New handheld data reader accelerates corrosion analysis

Corrosion engineers now have a more efficient route to collecting and analyzing field corrosion data. The new Rohrback Cosasco Systems (RCS) Checkmate DL, a portable handheld instrument that remotely reads corrosion data from field data loggers or remote data collectors (RDC's), allows engineers to quickly collect and transfer corrosion data for analysis and graphing.

The Checkmate DL acts as a link between field data collectors and corrosion analysis software. Corrosion rate information that is initially measured at the source (such as a pipe wall) with a probe is sent by a transmitter to a corrosion data logger or RDC. The Checkmate DL then captures the corrosion readings from these data collectors and stores them for transfer to a personal computer (PC) for analysis.

The new data reader is particularly well suited for hazardous areas or harsh field environments in which a portable PC cannot be easily deployed to retrieve data from data loggers or RDC's. The device is certified for use in Class I, Zone 1 or Class I, Zone 2 hazardous areas, and hence corrosion data can be easily collected without having to move the data logger to a safe area. Since the transmitter and data logger are also explosion proof and intrinsically safe, the entire corrosion monitoring system is deemed safe through each step in the process.

The Checkmate DL requires 6 AA batteries and can run continually for up to 10 hours. With dimensions of 7.75 in. x 4.30 in. x 2 in. (196.8 mm x 109.2 mm x 50.8 mm) and a total weight of 5 lbs (2.3 kg) with the carrying case, the device can be easily carried and used in nearly any field location.

The unit can operate in a temperature range from -18° C up to 50° C, and is tested and certified as compliant with Underwriters Laboratories' product criteria and has received Europe's CE marking designation (which deems products as compliant with European health, safety, and environmental protection legislation). The device can capture and store readings from up to 50 different corrosion data loggers, or 57,330 individual data-logger readings, when programmed for RCS's MICROCOR data-logging systems.

RCS states that the handheld device was developed as a complimentary component of other corrosion analysis technologies in the RCS product line. The instrument is compatible with all of RCS's corrosion data loggers and RDC's.

For more information, visit www.cosasco.com.