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DMTA-10009-01EN [U8778346], Rev. D, November 2016

Instrument Description

 

19

1. Instrument Description

This chapter describes the main features and the hardware components of the 
38DL PLUS instrument.

The 

38DL PLUS Ultrasonic Thickness Gage — User’s Manual

 (P/N: DMTA-10004-01EN) 

contains the information found in the present document as well as other sections 
describing the more advanced features of the instrument such as using special 
transducers, managing custom transducer setups, using software options, using the 
datalogger, and communicating with external devices.

You can find the PDF file of the 

38DL PLUS Ultrasonic Thickness Gage — User’s Manual

 

(P/N: DMTA-10004-01EN) on the GageView CD (P/N: Gageview [U8147006]) that is 
included with the 38DL PLUS kit.

1.1

Product Description

The 38DL PLUS by Olympus is a hand-held ultrasonic thickness gage designed for a 
wide variety of thickness measurement applications. With the 38DL PLUS, you only 
need access to one side of a part to measure, in a nondestructive manner, the thickness 
of corroded, pitted, scaled, granular, and other difficult materials (see Figure 1-1 on 
page 20).

IMPORTANT

Summary of Contents for 38DL PLUS

Page 1: ...Operation Manual This instruction manual contains essential information on how to use this Olympus product safely and effectively Before using this product thoroughly review this instruction manual Us...

Page 2: ...y of the information contained therein and corresponds to the version of the product manufactured prior to the date appearing on the title page There could however be some differences between the manu...

Page 3: ...ent Compatibility 6 Repair and Modification 7 Safety Symbols 7 Safety Signal Words 7 Note Signal Words 8 Safety 9 Warnings 9 Battery Precautions 10 Equipment Disposal 11 CE European Community 11 WEEE...

Page 4: ...ext Edit Mode 44 3 4 1 Editing Text Parameters Using the Virtual Keyboard 44 3 4 2 Editing Text Parameters Using the Traditional Method 46 4 Initial Setup 49 4 1 Setting the User Interface Language an...

Page 5: ...racy 73 5 3 Measuring Thicknesses 75 5 4 Saving Data 76 5 5 Measurements with THRU COAT D7906 and D7908 Transducers 78 5 5 1 Enabling the THRU COAT Function 78 5 5 2 Performing a THRU COAT Calibration...

Page 6: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Table of Contents vi...

Page 7: ...y use period EMAT electromagnetic acoustic transducer HI high ID identification Li ion lithium ion LOS loss of signal MB main bang MEtoE manual echo to echo MIL military NiMH nickel metal hydride P N...

Page 8: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 List of Abbreviations viii...

Page 9: ...symbols are missing or illegible please contact Olympus Do not touch the inner conductor of the T R 1 and T R 2 connectors to avoid risks of an electric shock Up to 200 V can be present on the inner...

Page 10: ...8346 Rev D November 2016 Labels and Symbols 2 Figure i 2 Labels and symbols are attached to the instrument Serial number label Side view Back view Patent label Instruction label see Table 1 on page 3...

Page 11: ...nd Symbols 3 Table 1 Label contents Serial number label Where yy last two digits of the production year nnnnn 5 digit nonduplicated incrementing number representing the nth production unit of this pro...

Page 12: ...ust not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste but should be collected separately The China RoHS mark indicates the product s Environment Friendly Use Period EFUP The EFUP is defined as the number...

Page 13: ...aterials Do not use the 38DL PLUS for any purpose other than its intended use It must never be used to inspect or examine human or animal body parts Instruction Manual This instruction manual contains...

Page 14: ...containing the detailed description of the instrument as well as the setup and operation procedures for all instrument features The PDF file can be found on the GageView CD P N Gageview U8147006 Gage...

Page 15: ...bols The following safety symbols might appear on the instrument and in the instruction manual General warning symbol This symbol is used to alert the user to potential hazards All safety messages tha...

Page 16: ...derstood and met The CAUTION signal word indicates a potentially hazardous situation It calls attention to a procedure practice or the like that if not correctly performed or adhered to may result in...

Page 17: ...ning on the instrument Keep this instruction manual in a safe place for further reference Follow the installation and operation procedures It is imperative to respect the safety warnings on the instru...

Page 18: ...instrument inoperative and secure it against any unintended operation The instrument must only be connected to a power source corresponding to the type indicated on the rating label If an unauthorized...

Page 19: ...circuit the battery terminals A short circuit could cause injury and severe damage to a battery making it unusable Do not expose a battery to moisture or rain doing so could cause an electric shock O...

Page 20: ...EE this symbol indicates that the product must not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste but should be collected separately Refer to your local Olympus distributor for return and or collection sy...

Page 21: ...plies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference 2 This device must accept any interference received including...

Page 22: ...PLUS may display a regulatory screen that lists the specific regulation with which it complies To view the REGULATORY screen 1 In the measurement screen press 2nd F SETUP MENU SP MENU 2 In the SP MEN...

Page 23: ...nt testing and or verification by the operator or the supervisor Such independent verification of procedures becomes increasingly important as the criticality of the application increases For this rea...

Page 24: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Important Information Please Read Before Use 16...

Page 25: ...o explain the technology safety details hardware and software Practical measurement examples help the user become familiar with the instrument s capabilities For advanced instructions on instrument co...

Page 26: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Introduction 18...

Page 27: ...ransducer setups using software options using the datalogger and communicating with external devices You can find the PDF file of the 38DL PLUS Ultrasonic Thickness Gage User s Manual P N DMTA 10004 0...

Page 28: ...waveforms The 38DL PLUS operates with a full line of single element and dual element transducers to measure material thicknesses between 0 08 mm and 635 mm 0 003 in and 25 in The temperature range of...

Page 29: ...signal LOS conditions Hold minimum maximum or both minimum and maximum functions Differential thickness display relative to the set point in absolute or percentage ratio Selection of password protecte...

Page 30: ...g the keypad Save reading waveform to an ID number Simultaneously show ID number stored comments and stored reference thickness while displaying active thickness and waveform Nine file formats availab...

Page 31: ...strument to an authorized Olympus service center each year to ensure that the instrument seals are properly maintained 1 3 Instrument Hardware Components The 38DL PLUS front panel features a color dis...

Page 32: ...DL PLUS connections To avoid the risk of injuries or equipment damage use only the AC power cord supplied with the 38DL PLUS Do not use this AC power cord with other products The DC power USB RS 232 c...

Page 33: ...y card slot are located on the right side of the instrument hidden behind the I O door see Figure 1 5 on page 25 Figure 1 5 The connectors behind the I O door DC power connector USB RS 232 serial comm...

Page 34: ...ad see Figure 1 6 on page 26 The functions are the same for all keypads On the international keypad the text labels on many keys are replaced by pictograms In this document keypad keys are referred to...

Page 35: ...play configuration Table 2 on page 27 lists the key functions available from the 38DL PLUS keypad Table 2 Keypad functions English International Functions Measurement Completes the current operation a...

Page 36: ...s the display of a selectable waveform parameter with an editable value Enter Selects an highlighted item or accepts an entered value Up arrow In a screen or a list moves to the previous element For s...

Page 37: ...press CAL VEL twice to view and set the coating velocity With the traditional text edit mode only deletes the character at the cursor position Velocity Opens a screen allowing you to view and manually...

Page 38: ...display parameters color scheme brightness waveform rectification waveform trace and VGA output Range Changes the waveform display range to the next available value Delay Allows editing the value for...

Page 39: ...ich type of power the instrument operates see Figure 2 1 on page 31 Figure 2 1 The power indicator for battery and AC operation When the instrument operates on the battery the vertical black bar in th...

Page 40: ...ency To use AC power 1 Connect the AC power cord to the charger adaptor P N EP MCA U8767042 and to an appropriate power outlet see Figure 2 2 on page 32 To avoid the risk of injuries or equipment dama...

Page 41: ...tomatically recharges the 38 BAT battery when you connect the instrument to the AC power You can also operate the 38DL PLUS using four AA size Alkaline or nickel metal hydride NiMH rechargeable batter...

Page 42: ...he 38DL PLUS charger adaptor P N EP MCA U8767042 is designed to charge 38DL PLUS batteries only P N 38 BAT U8760054 Do not attempt to charge any other battery types such as alkaline or NiMH or use any...

Page 43: ...teries Battery Usage Instructions If the battery is used daily or frequently connect the instrument to the charger adaptor when not in use Whenever possible the instrument should remain connected to t...

Page 44: ...ay from children The battery used in this device may present a risk of fire or chemical burn if mishandled Do not disassemble heat above 50 C or incinerate the battery Replace the battery only with an...

Page 45: ...ment cover at the back of the instrument and then tighten the four screws 12 Reinstall the protective rubber boot and the hand strap 13 Press ON OFF to turn on the 38DL PLUS 14 To answer the question...

Page 46: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Chapter 2 38...

Page 47: ...lay and read the measured thickness value see Figure 3 1 on page 39 The measurement screen is the main screen of the 38DL PLUS software From anywhere in the 38DL PLUS software simply press MEAS to ret...

Page 48: ...surement comes from a file rather than from a newly acquired value Figure 3 2 The ID bar The external microSD memory card indicator appears in the top right corner of the screen when a microSD memory...

Page 49: ...nd Submenus The 38DL PLUS displays menus and submenus when you press some of the front panel keys The menu appears at the top left corner of the screen see Figure 3 5 on page 42 If applicable a submen...

Page 50: ...eys to highlight the desired submenu command 4 Press ENTER to select the highlighted menu or submenu command In the remainder of this document the above procedure is summarized by simply stating to se...

Page 51: ...ired parameter 2 For parameters with predefined values use the and keys to select the desired value 3 In parameter screens containing lists or alphanumeric parameters In a list use the and keys to hig...

Page 52: ...g Text Parameters Using the Virtual Keyboard on page 44 for details With the traditional method you select each character from a hidden list of standard sorted letters numbers and special characters s...

Page 53: ...4 If you need to move the position of the cursor in the value text box on the virtual keyboard highlight either the left or right arrow button below DONE and then press ENTER The cursor moves by one...

Page 54: ...ENTER moves the cursor to the next line You can also press 2nd F to accept the text and move the cursor to the next line 3 4 2 Editing Text Parameters Using the Traditional Method When the text edit...

Page 55: ...aracter 4 Repeat the steps 2 and 3 to enter other characters 5 If you need to move the position of the cursor in the value text box use the or key 6 To insert a character at the cursor position press...

Page 56: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Chapter 3 48...

Page 57: ...tone generator to confirm when a key is pressed and to notify you of an alarm condition You can set the beeper on or off To save battery while you do not use the instrument you can enable the inactive...

Page 58: ...Units You can set the 38DL PLUS to show thickness measurements in inches or millimeters To set the measurement units 1 Press SETUP MENU 2 In the menu select MEAS 3 In the MEAS screen set UNIT TYPE to...

Page 59: ...Selecting clock parameters 4 4 Changing Display Settings You can change the appearance of some display elements such as colors brightness waveform rectification and waveform trace To change the displ...

Page 60: ...f the trace types see Waveform Trace on page 55 for details VGA OUTPUT to turn ON or OFF the VGA signal for the VGA output see Using the VGA Output on page 86 for details Figure 4 3 The DISPLAY SETTIN...

Page 61: ...m trace on a white background For best readability in this document most screen captures are shown with the outdoor color scheme Colored measurement values corresponding to specific alarm conditions o...

Page 62: ...ecifications are based on backlight brightness set to 50 4 4 3 Waveform Rectification The rectification mode is the way in which the ultrasonic echoes are represented on the waveform display see Figur...

Page 63: ...r Shows negative waveform lobes as positive and does not show the positive lobes HALF POS indicator Shows positive waveform lobes and does not show the negative waveform lobes RF Shows negative and po...

Page 64: ...d of the horizontal axis the delay is generally set to zero You can manually adjust the delay value to change the starting point of the range see Adjusting the Delay Value on page 58 and select the en...

Page 65: ...n maximum waveform resolution for each application The range setting affects the waveform display only You can still make measurements even when the display range does not show the detected echo from...

Page 66: ...s 2nd F RANGE DELAY again to stop editing the delay value Press and hold the RANGE key to reset the delay to zero 4 5 3 Activating the Zoom Function The zoom function automatically and dynamically set...

Page 67: ...face echo and the first back wall echo appear on the waveform display see Figure 4 9 on page 59 Figure 4 9 Comparing normal and zoomed display in mode 2 The zoom with single element transducers in mod...

Page 68: ...always present on the left of the thickness measurement see Figure 4 11 on page 60 Figure 4 11 The measurement update rate indicator The MAX update rate is up to 30 Hz and is dependent on measurement...

Page 69: ...rm set points The highest thickness resolution with dual element transducer is 0 01 mm 0 001 in The velocity is always reported with full four digit resolution You can reduce the resolution in some ap...

Page 70: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Chapter 4 62 Optional HIGH 0 001 mm or 0 0001 in 4 Press MEAS to return to the measurement screen...

Page 71: ...l step block supplied with the instrument With dual element transducers you need to perform a transducer zero compensation For a single element transducer or other dual element transducers you need to...

Page 72: ...9X dual element transducer the Do message appears in the measurement screen see Figure 5 2 on page 64 Figure 5 2 Initial screen with a standard D79X dual element transducer 3 For dual element transduc...

Page 73: ...at you use ex DEFAULT SINGLE ELEMENT c In the DEFAULT screen for the type of probe that you are using see the example shown in Figure 5 3 on page 65 in the list of available default setups highlight t...

Page 74: ...nged and when the transducer temperature changes significantly see Setting Up the Transducer on page 63 and Transducer Zero Compensation on page 70 Material sound velocity calibration CAL VEL Perform...

Page 75: ...e following procedure is illustrated using a dual element probe and a 5 step test block Refer to Calibration on page 66 for more details on the calibration process To calibrate the instrument 1 To per...

Page 76: ...calibration see Figure 5 5 on page 69 a Place a drop of couplant on the surface of the thin part of the test block b Couple the transducer to the thin part of the test block and then press CAL ZERO c...

Page 77: ...elocity is not updated to the new value instead the instrument retains the previous value When the 38DL PLUS detects an error in the calibration procedure it successively displays the following messag...

Page 78: ...ecisely known thicknesses Have one part as thin as the thinnest section of the parts to be tested to perform the zero calibration The surface condition should be similar to that of the tested parts Ro...

Page 79: ...also use the D790 SM and D791 RM for general purpose applications 5 2 4 Material Sound Velocity and the Zero Calibrations The 38DL PLUS performs a material gain optimization during the velocity calibr...

Page 80: ...aring to measure thicknesses on parts made of a different material if you know the sound velocity for the material you can directly enter the velocity without performing a material sound velocity cali...

Page 81: ...optimize these setups for specific measurement situations In all cases it is essential that you perform the velocity and zero calibrations whenever the test material or transducer is changed Periodic...

Page 82: ...imum alignment Practice the best way to hold a transducer with the aid of a waveform display On curved surfaces it is important to use only enough couplant to obtain a reading Excess couplant forms a...

Page 83: ...ustic impedances density velocity of the boundary materials The 38DL PLUS assumes the customary situation where the test piece is backed by air or a liquid both of which have a lower acoustic impedanc...

Page 84: ...the material surface see Figure 5 9 on page 76 Figure 5 9 Coupling dual element transducer and reading the measured thickness 3 Read the measured thickness value for the tested part 5 4 Saving Data Th...

Page 85: ...s may occur When the thickness value is blank is saved rather than a value When a measurement is already stored at the current ID the new value overwrites the old thickness reading unless the overwrit...

Page 86: ...where the outside of the material is coated or painted If needed you can also calibrate the measurement of the coating paint layer to precisely measure the thickness of the coating paint 5 5 1 Enablin...

Page 87: ...Function on page 78 2 Couple the transducer to the thick sample 3 Press CAL VEL 4 When the reading is stable press ENTER 5 Using the arrow keys edit the thickness value to match the known thickness of...

Page 88: ...arious material conditions A description of each of the three echo detection modes STANDARD AUTO E TO E and MANUAL E TO E follows STANDARD The standard echo detection mode measures the thickness based...

Page 89: ...n mode MANUAL E TO E The manual echo to echo detection mode also measures the thickness using the time of flight between two consecutive back wall echoes In this mode you can however also manually adj...

Page 90: ...and datalogger functions with the echo to echo modes The internal datalogger recognizes and saves all necessary echo to echo information to upload and download thickness waveform and setup data You do...

Page 91: ...ed blank creates a blanked zone that begins at the left edge of the waveform display and in which no signals are detected In situations where the second or third pair of back wall echoes are stronger...

Page 92: ...the 38DL PLUS dual element transducers Olympus recommends using particular transducers for specific thickness ranges in steel parts see Table 3 on page 84 Table 3 Recommended transducers for various s...

Page 93: ...cho is smaller in amplitude than subsequent echoes This causes the instrument to give a double or triple reading If you are using a D790 transducer this effect may occur around 5 mm 0 2 in on flat smo...

Page 94: ...s always turned off when you restart the 38DL PLUS To use the VGA output 1 Turn off the 38DL PLUS 2 Connect the optional VGA output cable P N EPLTC C VGA 6 U8840035 to the VGA output connector located...

Page 95: ...tery 24 42 Wh Five AA auxiliary batteries Probe sockets types Dual LEMO with center pin IP67 Battery operating time Lithium ion 12 6 hours minimum 14 hours typical 14 7 hours maximum Operating tempera...

Page 96: ...Adjustable square wave pulser Pulser voltage Pulse voltages 60 V 110 V 150 V and 200 V Pulse rise time Damping in 5 ns typical Damping out 3 5 ns typical pulse width dependent Pulse duration Adjustab...

Page 97: ...ts for custom V path calibration with dual element transducers Display response time Adjustable 4 Hz 8 Hz 16 Hz 20 Hz and 30 Hz Number of pixels to display a waveform 640 480 pixels Printer output RS...

Page 98: ...mersion transducers Mode 3 Time between a pair of back wall echoes following the interface echo Normally used with delay line or immersion transducers V path correction Automatic or manually created d...

Page 99: ...1 2 25 M106 M106 Steel 2 00 mm to 635 00 mm 0 080 in to 25 000 in DEFM1 2 25 M1036 M1036 Steel 2 00 mm to 635 00 mm 0 080 in to 25 000 in DEFM3 20 0 M208 M208 Steel 0 25 mm to 5 00 mm 0 008 in to 0 20...

Page 100: ...material condi tions and temperature Table 13 Setup parameter description Name Description Units Resolutions Range MEAS OPTION Echo detect mode Standard dual Dual echo to echo Thru Coat Mode 1 Mode 2...

Page 101: ...699 mm s 0 0200 in s to 0 7362 in s ZERO Zero calibration factor 0 00 to 999 99 Table 14 General specifications Element Description Keypad Sealed and embossed membrane surface Tactile and audible fee...

Page 102: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 Appendix 94...

Page 103: ...he battery compartment 36 Figure 2 5 Selecting the new battery type 37 Figure 3 1 The main elements of the measurement screen 39 Figure 3 2 The ID bar 40 Figure 3 3 Example of other elements appearing...

Page 104: ...a 5 step test block 68 Figure 5 5 Performing the zero calibration on a 5 step test block 69 Figure 5 6 Example of a 5 step test block 70 Figure 5 7 Entering a known material sound velocity 72 Figure...

Page 105: ...Display EN15317 specifications 88 Table 6 Transmitter EN15317 specifications 88 Table 7 Receiver EN15317 specifications 88 Table 8 Other EN15317 specifications 88 Table 9 Environmental rating specific...

Page 106: ...DMTA 10009 01EN U8778346 Rev D November 2016 List of Tables 98...

Page 107: ...full capacity 35 operating time 34 power 33 precautions 10 rechargeable 33 replacement 36 storage instructions 35 usage instructions 35 beeper 49 blank adjusting 83 thickness value 77 brightness disp...

Page 108: ...adjusting value 58 deleting a character 47 DE MEtoE indicator 81 DE STD indicator 80 direct current symbol 4 display brightness 52 53 changing settings 51 options 21 disposal equipment 11 documentati...

Page 109: ...41 LOS 41 microSD card 40 power 31 39 rectification 39 zoom 41 indoor color scheme 53 initial screen 64 inserting a character 47 instruction label content 3 location 2 instruction manual 5 instrument...

Page 110: ...formation signal words 8 O Olympus technical support 15 outdoor color scheme 53 outline waveform 56 P painted material 78 parameter screens 42 selecting 43 patent label 2 performing THRU COAT calibrat...

Page 111: ...technical specifications 87 technical support 15 test block 70 test piece curvature of 74 text edit mode selection 44 traditional method 46 virtual keyboard 44 thickness measuring 75 resolution 61 THR...

Page 112: ...warnings electrical 10 general 9 misuse of instrument 5 warranty information 14 waste electrical and electronic equipment 12 waveform delay 56 display 39 range 56 rectification 54 rectification changi...

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