Air Entrainment Meter Type A CN025 Impact Test Equipment Ltd www.impact-test.co.uk & www.impact-test.com User Guide User Guide
Impact Test Equipment Ltd. Building 21 Stevenston Ind. Est. Stevenston Ayrshire KA20 3LR T: 01294 602626 F: 01294 461168 E: sales@impact-test.co.uk Test Equipment Web Site www.impact-test.co.uk Test Sieves & Accessories Web Site www.impact-test.com
Chapter 1 General Information 1.1 general features 1.2 identification 1.3 applications 1.4 structure of the machine Contents Chapter 2 Safety Information 2.1 general safety standards 2.2 safety devices 2.3 dangerous parts and residual risks 2.4 noise Chapter 3 Installation 3.1 lifting 3.2 unpacking 3.3 installation Chapter 4 Machine Features 4.1 dimensions and mass 4.2 calibration Chapter 5 Operator Interface 5.1 commands and signals Chapter 6 Use 6.1 recommendations 6.2 operation 6.3 practical example of use Chapter 7 Maintenance 7.1 routine maintenance 7.2 periodical inspection Chapter 8 Fault Finding Chapter 9 Disposal 9.1 setting aside 9.2 scrapping Appendix a general view of the air entrainment meter
CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 GENERAL FEATURES - THIS MANUAL IS ADDRESSED TO the carrier, the installer, the user, the maintenance operator, the - scrapping operator. - Please read it carefully because it informs you about the operating of the machine in safety conditions. - This manual has to be considered a part of the product and concerns only the machine it is delivered with. - Keep the manual in order during the whole life of the appliance to consult it for any needs. - In case of sale, the manual and its enclosures should be given together with the machine. - The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damages caused by a misuse of the machine. - The manufacturer has the right to modify this technical literature as well as the machines this refers to without any previous notice. - Messages meaning: This warning refers to all those procedures that have to be carefully followed to avoid any damage to the machine. This warning refers to all those procedures that could present some risks for the operator if not carefully followed. 1.2 IDENTIFICATION MANUFACTURER IDENTIFICATION: MACHINE IDENTIFICATION: See the cover page. See the plate on the machine where complete identification data as well as electric features are to be found. 1.3 APPLICATIONS Made of aluminium alloy, the air entrainment meter directly reads the air percentage in a fresh concrete mix. It employs the air pressure principle. Any use of the machine other than that which it has been designed for, is not permitted. The instructions given in this operating manual are for correct appliance use. Refer to the specific standards in force for the test for correct test performance. 1.4 APPLIANCE STRUCTURE AND OPERATION Container: Flanged cylindrical vessel made of cast aluminium alloy with a capacity of 5 litres. The container is watertight and along with the cover can withstand a pressure of approximately 0.2 Mpa. Cover: Rigid flanged cover in a non-sticking cast aluminium alloy. The cover is equipped with 4 clamps. The outer rim, the lower surface of the flange and the inner surfaces of the recipient have smooth surfaces. The cover has been designed to lock to the container so it is pressure-tight and no air is trapped between the flanged cover and the container. Pressure gauge Graded scale Tamping rod Hand pump: this separate accessory is attached from the end of the pump tube to the appliance where the air enters (equipped with a valve). For further information contact the retailer or manufacturer.
CHAPTER 2 SAFETY INFORMATION 2.1 GENERAL SAFETY STANDARDS The use, lifting, installation, maintenance and scrapping of the machine are allowed only to qualified staff. Qualified staffs are composed by people who are authorised by the safety responsible to do any activities due to their experience and acknowledgement of the operating of the machine and of the standards, rules and actions. The user must be carefully taught about the operating of the machine to avoid any misuse of it and about the safety devices, which the machine could be eventually equipped with. The safety devices will have to be kept always assembled and to be daily checked. The manufacturer offers training and assumes no liability for any damages due to a misuse of the machine by an unskilled staff. The manufacturer recommends following carefully the instructions and procedures of the operating manual and the safety standards concerning the safety devices and the general rules of the work environment. Verify the accordance of the machine to the standards in force in the State where the machine has to be installed. The operating manual must be carefully read by the safety responsible, by the operators and maintenance engineers. It must always be kept near the machine in order to be able to read it any times it will be necessary. Any tampering or modifications of the machine (electric, mechanical etc.) that are not allowed by a written agreement of the manufacturer must be considered as not permitted and the manufacturer will not accept to be charged for any damages. The removal or the tampering of the safety devices will be an infringement to the EEC Safety Standards. The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damages. The machine has to be installed in places safe from fire and explosions. We do recommend using only original spare parts and accessories; on the contrary the manufacturer assumes no liability. Be careful that any dangerous situations won t happen during the working; stop immediately the machine in the event that it will not work properly and ask the manufacturer or the Authorised Service Staff of the dealer at once. WARNING!! The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damages to people, things and animals caused by the non-compliance of the above instructions. 2.2 PRECAUTIONS DEFINITION: Precautions are all the safety measures which involve the use of specific technical means (protection measures and safety devices) to protect people from the dangers which cannot be reasonably limited to the design.! Non-compliance with the precautions or appliance modification can cause risks to the operator or other exposed persons. The manufacturer assumes no liability for direct or indirect damage to people, things or animals caused by non-compliance of the precautions. Fixed and mobile protection measures The appliance is not equipped with fixed and/or mobile protection measures. Passive safety devices Passive safety devices are devices, which eliminate or reduce the risks for the operators without any intervention. Active safety devices Active safety devices are devices, which eliminate or reduce the risks for the operators and require active and conscious intervention to be triggered.
2.3 OUS PARTS AND RESIDUAL RISK The dangerous place is the space inside and around the machine where the operator could be wounded or damaged. During some procedures the operator could face some risks of danger. The risks can be eliminated following carefully the procedures written in this manual and using suitable safety devices. In case the manufacturer does not make the installation, use only people instructed on the installation of the specific appliance. GENERAL INFO Before starting the standard use of the equipment, ensure that all the components are in good working conditions, check there are no detective or damaged parts. If necessary repair or replace any damaged part. Pay attention to the possibility of electric shocks (both direct or indirect), which could be caused by failures in the electric system. Do not subject the appliance to impacts or shocks. Do not expose the appliance to fire, extreme temperatures or weld splatter. Avoid corrosive substances to come in touch with the appliance. Do not wash the machine using water spray. DURING THE USE In order to grant the maximum-security level for the operator, do not touch any moving part of the appliance during the test execution and wear the convenient protection devices. During the test execution always take care about the potential danger of finger or arm squeeze or damage. Never wear large clothes, ties, watches, chains, and so on, which may entangle into the moving parts of the machine. DURING THE LIFTING During the lifting take care that the machine is conveniently held and secured and that it cannot slide. Do not stand in a direct line with the application of force. Do not allow people entrance under loads that are no conveniently supported by mechanical means. FINGER SQUEEZE CUTS OR ABRASIONS RISK OR PROTECTION DEVICES REINFORCED GLOVES REINFORCED GLOVES The manufacturer assumes no liability for any damages to people and things due to a lack of observance of the instructions and the use of the safety devices. 2.4 NOISE The indicated levels of noise are not necessarily safety levels for the operator. The exposure levels of the operator are obviously related to the emission levels of the appliance, but other factors influence the exposure levels as the time of exposure, the environment, other appliances installed near to the appliance etc. The exposure levels permit to value the damages that could be caused by the noise. Acoustical pressure level equivalent A, in the working place db(a) Acoustical power emitted by the appliance db(a) Standard above data are referred EN ISO 3746
The continuous use of the machine together with other noisy appliances could cause a high level of exposure to the noise. If the daily exposure of the operator is equal or higher than 85 db(a), Safety Devices as headphone are suggested to be worn. If the daily exposure is equal or higher than 90 db(a), the use of the Safety Device is compulsory. For further information consult the standards of the country where the machine has been installed. CHAPTER 3 INSTALLATION Consult the chapter OUS PARTS AND RESIDUAL RISKS before proceeding 3.1 LIFTING The instructions of this section must be respected during the moving of the appliance and particularly in the following phases: The lifting and the storing the first installation the further installations The appliance is usually delivered in a carton box to be moved using a forklift. Use the utmost care when lifting and beware the signals on the box. Pay attention to avoid impacts and turnovers of the packing. Protect the machine from the atmospheric agents. Water and humidity could oxidise it, damaging it seriously. 3.2 UNPACKING After removing the package, check that any parts of the machine are not damaged. In case of doubt, DO NOT USE THE MACHINE and ask the manufacturer. The materials used for the package (plastic, polystyrene, screws, nails, wood etc.) have to be kept far from children. They must be thrown away in a proper collection centre. Pay attention to avoid impacts and turnovers. Before throwing away the package, pay attention that any accessory, manuals, documents, spare parts are not inside. 3.3 POSITION The device must be placed in the ideal working environment (laboratory use protected from atmospheric agents) and must be positioned by a qualified person. Allowed temperature: from + 5 C to + 40 C Allowed relative humidity: from 30% to 95% Maximum height above sea level: 1000 m The machine must be installed so it is easily accessible for maintenance purposes. The machine must be accessible only to authorised persons and away from potential dangers.
Chapter 4 APPLIANCE CHARACTERISTICS 4.1 APPLIANCE MASS AND DIMENSIONS Dimensions: dia. 350 x 700 mm Weight: 13 Kg 4.2 CALIBRATION The machine is checked and calibrated in the factory using models approved by the relevant Official Institutes. A copy of the internal calibration certificate is enclosed with the documentation. The current norms are such that a calibration test is carried out after every machine movement. Once installed and ready to perform before using it for official tests a calibration test must be carried out by official bodies. Chapter 5 OPERATOR INTERFACE 5.1 COMMANDS AND SIGNALS Reference: Diagram A A1 ALUMINIUM UPPER HEAD A2 SCREW TAP FOR AIR DISCHARGE A3 PRESSURE GAUGE A4 LOWER TAP A5 VALVE FOR AIR PUMPING A6 UPPER TAP A7 ALUMINIUM CONTAINER A8 ALUMINIUM COVER A9 GRADUATED CYLINDER A10 CLAMPS A11 HAND PUMP A1 ALUMINIUM UPPER HEAD Closes the graduated cylinder in the upper part. Above this the pressure gauge, the upper tap, the valve for air entrance and the screw tap for air discharge are attached. A2 SCREW TAP FOR AIR DISCHARGE Releases the residual air bubbles contained in the cylinder. A3 PRESSURE GAUGE Displays the pressure contained inside the instrument. A4 LOWER TAP Releases the water contained in the cover. A5 VALVE FOR AIR PUMPING Allows air to enter the graduated cylinder. A6 UPPER TAP Lowers the pressure value inside the cover and graduated cylinder.
A7 ALUMINIUM CONTAINER Made to contain the fresh concrete mix. A8 ALUMINIUM COVER Supports the graduated cylinder and the upper head. Must be placed and attached above the aluminium container using the appropriate clamps. A9 GRADUATED CYLINDER Rapid display of the water level inside the instrument, and air percentage contained in the concrete mix. A10 CLAMPS Attach and seal the cover to the vessel. A11 HAND PUMP Pumps air inside the cover area. Chapter 6 USE Consult the chapter OUS AREAS AND RESIDUAL RISKS before proceeding 6.1 RECOMMENDATIONS Before operating the appliance check it has been correctly installed, placed in an ideal working environment and checked for any defective, damaged or worn parts. If necessary, carry out all the necessary ordinary and extraordinary maintenance operations. Before every test always analyse the material characteristics of the sample and try to predict its behaviour under a load. If necessary, adopt the necessary precautions.! With certain material tests that present explosion phenomenon there is the potential danger of sample splintering. Equip the device with appropriate protection. 6. 2 OPERATION This machine is manually operated. 6. 3 PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF USE! Implement the following procedure only after having read and understood all the instructions in this manual. The machine can be used in various ways depending on the test type. Here follows a standard procedure to allow an inexperienced operator to carry out a test from start to finish. The operator s experience will, over time, optimise machine use according to specific needs. Fill the aluminium container to the brim (A7) with fresh concrete. Ensure the mass is evenly distributed and no cavities are present. Fill in three turns. After each turn the concrete is compressed 25 times with the steel tamping rod with a rounded point which is supplied with the instrument. After having cleaned the brim of the measuring container apply the cover (A8) centring it on the measuring container (A7) and blocking it with the four clamps (A10). Turn the water discharge tap tight (A4), and turn on the screw tap for air discharge (A2). Pour water in the upper part dish (A1) until the level inside the graduated measuring cylinder (A9) reaches the notch on the pressure gauge marked LEVEL. The distance between this and zero on the pressure gauge indicates the volume corresponding to the deformation of the measuring container when the applied test pressure is equal to one Kg/cm2. In order to reach the
exact level required the water discharge tap (A4) is extremely useful (positioned on the cover) (A8) for surplus discharge. Once the screw tap for air discharge has been turned tight (A2), insert the hand pump (A11) in the correct valve (A5), positioned on the upper part (A1), and bring the appliance to the pressure of 1 Kg/cm2 at approximately 250 m. above sea level. The following chart shows the barometric pressure values to be used according to the altitude level in which the machine is being operated: m 0-400 400-800 800-1200 1200-1600 Kg/cm2 1 0.96 0.92 0.87 m 1600-2000 2000-2400 2400-2800 2800-3200 Kg/cm2 0.83 0.79 0.76 0.72 If the appliance is being operated in sites of a high altitude, the test pressure should be reduced appropriately due to the lower barometric pressure. The correct pressure can be achieved by turning the screw tap for air discharge (A2) positioned on the upper head. By increasing the pressure the water level decreases. This drop will be as large as the quantity of air included in the concrete mass. The pressure gauge reading will show the percentage contained in the concrete. On the pressure gauge two red notches placed at 3% and 5% indicate the percentage limits of the air, which makes good, normally aerated concrete. Since these percentage limits refer to the portion of concrete containing rubble of up to 5 cm, any bigger matter must be removed before measurement. Should the concrete now be decompressed by turning on the screw tap for air discharge (A2) positioned on the upper part (A1), the general water level will not rise to the start notch due to the air bubbles dragged through the water during appliance replenishment. In such a case the level must be restored by adding water before the test is re-started. This time the liquid must rise slowly until the start mark has been reached. The average of the two readings is valid. For water discharge turn on both taps (A2-A4), then undo the clamps (A10) by turning them outwards and remove the cover (A8). By doing so the residual water will come out. CHAPTER 7 MAINTENANCE Consult 2.3 OUS PARTS AND RESIDUAL RISKS before proceeding. All the maintenance operations must be carried out with the machine turned off and unplugged from the knife switch. Any kind of maintenance operations concerning the components of the machine and of the electric components, even those which may seem very simple, must be carried by skilled operators instructed about the purposes the machine is made for. Only original spare parts are allowed. The Manufacturer assumes no liability in the event that non original parts are used. 7.1 ORDINARY MAINTENANCE Periodically clean all the machine parts and oil the un-painted parts to ensure good working order and maintenance. Avoid the use of solvents, which damage the paint and the synthetic parts. At the end of every test pour out the concrete from the measuring container and rinse it out before further tests.
7.2 PERIODICAL INSPECTIONS Part to be Check the condition of the gasket on the cover Frequency Monthly inspected Procedure Open the cover and remove the gasket OR check the condition. If there are signs of wear and tear -cracks, abrasionsreplace the gasket. Part to be Check the pressure capacity of the instrument Frequency Monthly inspected Procedure Fill the air entrainment meter with water and pressurise it: If the pressure does not remain constant, verify where the loss is occurring. Part to be Check the pressure gauge accuracy Frequency Monthly inspected Procedure Compare with a prototype machine the accuracy of the values expressed by the pressure gauge. Chapter 8 DIAGNOSTICS This chapter outlines the simple problems, which may occur during appliance operation. All maintenance procedures and checks including repairs, on the machine or the electrical installation, must be carried out by personnel professionally qualified trained in using these machine functions. DIFFICULTY POSSIBLE CAUSE REMEDY The pressure gauge pointers do not Pressure loss Detect the loss signal pressure Broken pressure gauge Replace the pressure gauge Broken hand pump Replace the pump Liquid or air loss Possible fracturing, breakage or wear Detect the cause of the loss and and tear intervene CHAPTER 9 SCRAPPING 9.1 SETTING ASIDE In case of setting aside for a long time it is necessary to disconnect the electric feeding. Execute all the maintenance operations. It s recommended to cover the machine against the dust. 9.2 SCRAPPING When the machine is not used anymore, it is recommended: Disconnect the feeding cable Cover/destroy all the parts which may be dangerous as cutting, projecting or sharpened ones. Disassemble the machine and scrap it as per the actual laws.
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