value of the
statistical measurement number ‘N’. Now the device calculates the average value of the
measurements taken. The result is shown on the right side of the display. In addition, an ‘AVE’
indication appears and the device emits an acoustic signal.
5.2.3 Setting the statistical measurement number ‘N’
To set the statistical measurement number, press and hold the Power / Menu key for about 6
seconds until the ‘ ’ indication appears on the display. Press the Maximum / Plus key or
Average / Minus key to adjust the measurement number. The statistical measurement number
can be set between 1~29. Press the Power / Menu Key to return the standard measurement
mode.
Use the method of calculating the average of several measurements to figure out the
measurement value. The softer the sample is, the more measurements should be included. The
suggested number of measurements can be seen in the following tables:
Suggested number of measurements for aluminium alloys
(According to ASTM B648-2000)
Barcol hardness value
Min. number of measurements
50
6
60
5
70
4
80
3

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Suggested number of measurements for reinforced and non-reinforced plastic (According to
GB/T3854-2005)
Non-reinforced
plastic
(hard plastic)
Min. number of
measurements
Reinforced plastic
(glass, steel)
Min. number of
measurements
20
9
30
29
30
8
40
22
40
7
50
16
50
6
60
10
60
5
70
5
70
4
80
3
6 Calibration
The calibration of this tester includes low end calibration, high end calibration, and display value
calibration. The device comes factory calibrated. If the reading is out of the indicated range of
the test blocks when checking the accuracy or if you replaced the pressure pin you need to
calibrate the device.
NOTE: It is necessary to loosen the main spindle adjusting screw before performing a
zero calibration or a full scale calibration.
6.1 Low end calibration
Press and hold the Power / Menu key for about 9 seconds until ‘’ ’ is shown on the display.
Release the key and a digit appears on the display. Press the Maximum / Plus key or the
Average / Minus key to adjust the digit until it equals the indicated value on the pin length
calibration block. Press the Power / Menu key to exit.
Use a small screw driver to loosen the main spindle adjusting screw in counter-clockwise
direction until the end. Put the pin tube into the hole of the pin length calibration block and push
the tester so that the pin draws back completely into the pin tube. The reading value should
equal the thickness value indicated on the pin length calibration block. If it is exceeded, press
the low end calibration button. The standard value will be displayed. Release the low end
calibration button. The low end calibration is now completed.
6.2 High end calibration
Use a small screw driver to loosen the main spindle adjusting screw in counter-clockwise
direction until the end. Place the tester on a solid flat surface, such as a glass plate. Push the
tester so that the pin draws back completely into the pin tube: ‘100.0’should be shown on the
display. If it is exceeded, press the high end calibration button and ‘100.0’will be displayed.
Release the high end calibration button. The high end calibration is now completed.
6.3 Display value calibration
Use a small screw driver to adjust the main spindle adjusting screw. The display value
decreases when turning it clockwise and increases when turning it counter-clockwise. Adjust the
screw until the measured value is in the indicated range of the 2 standard blocks.

© PCE Instruments
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7 Troubleshooting
With the frequent use of the tester, the pressure pin will be worn out slightly. When this
happens, the measurement value will deviate. So it is necessary to check the wear of the
pressure pin on a regular basis. If you do not get two readings which lie within the indicated
range of the two calibration blocks when performing a display calibration, this means that the
pressure pin is worn out and needs to be replaced. After that, the device needs to be calibrated
again.
7.1 Pin replacement
Loosen the screws on both sides of the handle with a small screwdriver (a total of 12). Take off
the case and take out the spring tube. Loosen the lower spindle connecting screw with a
spanner and take out the lower spindle. Now you can remove the used pin and replace it with a
new one, then reinstall the lower spindle and lock it with the spanner. Put on the spring tube,
remount the case and lock it with the screws. See the following picture for reference.
After replacing the pressure pin, you need to calibrate the device again.
When the tester is used over a longer period of time, especially when measuring soft aluminium
alloy materials, some material might remain on the pin which might affect the accuracy of the
device. To eliminate this error, make sure to check and clean the top of the measuring pin on a
regular basis.