Six Common Coating Gauge Faults, From Jumping Numbers to No Storage

1. Readings jump constantly

Rule out the environment first: strong magnetic fields and nearby vibration make the sensor signal wander. Move away and re-measure. If it still jumps, check the probe for impact damage.

The other common cause is no calibration, or the wrong substrate mode (ferrous versus non-ferrous). Calibrating on a foil every morning removes most of these false alarms.

2. Black screen or no display

Work through in order: battery charge and contact, charger indicator, power button. A loose internal board can also disable the keys.

On rechargeable models, disconnect power for a few minutes and restart. If everything checks out and the screen stays dark, the display module has failed – send it back.

3. Readings uniformly high or low

Oil or oxide on the probe face changes the measuring distance. Wipe the tip with a soft cloth and a little alcohol; clear debris from the gap with a proper brush.

If it is still offset, inspect the probe for wear. Wear produces a systematic error – replace the probe and recalibrate.

4. Shuts down too early

The power-saving sleep delay is set too short and the instrument mistakes idle time for the end of the session. Lengthen the backlight timeout and sleep delay in the menu.

5. Alarm will not stop

First check whether the alarm switch was touched by accident. Then check the upper and lower limits stored in the material library. A wrong sound velocity setting also triggers false alarms.

6. Data will not save

Internal memory full is the usual reason. Export to a PC periodically and clear old records. On models with a memory card, check whether the card is full or faulty.

Summary

Yours to fix: power, cleaning, parameter settings, storage management. Anything involving the board, the display or the inside of the probe goes back to the factory – opening it only voids the warranty and enlarges the problem.