PCE Instruments PCE-CT 2X BT Series Coating Thickness Gauge User Manual

: June 12, 2024
: PCE Instruments

PCE Instruments PCE-CT 2X BT Series Coating Thickness Gauge

Product Information

The PCE-CT 2X BT Series Coating Thickness Gauge is a device designed for measuring the thickness of coatings on various surfaces. It is equipped with advanced technology to provide accurate and reliable measurements.

This user manual provides detailed instructions on how to operate the gauge, including safety precautions, technical specifications, delivery scope, display description, power supply, measurement methods, menu options, calibration procedures, troubleshooting tips, and contact information.

Technical Specifications

Model: PCE-CT 2X BT Series
Last change: 9 February 2022 v1.0

Delivery Scope

The package includes the following items:

PCE-CT 2X BT Series Coating Thickness Gauge
Power supply adapter
User manual

Display Description

The display of the gauge provides essential information about the measurement results and settings. The user manual contains a detailed description of the display indicators and their meanings.

Power Supply

The gauge can be powered using the provided power supply adapter.

Measurement

The gauge offers continuous measurement capability for convenient and efficient coating thickness evaluation.

Menu

The gauge features a menu system that allows users to access various settings and functions. The user manual provides a comprehensive menu structure explanation.

Calibration

Calibration is an important process to ensure accurate measurements. The gauge supports zero point calibration, one-point calibration, and five-point calibration methods. Detailed instructions for each calibration method are provided in the user manual.

PC Transfer

The gauge supports PC transfer functionality, allowing users to transfer measurement data to a computer for further analysis and documentation. The user manual provides instructions on how to perform the PC transfer.

App Transfer

The gauge supports app transfer functionality, enabling users to transfer measurement data to a mobile application for easy data management. Instructions for the app transfer are provided in the user manual.

Troubleshooting

If any issues or errors occur during the operation of the gauge, the user manual contains a troubleshooting section with possible solutions.

Contact

If you have any questions or need assistance with the PCE-CT 2X BT Series Coating Thickness Gauge, please contact PCE Instruments using the contact details provided at the end of the user manual.

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.

Technical specifications

Model	PCE-CT 21BT	PCE-CT 22BT	PCE-CT 23BT
Measurable substrates	Fe	Fe, NFe	Fe, NFe
Probe	external	internal	external
Measurement range	0 … 1500 µm
Resolution	0.1 µm (within meas. range 0 … 99.9 µm) 1 µm (within meas.

Delivery scope

1 x coating thickness gauge PCE-CT 2x BT series
5 x calibration foil reference
1 x Fe zero standard
1 x NFe zero standard (only for PCE-CT 22BT and PCE-CT 23BT)
1 x transport loop
2 x 1.5 V AA batteries
1 x carrying case
1 x user manual

Display description

Key description

Power supply

To start using the meter, first insert 2 x 1.5 V AA batteries into the battery compartment on the back. Make sure the polarity is correct when inserting them.
The meter can also be supplied with power via the micro USB port. Thus, the coating thickness gauge can be operated via the USB port of a computer, for example.

On / off

To switch the meter on/off, press and hold the key for more than 1 second. When the meter is not in use, it will automatically turn off within 3 minutes.

Measurement

To make a measurement, place the tip of the sensor on the surface to be measured. A measured value will be displayed directly. Make sure that you place the sensor on the sample vertically and quickly. The meter will detect automatically whether the base material is magnetic (Fe) or non-magnetic (nFe). During a measurement, the sensor must not be moved, otherwise incorrect measurements may occur. To carry out further measurements, place the sensor on the next measuring spot.

Important:
In order to obtain the best results, it is important to take measurements on a smooth and non-slip surface.
Do not impact the sensor head too forcefully on the test object, otherwise you could damage the probe.

Continuous measurement
To perform a continuous measurement, place the sensor on the object to be measured. A measured value will be displayed. Now keep the sensor on the current measuring spot for three seconds. The continuous measurement starts automatically. To stop the continuous measurement, lift the sensor.

Important:
Do not make continuous measurements on sensitive surfaces to create sequences, otherwise you could damage the surface.
Do not carry out continuous measurements on rough surfaces as this could damage the sensor.

To open the menu, press the key. The upper part of the display shows you the menu level currently open. The lower part of the display shows the currently selected function at the menu level. You can use the arrow keys to select between the functions and also change parameter values. Press the key to open the corresponding function. Press the back key to go back one level.

Menu structure

Menu

| ****

Calibration (Calib)

| Zero point calibration (Zero Calib)
---|---|---
Factory calibration (Factory calib)
1-point calibration (1 point calib)
5-point calibration

(5-point calib)

Data groups (Data Group)

| History
Selected group (Select Grp XXX)
Delete last value (Remove latest)
Delete group (Erase group)
Clear memory completely (Erase all)

Limit value alarm (Limit Alarm)

| Activate alarm (alarm on)
Upper limit value (Up limit)
Lower limit value (Low limit)
Unit| µm, mil

Device information (About)

| Sensor type (Type)
Serial number (Serial)
Hardware version (Hardware)
Software version

(Software)

Calibration

To perform a calibration, the meter has various functions.

Factory calibration
Zero point calibration
One-point calibration
Five-point calibration

In order to obtain the most accurate measurement result over the entire measuring range, a five-point calibration is recommended. A calibration of magnetic (Fe) and non-magnetic substrates (nFe) is independent on each other. After each calibration, check the measured values again with the references. If the measured values are still not within the accuracies, repeat the calibration if necessary.

Zero point calibration
To perform a zero point calibration, press the key. Now place the sensor on the corresponding zero reference. When “Lift probe up” appears on the display, remove the sensor from the reference. You will then be asked if you want to accept the calibration. Press the key to save the change. To discard the setting, press the key.

One-point calibration
To perform a 1-point calibration, first go to the calibration menu and select “1-point calib”. Now place the sensor on the corresponding zero reference. When “Lift probe up” appears on the display, remove the sensor from the zero reference. Now place a foil reference on the zero reference. Now carry out a measurement of the reference by positioning the probe on the foil. When “Lift probe up” appears on the display, remove the sensor from the reference. The display will now show the measured value. With the arrow keys, you can now set this value to the calibration reference. Confirm the set value with the key. You are then asked whether you want to accept the calibration. Press the key to save the change. To discard the setting, press the key.

Five-point calibration
To perform a five-point calibration, first go to the calibration menu and select “5-point calib”. Now place the sensor on the corresponding zero reference. When “Lift probe up” appears on the display, remove the sensor from the zero reference. Now place a foil reference on the zero reference. Now carry out a measurement of the reference by positioning the probe on the film. When “Lift probe up” appears on the display, remove the sensor from the reference. The display will now show the measured value. With the arrow keys, you can now set this value to the value of the calibration reference. Confirm the set value with the key. The second calibration point will follow now. Now use another calibration reference and repeat the calibration procedure until you reach the last calibration point. Then you are asked whether you want to accept the calibration. Press the key to save the change. To discard the setting, press the key.
Important: When instructed to lift the probe, lift the probe quickly and place it 30 cm away from the reference before changing the reference film.

Data group

With this coating thickness gauge, the measured values are saved automatically. Various data groups are available for this purpose. To make settings to the data memory, go to the menu under the item “Data Group”. Here, you can make the following settings:

Course (History)| Here you can view the last measured values belonging to the set measuring group.
---|---
Selected group (Select Grp XXX)| Here you set the current measuring group.

If you make settings in the menu item “Data group”, these always refer to the data group

selected here. The measured values are also saved in the data group selected here.

Delete last value (Remove latest)| With this function, you can delete the last measured value.
Delete group (Erase group)| The entire measuring group is deleted here.
Erase memory completely (Erase all)| Here, you can clear the entire memory.

Limit value alarm

To set limit values, first go to the “limit alarm” menu. Under the item “Alarm on”, you can activate the limit alarm function. You can set the limits as follows:

Upper limit value (Up limit)	Here, you can set the upper limit value.
Lower limit value (Low limit)	Here, you can set the lower limit value.

If the measured value is within the limit range, the LED indicator briefly flashes in green. If the measured value is outside the limit values, the LED indicator briefly flashes in red. The display shows whether the current measured value is too high or too low.

Convert unit

To change the unit, go to the menu. Under the item “Unit”, you can choose between the units µm and millimetre.

Backlight

The backlight switches on and off automatically. It is not possible to adjust this.

Software

The data from the coating thickness gauge can also be exported. For this purpose, there is the possibility of Bluetooth transfer to an Android or iOS device. It is also possible to transfer the data to a PC via the micro USB interface.

PC transfer

First connect the meter to the PC using a micro USB cable.

Note: You can also find the software on the download page on https://www .pce-instruments.com.
Then open the “Coatingmaster” software. Under “Port” select “Silicon Laps CP210x USB to UART Bridge”. If this is not available, the driver may be missing. You can find the driver in the program folder under the “driver” folder. If you have a 64-bit system, use the installation file “CP210xVCPInstaller_x64”. If you have a 32-bit system, use the installation file “CP210xVCPInstaller_x86” to install the driver. Now click on “Connect”. The software now establishes a connection to the meter.

Under the tab “Data”, the displays on the meter are now shown mirrored in the programme. This means that the data are live-transferred to the PC. The software is synchronised with the meter via the “Sync” button.

The “Group” tab displays all data saved on the meter. To export these data now, click on “Export”. The data can now be saved to the PC as a CSV file. Click the “Sync” button to synchronise the software with the test instrument.

App transfer

To establish a connection with a mobile device, first download the “Coatingmaster” app. Then switch on the Bluetooth function in the measuring device. Now connect the coating thickness gauge via the app. To do this, select
“Coating_XXXX” in the app.

Note:
The Bluetooth connection is always active and cannot be disabled.
You will then be taken directly to the measurement window where the current measured value is displayed. Via the
“Master” function, the meater is synchronised with the mobile device.

Under the “Group” tab, the measurement data stored in the meter is displayed. Via the “Export” function, you can save the data on the mobile device as CSV, PDF and also as a TXT file.

Under the tab “Settings”, you can make some settings to the app.

Setting	Meaning
Measuring sounds	During a measurement, a sound can be heard.
Measuring vibration	When a measurement is made, the vibration alarm is

activated.
Alarm sounds| When the limit is reached, a sound can be heard.
Alarm vibration| When the limit value is reached, the vibration alarm is activated.
Paired gauge| Click here for more information about this meter.
About CoatingMaster| Here you can find more information about the app.

Troubleshooting

Fault	Cause	Solution

Unit does not power on

| Batteries discharged| Insert new batteries.
Batteries are not inserted correctly| Check that the batteries are inserted correctly.
Batteries inserted with reverse polarity| Check the polarity of the inserted batteries.

Measured value inaccurate or not stable

| Base material has varied electromagnetic properties| The test instrument cannot perform measurements on base materials the

electromagnetic properties of which are varied.

Magnetic fields in the environment| Do not carry out measurements in the vicinity of magnetic fields, for example near

magnets, microwaves or audio equipment.

Edge effect| Measurements should be made in the middle of the sample. Do not perform any

measurements at the edge.

Incorrect placement of the probe| Always align the probe vertically and quickly with the surface. Do not perform a measurement by force. The probe must

touch the test object and must not swing.

The base material is too narrow or the measuring surface is too small or

too round

| Only carry out measurements on test objects with the properties indicated in the specifications. Otherwise, inaccuracies may

occur.

Surface is too rough| Carry out measurements on a surface that is as smooth as possible.
Measurements not possible| Different environmental conditions change measurement| Perform a zero calibration.
Inaccurate measured values
Display is difficult to read| The meter is used under the wrong environmental conditions| The coating thickness gauge may only be located in areas with the specified environmental conditions. Otherwise damage

can occur.

Other technical problems| –| Please contact PCE Instruments’ technical support.

Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions or technical problems, please do not hesitate to contact us. You will find the relevant contact information at the end of this user manual.

Disposal

For the disposal of batteries in the EU, the 2006/66/EC directive of the European Parliament applies. Due to the contained pollutants, batteries must not be disposed of as household waste. They must be given to collection points designed for that purpose.
In order to comply with the EU directive 2012/19/EU we take our devices back. We either re-use them or give them to a recycling company which disposes of the devices in line with law.
For countries outside the EU, batteries and devices should be disposed of in accordance with your local waste regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact PCE Instruments.

www.pce-instruments.com

United Kingdom
PCE Instruments UK Ltd
Unit 11 Southpoint Business Park Ensign Way, Southampton Hampshire
United Kingdom, SO31 4RF
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 98703 0
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 98703 9
info@pce-instruments.co.uk
www.pce-instruments.com/english