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over/under voltage alarm, every morning now

wheelieking71

wheelieking71

Diamond
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Location
Gilbert, AZ
05' VF2ss. It used to be once in a while, I would power up and be greeted by this:



It has been becoming increasingly frequent. And now it is every day. The only thing that has changed is the ambient temp here.
In the beginning, I would say, maybe once a week? And, it only happens during power-up. It has never happened once the machine is running.
It has always been a simple matter of red-button then green-button to clear it. And it would never happen on the second try.
This morning, it took three Red-button/green-button cycles to clear it. I killed the main between the 2nd and 3rd cycle just cause.

I have had a tech connect the main power both times I have needed it done. And he said everything looked spot on.

Anybody else had an issue like this? I am starting to worry :ill:

My gut says its the spindle drive. And its probably something stupid like a cold solder joint or something. You know something that could be fixed for free if you knew what it was. Rather than $5k for a drive! :bawling:
 
I had the same alarm on one of my girls for 2 weeks.

Leia is missing the back door on her control cabinet due to a previous owner accident. So I come in and hit the control ON an I hear the pop an see the blue flash on the wall she is up against. Smelled the smoke and ran to throw off the main breaker to her.

A little something or other on the power board went up in smoke.
 
Well, TODAY we are acting a little different around here!

After my normal cycle on/off to get past the above screen to get powered up, I went ahead and fired the spindle up @ 2k to let it "warm up" for a few minutes.

Not long after I had a low-air alarm. HMMM, walked over to compressor and all looked good. The pressure switch has stuck on me once before. I tapped on it a few times with a screwdriver handle, and she fired off. Okay, great, pressure switch is a P.O.S. no-biggie.

After running for a couple hours, I hear the mill spindle slowly winding down. YEP, "spindle drive fault" accompanied by "overvoltage". DAMN-IT! :bawling: It only takes one stroke of Reset, and its back up and running. But, I am still :ill:

Twenty minutes later: same thing! "spindle drive fault" and "overvoltage". Crap! Reset, running again.

Fifteen minutes later: "Low air-pressure" WTF! Today is cursed!

Walk to the compressor, and that's when I see what may be a good, or bad sign!!!! The VFD on the compressor is sitting there with an "overvoltage" alarm!!! :eek:

Now, I am not electrically inclined. I know just about enough to be dangerous, or screw stuff up.

Do I need to call an electrician in here? Do I run the risk of damaging my machines? WTF do I do now?
 
You need to break out the meter and start measuring your incoming power supply. Check it often and write it down as you could have fluctuations which is causing your pain.
 
wheelieking71 said:
Well, TODAY we are acting a little different around here!


The VFD on the compressor is sitting there with an "overvoltage" alarm!!! :eek:

Is your power 3 phase? About the only thing that can cause an over voltage is power company stuff or something in house is throwing a spike on turnoff. Only the electronic stuff will see that. If single phase a bad neutral connection will do it. Check voltages with a meter with and without a load, should be about the same leg to leg, a little less with load.
John
Click to expand...
 
It's 3-phase. I will have to attack it with the meter. But, I just don't know what I am doing. I have a call in to a tech I know. He is going to swing by when he gets a chance. Everything is running just fine for the last 6 or so hrs. After the VFD alarm, I am really starting to think its a power issue, and not a machine issue. The lathe has not ever done anything weird, but I don't know that it would being the dinosaur that it is.
 
Probably a dirty power issue. Do you run any heavy draw single phase stuff? Sometimes you can unbalance 3phase if all of your single phase is coming off the same two legs.
 
pvsora said:
Probably a dirty power issue. Do you run any heavy draw single phase stuff? Sometimes you can unbalance 3phase if all of your single phase is coming off the same two legs.
Click to expand...

lights, and computer. A/C in the office in the summer. That's it. Any time the welder, or plasma, is running, the 3-phase stuff is shut down.
 
Do you have 3 phase from power company or are you making it?

If you have single phase coming in and are converting it. I would guess the power coming in is the problem. Never know what kind of load you neighbor are putting on it. I looked at a large single phase service and converting. It was still going to be pretty expensive due to the transformers and such I would need according to the power company to keep from disrupting the neighbors power or dimming their lights.

I always try to make sure I balance loads the best I can with single phase loads.
 
Looking like I have a new Vector Drive in my immediate future :(

I guess there are a few different "checks" the techs can administer to gauge the drives condition. Mine failed one of those tests last night :wrong:

I have had two spindle drive fault alarms so far today. Neither were accompanied by over/under voltage alarms. That is a first. And one was accompanied by a weird spindle encoder alarm I have never seen before.

Sumbeech!

I guess the overvoltage on the compressor VFD may have been a coincidence? IDK? weird. Every time either the tech, or I have attacked the legs with the probes, the voltages are right on the money, and very consistent. I guess I just need to bite the bullet, and schedule a new Vector Drive.
 
How close does you command RPM match your actual RPM?
I had an encoder go bad on one of mine.
 
Don't worry, when the time comes I will. It has been running fine for the last two days. Today is a short cycle with lots of tool changes (starting/stopping), running full-tilt since 5:30am. Not one alarm yet! IDK? WTF?
(other than my usual morning ritual pictured in first post)
 
Make a point to check every electrical screw conection 2 times a year all the way to the meter at least look at them.

If you have single phase air that could cause it also.

Look for a voltage drop when the air comes on.
 
So, I need to update this here thred!

The NMTS drive has been installed for a little over a week now. And I have not had one single alarm since I installed it.

Hopefully, This will be the last update to this thread. As, if the drive is problem free, I will forget all about it.
If problems arise, I will be sure to dredge it back up.

But, my opinion so far is:

HAAS Vector-Drive from HAAS = $3700 (plus the service call! local HFO told me they wont sell "you" a drive. they have to install it. It literally took me 20minutes)

NMTS Vector-Drive =$1500

DUH!

Both units are refurbs. You tell me which one you would buy.
 
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