Brand: Dakota NDT

Dakota NDT PMX3-DL Precision Thickness Gauge (PVX Colour)

Name: Dakota NDT PMX3-DL Precision Thickness Gauge – Datasheet
Brand: Dakota NDT

Description

Overview

The Dakota NDT PMX3-DL (Part Number: Z-157-0007), often referred to as the PVX Colour, is the flagship model in precision ultrasonic measurement. Seven Star LLC supplies it to engineering sectors that demand the highest level of resolution and visualization. The gauge combines the micron-level resolution of a precision instrument with the cross-sectional visualization of a high-speed B-Scan, making it well suited to inspecting extremely thin or complex components in the Middle East. Its high-definition color display improves signal interpretation for aerospace turbine blades, medical tubing and high-value automotive parts. Housed in a ruggedized aluminum enclosure, it provides laboratory-grade data in harsh industrial environments, and the internal data logger supports full traceability for quality control programs in Oman by storing and exporting both numerical data and full-color waveforms.

Measurement Principle

The Dakota NDT PMX3-DL utilizes ultra-high-frequency ultrasonic waves to achieve its industry-leading resolution. It supports multiple measurement modes, including Interface-Echo (I-E), Pulse-Echo (P-E), and Echo-Echo (E-E) for thru-paint applications. When using the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL in Interface-Echo mode with a delay-line transducer, the gauge measures from the front surface of the material to the back wall, allowing for the precise measurement of materials as thin as 0.127 mm (0.005 in) on plastics.

The real-time color B-Scan provides a graphical cross-section of the test piece. As the operator moves the probe, the PMX3-DL draws a profile of material thickness, making localized thinning or internal anomalies easy to identify. This signal processing is valuable for maintaining high-pressure components and critical thin-wall structures in the petrochemical and aerospace industries across the Middle East.

Engineering Design and Construction

The engineering of the PMX3-DL (Z-157-0007) focuses on signal clarity and environmental resilience. The case is an extruded aluminium body with nickel-plated aluminium end caps, protecting the electronics in demanding workshop and field environments. The 1/4 VGA AMOLED colour display (320 x 240 pixels) is daylight-readable, an essential feature for outdoor inspections in Oman’s high-glare environments.

Connectivity is provided by professional Lemo 00 connectors, ensuring an interference-free link to high-frequency transducers from 1 MHz to 25 MHz. The keypad is a sealed membrane type with tactile feedback, designed for one-handed operation while wearing protective gear. Up to 12 hours of continuous use in colour mode is available from three standard AA alkaline or NiMH cells, making the gauge practical for remote NDT tasks.

Key Features

High-Resolution Color B-Scan: The Dakota NDT PMX3-DL provides a real-time cross-sectional view for unmatched precision.
Extreme Resolution: Measures thin materials with a resolution of 0.001mm (0.0001in).
Multi-Mode Versatility: Includes Interface-Echo, Pulse-Echo, and Echo-Echo (Thru-Paint) for various industrial applications.
Large Memory Data Logger: The Dakota NDT PMX3-DL stores readings and waveforms in color for professional audit trails.
High-Frequency Support: Optimized for precision transducers from 1 MHz to 25 MHz for the thinnest material measurements.
Rugged Aluminum Case: Extruded aluminium body with nickel-plated aluminium end caps, built for the toughest field conditions in the Middle East and Oman.

Industrial Applications

The Dakota NDT PMX3-DL (Z-157-0007) is the primary choice for specialized B2B precision tasks, including:

Aerospace Turbines: Measuring wall thickness of high-value turbine blades with the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL.
Precision Automotive: Inspecting thin-wall fuel lines and engine castings in Oman’s manufacturing sector.
Medical Manufacturing: Quality control for high-precision surgical components and thin-wall tubing.
Coated Thin Metals: Measuring base metal thickness through protective paint using the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL Echo-Echo mode.
Composite Testing: Evaluating the thickness of thin fiberglass and carbon fiber panels in the Middle East maritime industry.

Display, Pulser and Data Logging Capability

The feature that separates the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL from the grayscale PMX2-DL in the same PMX family is its quarter-VGA AMOLED colour screen, which renders 320 × 240 pixels at a 60 Hz refresh rate against the 240 × 160 pixel, 25 Hz grayscale panel of the base model. AMOLED emission rather than backlit transmission is what keeps the waveform readable at wide viewing angles and in direct Gulf sunlight, and the higher refresh rate is what makes live A-Scan and B-Scan movement legible as the probe is dragged. Beyond Pulse-Echo, Echo-Echo and Interface-Echo, the gauge also offers Echo-Echo Verify for contact transducers and Interface-Echo-Echo for delay line and pencil probes, giving five distinct modes for separating coating from substrate on thin, painted or clad components.

Signal control on the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL is genuinely instrument-grade: the square-wave pulser is selectable at 100, 150 or 200 volts with spike, thin and wide pulse-width settings, the receiver offers manual and automatic gain control with selectable damping of 35, 50, 75, 300, 600 or 1500 ohms, and single-element contact, delay line and pencil transducers from 1 to 25 MHz connect through LEMO “00” quick-disconnect sockets. For inspection programmes, readings are logged into either alphanumeric grid files or sequential auto-identifier files, inaccessible locations can be marked OBSTRUCT so the report shows why a point is blank, screens can be captured as .tif bitmaps, up to 64 custom setups and three adjustable gates can be stored, and scan mode captures 250 readings per second for fast sweep coverage. Data transfers to the Windows PC interface over USB-C, and every gauge ships with factory calibration traceable to NIST and MIL-STD-45662A — the documentation trail that Oman’s refinery and aerospace quality departments expect to see with an incoming precision instrument.

Technical Specifications

Variable	Specification
Manufacturer	Dakota NDT
Model	Dakota NDT PMX3-DL (PVX Colour)
Part Number	Z-157-0007
Display Type	1/4 VGA AMOLED colour display
Visualization	Real-Time A-Scan and Color B-Scan
Measurement Modes	Interface-Echo, Pulse-Echo, Echo-Echo
Resolution	Selectable: 0.01 mm (0.001 in) or 0.001 mm (0.0001 in)
Range (Interface-Echo)	1.27 mm to 25.4 mm on steel (from 0.127 mm on plastics)
Range (Pulse-Echo)	1.0 mm to 254 mm on steel
Range (Echo-Echo)	0.15 mm to 12.7 mm on steel
Accuracy	Dakota NDT does not publish a single fixed accuracy figure; measurement resolution is selectable to 0.001 mm (0.0001 in)
Velocity Range	1250 to 9999 m/s
Memory Capacity	4GB Internal (Thousands of readings with waveforms)
Gain Control	110 dB range, manual and automatic (AGC)
Display Update Rate	60 Hz
Transducer Support	1 MHz to 25 MHz
Connectors	Dual Lemo 00
Case Material	Extruded aluminium body with nickel-plated aluminium end caps
Battery Life	Approx. 12 hours colour mode on three AA alkaline or NiMH cells
Operating Temperature	-10°C to 60°C (14°F to 140°F)
Weight	383 g (13.5 oz) with batteries
Dimensions	63.5 x 165 x 31.5 mm (2.5 x 6.5 x 1.24 in)
Warranty	2-year limited gauge warranty / 90-day probe warranty
Battery	Three AA cells (alkaline, NiCad or NiMH)
Display Resolution	320 x 240 pixels AMOLED, 60 Hz refresh
Measurement Modes (full)	Pulse-Echo, Echo-Echo, Echo-Echo Verify, Interface-Echo, Interface-Echo-Echo
Pulser	Square wave, 100 / 150 / 200 V, spike / thin / wide pulse width
Receiver Damping	35, 50, 75, 300, 600, 1500 ohm selectable
Gain Control Mode	Manual and automatic gain control (AGC)
Data Log Formats	Alphanumeric grid or sequential auto-identifier; .tif screen capture; OBSTRUCT marking
Custom Setups / Gates	64 custom setups, 3 adjustable gates
Scan Mode	250 readings per second
PC Interface	USB-C to Windows PC software
Calibration Traceability	NIST and MIL-STD-45662A

Request a Quote for Dakota NDT PMX3-DL Precision Thickness Gauge (PVX Colour)

Seven Star LLC is the official authorized representative of Dakota NDT in Oman, supplying the PMX3-DL with technical support across Oman and the GCC. We provide professional technical training, expert calibration, and rapid RFQ processing for the Z-157-0007. Contact our engineering sales team today for a formal quotation or to request the complete Dakota NDT PMX3-DL technical datasheet for your next precision project in Oman or the Middle East.

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About brand

Ultrasonic thickness gauging is the core of Dakota NDT, the Scotts Valley, USA maker that many inspectors still know as Dakota Ultrasonics. Its instruments measure remaining wall on corroded pipe and vessels, check precision parts, find flaws in welds and monitor bolt elongation.

Seven Star LLC is the Dakota NDT agency for Oman and the GCC. We list Dakota corrosion and precision thickness gauges, flaw detectors, transducers, delay line tips and calibration blocks, and supply them with the manufacturer's documentation.

Dakota NDT product families

Corrosion thickness gauges form the largest group: the CMX10-DL with full waveform capture, the CMX, CX and ZX series and the MX2-DL. For thin or tight-tolerance material Dakota builds the precision line, made up of the PZX1-DL, the PCX8-DL and the PMX series. The RX8-DL sonic tester, the PMX4-DL and the R9 sit in the specialty group. Flaw detection is handled by the handheld FX71-DL and the bench-top FX81-DL, and bolt tension by the BT1-DL, the BT2-DL and the MultiMax remote monitoring system. Dual element transducers pair with corrosion gauges, single element and delay line probes with precision gauges. DakMaster and DakView software take care of data transfer and reporting.

Where Dakota ultrasonic thickness gauges are used

Typical jobs are wall-loss surveys on pipelines, tanks, boiler tubes and pressure vessels in oil and gas plants and power stations, thickness checks on machined, drawn or molded parts, weld inspection in fabrication shops, and bolted joints on flanges and turbines where clamp load matters more than torque.

Ordering Dakota gauges and probes: what we need

A useful inquiry names the gauge model, the material, its expected thickness span, the surface temperature and whether the surface is coated. For transducers send the frequency, element diameter, connector type and the gauge the probe will be used with. For calibration blocks give the material and the step sizes you need. If you already own a Dakota instrument, a photo of its label and of the current probe lets us check the match against the manufacturer's documentation.

FAQ

Questions about the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL Precision Thickness Gauge (PVX

Answers from our engineering team on installation, compatibility and integration.

01What is the benefit of a color B-Scan in the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL?

The color B-Scan in the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL provides a visual cross-section of the material, which helps the inspector quickly identify thickness changes and internal inclusions that numeric-only gauges might miss. This is critical for high-stakes aerospace and medical inspections.

02Can the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL measure through industrial coatings?

Yes, by utilizing the Echo-Echo mode, the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL can measure the thickness of the underlying metal without removing the protective paint or coating, ensuring that the measurement only includes the material of interest.

03Is the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL (Z-157-0007) easy to use for new inspectors?

While highly advanced, the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL features a simplified menu system and automatic gain control options. Seven Star LLC also provides technical training to ensure your team can fully utilize the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL’s advanced features.

04What type of transducers are recommended for the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL?

For the highest precision, high-frequency delay-line transducers (15MHz to 20MHz) are typically used with the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL. However, it is compatible with a wide range of contact and dual-element probes for general-purpose use.

05How does the Dakota NDT PMX3-DL handle data storage and reporting?

The Dakota NDT PMX3-DL includes an internal 4GB data logger that captures numerical data, A-scan waveforms, and color B-scans. This data can be exported to a PC for professional reporting and historical analysis of asset integrity in Oman.