TIME GROUP TH-174 Universal Hardness Tester Instruction Manual

TIME GROUP TH-174 Universal Hardness Tester

MANUAL
TH-174
Universal hardness tester

• Changes in products and/or product specifications can emerge due to new technologies and continuous development.
• We reserve the right to change or modify specifications of products without prior notice.
• We recommend you to contact our sales office for up-to-date information.
• © All rights reserved

INTRODUCTION

Features

• LCD display 128×32 dot matrix
• USB communication interface
• Impact direction automatically identifying
• Memory 270 average data in 9 files
• Upper and lower limit pre-setting
• Battery capacity display and power off automatically lack of voltage Backlight for convenient use in darkness
• Software calibration
• AAA 1 .5V (7#) battery 2 pc

Main application and testing range

1. Main application
   • The installed machinery and permanently assembled parts
   • Die cavity of moulds
   • Heavy and large workpiece
   • Failure analysis of pressure vessel, steam turbo set and other equipment Narrow space workpiece
   • Axletree and other spare parts
   • Material identification of the metal material warehouse
   • Quick inspection for large workpiece
   • Others.
2. Testing range
   See table 1.
   Table 1

Specification

• TH-17 4 Main Unit 1
• AAA 1 .5V (7#) battery 2
• Small supporting ring 1
• Cleaning brush 1
• Hardness test block 1

Working condition

• Working temperature: 0°C~40°C
• Humidity: ≤90%

The surrounding environment should be no vibration, no strong magnetic field, corrosive medium and heavy dust.

STRUCTURE FEATURE & TESTING PRINCIPLE

Structure feature
Structure feature see figure l.

1. Supporting ring
2. Concave hole
3. Switch key
4. Display window
5. Operation key
6. Confirm key
7. Operation key Shell
8. Impact device
9. USB interface
10. Release key
11. Loading key Bolt
12. Battery cover
13. Nameplate
14. Battery location

Working principle

The basic principle is: The impact object of certain weight pounds at the testing surface under certain test force. Measure the impacting velocity and the rebounding velocity of the impact object respectively when it is l mm above the testing surface.
The calculation formula is:

• HL= 1 OOOxVB/ VA
• Where:
• HL Leeb hardness value
• VB Rebounding velocity of the impact object
• VA Impacting velocity of the impact object

SPECIFICATIONS

OPERATION

Preparation before Operation

1. Preparation for sample surface
   In order to reduce the effect of surface roughness of the testing object on the measuring result, it is necessary to make the surface to be tested smooth enough, with the Ra value not exceeding .6 1-1m, and clean the surface and ensure that it is free of oil.

   • No support is needed for testing objects weighing over 5kg.
   • When a testing object is 2-5kg and the testing part is suspended, it should be supported by an object weighing more than 5kg in order to prevent the testing piece from being bend, deformed or moved.
   • When a testing object is less than 2kg, it should be coupled with a support object weightier than 5kg. The coupling surface of the testing object and the support surface must  be even and smooth, with no surplus coupling agent seen. The testing direction must be perpendicular to the coupling surface.
   • The testing object should be no less than 0. l kg and the minimum thickness should not be less than 5mm. The hardened surface should not be less than 0.8mm in thickness.
   • The clipped surface should be perpendicular to the testing direction.
   • When the testing object is a large plate, rod or curve surfaced work piece, it is easy to cause it to deform or out of balance even if it is fairly big in weight and thickness, thus  leading to inaccurate measurement. So it should be reinforced or supported on the back of the testing point.
   • The testing object should be free from magnetism.

2. Preset test parameters
   Refer to Item 6.8.

Measurement
The instrument can be checked with standard test block, the accuracy and repeatability displayed should be within± l 2HLDL.

1. Loading
   Press the gauge vertically onto the surface of workpiece, hold the unit by left hand, hold the loading rubber key and pull down it to finish the loading

2. Measuring

   • Press the release button on top of the unit to do the measurement. The sample and the main unit as well as the operator are all required being stable

   • Usually, test 5 times on the workpiece. The data dispersion should not be more than ± l 5HL from the average value

   • The distance between any two indentations or from the center of any indentation to the edge of tested sample should conform to the regulation of table 6
     Table 6

   • Distance between any

   • two indentations mm 3mm

   • Indentation to the edge of tested sample mm 5mm

   • For special material, if accurate conversion from the Leeb hardness into other hardness method is wanted, contrastive test must be done to get conversion relations. Use inspected qualified Leeb hardness tester and corresponding other hardness tester to test at same sample respectively. For each hardness value, measure 5 Leeb hardness values, using Leeb hardness arithmetic average value and corresponding hardness method average value as correlative value to make individual hardness contrastive curve see figure 3.

Figure 3
Testing result

• In front of Leeb hardness symbol HL, expresses the hardness value; behind HL expresses type of impact device.
• For example:
• 700HLDL expresses using DL type of impact device measured Leeb hardness value is 700
• For other hardness scale converted from Leeb hardness scale, put the symbol of corresponding hardness scale in front of Leeb hardness scale.
• For example:
• 400HVHLDL expresses using DL type of impact device measured Leeb hardness value converted Vickers hardness value is 400.

SPECIAL PROMPT

• In normal condition, it could not memory present testing value while not reaching impact times which has been set. If want to memory, press Cal. Average at the main display interface to end the testing in advance and then memory
• When using the function of Cal. Average to end the testing in advance, the function of Auto Save, Auto Trans. etc. will not work
• Not all hardness methods can be converted to each other for all materials See table l . The setting of hardness scale will recover to HL automatically after material setting is changed. So select Material first then select Hardness Scale when setting measure condition.

OPERATION EXPLAIN IN DETAILS

• Switch on
  Press to switch on the screen will show as follows in 2 seconds:

Then it enters the main display interface see figure 4.

Instruction of the main display interface:

• Measured value:
  • Display present single time measured value (without average value indicator), or display the present average value (with average value indicator).
  • Display means over conversion or measured range, means lower than conversion or measured range.
• Impact times :
  • Display the times that have been impacted, the according times will be displayed in reverse video when browsing single measured value.
• Average value indicator:
  • After reaching the preset impact times, It appears to show the mean value.
• Hardness scale:
  • Show the present hardness scale that has been selected.
• Impact direction :
  • Show the present impact direction that has been selected.
• Battery info :
  • Show the rest capacity of battery.
• Over tolerance alarm :
  • It will display as a when the present measured value or average value is within the tolerance range otherwise it will display as ·
• Lower tolerance alarm:
  • It will display as  when the present measured single value or average value is within the tolerance range otherwise it will display as

Measuring operation

• The screen will display each measured value during each measurement under the measuring display interface, and the impact times add l accordingly if the measured value is beyond tolerance range the according mark will change to solid mark the average value will be displayed in 2 seconds when reaching the impact times.

• Key-press operation

  • Press   to browse singe measured value the impact times will be displayed in reverse video
  • Press to enter the menu.

• Switch off
  Press to switch off.

• Menu structure
  Preset tester parameters and the additional functions can be performed by the menu operation. At the main display interface, press to enter the main menu.

• For convenient operation, the common function such as “Save Average” “Delete Single” “Cal. Average” “Backlight On (Off)” have been put into main display interface The main display interface have the key Exit it is convenient to return to measuring interface
• By pressing Exit key the gauge will return to the measuring interface directly but not the previous menu.
• By pressing the key users can choose all functions and sub-menu circularly.

Common functions

• Press to enter the main menu under measuring interface.

• Press to move the cursor to demanded function and press to confirm.

• Note :

• Press to see pale letter.

• Save Average :
  Memory the present average value.

• Note :
  The memory can not be processed under the both position of not reaching preset impact times and not choosing “Cal. Average”.

• Delete Single :
  Delete the last measured value Delete the certain measured value when browsing the single measured value Delete the last single measured value when displaying average value.

• Note :
  Please move the cursor to “YES” or “NO” and press to confirm when delete.

• Cal. Average:
  Display the average measured value when impact times have not reached preset times.

• Backlight On (Off):
  “Backlight On” will be displayed when choosing the backlight “Backlight Off” will be displayed when not choosing the backlight.

• Note:
  Press any one of the keys when switch on the backlight will be chose.

• Memory manager
  The instrument includes 9 files and each one can memory 30 measured average value. You can choose another file to memory when 30 measured average value is stored Press to enter the main menu when on measuring display interface.

• • Press to move the cursor to Memory Manager press enter Memory Manager .

• Note :
  The pale fetter can be seen by pressing .

• • Press to move the cursor to certain function key and press l—-‘)

• Note :
  The pale letter can be seen by pressing .

Browsing file
Firstly please choose the file number to be browsed.

• Press  to choose the file number.

• Press to confirm.

• Press to turn the page.

• Press return to Memory Manager .

• Delete file
  Firstly please choose the file number to be deleted.

• Press to choose the file number.

• Press enter confirm delete interface.

• Press to choose the file number.

• Press enter confirm delete interface.

• Press to choose.

• Press to confirm and return to Memory Manager .

Memory file choosing

• Choose the file number for memory.
• Press to choose the file number.
• Press to confirm and return to measuring display interface.

Test setting
Press to enter the main menu under measuring display interface .

• Press to move the cursor to Test Set and press .
• Note :
• The pale letter can be seen by pressing .
• Press to move the cursor to certain function and press .
• Note :
• The pale letter can be seen by pressing 

Selection of impact direction

• Press to move the cursor to select the impact direction. Press  to finish the setting and return to measuring display interface. If preset impact direction to AUTO the instrument can identify the impact direction and correct the wrong direction automatically.
• Both directions of   are different and need to be confirmed by hand. Press to move the cursor to correct impact direction.

Mean times setting
The mean times can be modified from 1 to 10

• Press to modify.
• Press to finish set and return to measuring display interface.

Material setting

• Press to move the cursor to certain material to be set.
• Press    to finish set and return to measuring display interface.

Note :

1. The hardness scale will come back to HL after material setting.
2.  Choose material firstly before choosing hardness scale.

Hardness scale setting

• Press to move the cursor to certain scale to be set.
• Press to finish and return to measuring display interface.

Note:

1. The hardness scales that displayed here only are corresponding to the choose material.
2. Choose material firstly before choosing hardness scale.
3. The hardness scale will come back to HL automatically after material setting.

Upper and lower limit setting

• Press to move the cursor to the position of figure.
• Press to move the cursor to next figure the cursor will come back to measuring display interface when moving to the last figure.

Note :

1. The instrument will remind you to reset the upper and lower limit when presetting is out of range.
2.  The lower and upper limit will reverse automatically when the lower setting is over the upper setting.

System setting

• Press to enter the main menu under measuring display interface.
• Press to move the cursor to System Set and press

Note :

• The pale letter can be seen by pressing .
• Press to move the cursor to certain function to be set Press to finish or enter into corresponding interface.

Auto Save:
It stores the average value automatically after measuring and displaying average value. The “Auto Save On” displays when the function is turned off, and the “Auto Save Off” displays when the function is turned on.
Auto Delete:
The “Auto Delete On” displays when the delete function is turned off and the “Auto Delete Off” displays when the function is turned on.

LCD brightness setting

• Press  to add the brightness.
• Press to reduce the brightness.
• Press to finish and return to measuring display interface

Note :

1. Bright means more brightness.
2. Dark means less brightness.

Calibration

• The tester should be calibrated using standard test block before use this gauge for the first time, or reuse after a long time. Press and press  simultaneously the gauge will be switched on and enter the calibration state.
• Preset the impact direction as
• Measure 5 points on the standard hardness block.

• It will display average value after measurement.
• Press to input the standard value of test block. Press  to finish calibration.
• Range of adjustment: ± 15HL.

Battery replacement

• When battery capability run out, the battery display symbol will glint as   please replace battery as soon as possible.
• When replacing the battery the tester should be switch off firstly.
• Push out the battery cover, install 2 AAA 7# 1 .5V battery into the battery compartment according to correct direction.
• Push in the cover after installation of battery.
• The replacement of battery should be finished within 15 minutes, if beyond it the memory data may lost.
• Please collect the used battery avoiding pollution.

Backlight
The LCD screen has EL backlight. It is convenient to use in dark condition. Press any one of three keys   and press 1 simultaneously, the backlight will be function on. Also the backlight can be set under the main menu see 6.6.
Auto Power Off

• The tester has the function of auto power off to save the power of battery.
• If there is neither measurement nor any operation within 5 minutes, the tester will shut off automatically. The screen will glint for 20 seconds before power off. Except © key, press any key to stop the twinkle of LCD screen and stop the operation of power off at the moment.
• While voltage of battery is too low, the tester will show < Battery Empty!>, then power off automatically.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

• After the impact device is used for 1000-2000 times, use the cleaning brush provided to clean the guide tube and the impact body. To clean the guide tube, unscrew the support ring firstly, then take out the impact body, spin the cleaning brush in counter-clock direction into the bottom of guide tube and take it out for 5 times, and then install the impact body and support ring again.
• Release the impact body after use.
• Any lubricant is absolutely prohibited inside the impact device.

NON-WARRANTY PARTS

1. Outside frame
2. Battery cover
3. Display window
4. Impact body
5. Support

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