Got a new toy to make my mill run better, but now I want a little more...

[Willy301]

Well guys, I finally got tired of trying to make my rotary/ hybrid phase converter work, so I bought a VFD today!




And now I want to find electric power feed for the old girl. I have a Bridgeport M head machine, not looking for CNC stuff, just something to help get a smooth, even cut. I am not a "machinist", but I own a machine, and plan to learn how to use it to my benefit.

Now, I just have to go out in the shop and wire in the VFD, and then read the 1000 page manual so I understand how to operate it....

 

[coalsmok]

Wired up three of that same series recently. They are fairly simple to set up and get working. I remot mount mine and wire the factory switch to them.

 

[oldbikerdude37]

I can turn that into a welder/smoke machine in nothing flat.

 

[Willy301]

Thanks OBD, but I have plenty of welders around I am just trying to get my project through to completion, and it is not an easy task. I have been at it for 10 years, a year or two off in the interim for family crisis, but back at it hard now, just need to drag it across that finish line.

 

[matt_isserstedt]

I think there are other posts but the most valuable advice I believe from Forrest Addy is to start reading the manual. Some things will make sense, others won't. On about the 3rd to 5th reread you will be much more familiar with what you need to make it work. There are a lot of extra bells and whistles in a VFD, typically 2- or 3- wire control for start/stop and using the potentiometer on the face of the unit is what you need to get it started working.

 

[Shawn Ghormley]

Post some pics when you have it up and running.

 

[Willy301]

Thanks for the replies, yeah Matt, been reading the new "bible" on and off since I got it home. Was trying to get a better understanding prior to even trying to wire it, and I will still have my ace electrician here when I do it. I think he would get a kick out of this, as he helped with the original converter, that seems to fail even though it is wired correctly....I blame it on my set up, not on my electrician. Shawn, I sure will, probably will attempt to get it up and running this weekend.

I do have one other question, it seems coalsmok raised a concern to me. He stated that he remote mounts his. I was of the belief, from my research, that these need to be as close to the motor as possible for both efficiency and I was also told they could be affected by other computer controlled devices. I will have no other computer devices close by, but hope to find power feed controllers at some point. So the question: Is it better to mount it close to the motor or is remote mounting preferred? I ask this for 2 reasons. Someone posted they still use their factory switch in conjunction with this, which the supply house told me was a no-no, and if mounted remotely, how would you access it for reversing and speed adjustments, should they be required?

 

[coalsmok]

Willy
The vfd does not care where the motor it is running is at in relation to it. At work we have some controling fans 2 or 300ft away. I remote mount mine to keep the fine chips and stuff out of them.
To use the factory switch for forward/reverse/stop you wire the motor to the vfd bypassing the switch the run a seperate set of wires from the switch to the vfd auxillary contacts for this purpose. That is the 2 or 3 wire controls that Matt refers to above. This is nice when you installing a vfd on a lathe with apron controls for example.
You can also control the speed remotly with a poteniomiter(sp?), but I just use the vfd to produce three phase power. My thought is the machines in my home shop worked fine untill I got them with the speeds provided in the transmission.

Pm me with your number and a time if you want to discuss this in more detail in the next few days. I have the revelent pages marked in my manuals for these.

 

[Willy301]

Thank you for clarifying this coalsmok, I am new at this machining thing, have had a lathe for almost 10 years, but really only make non critical parts for my project. It has come in pretty handy. The mill, I got it about 5 years ago, and the only parts I made with it, is when I had the trouble with the phase converter I am currently using, so I hope to start making it earn its keep soon. I just happen to have a couple parts to experiment with, to see if I can do what I want with it. This forum seems to be full of knowledgable people, and I mean no disrespect when I question something. I am just one of those that likes to know the why behind my actions, not just the what. Thank you for the info, and if I run into any trouble, I will PM you.

 

[adama]

Interference - noise and long leads is only a issue with extended cable runs with inverters. Certainly far further than typical on machine tools. Don't forget though there is "real" three phase flowing in thoes cables so they should be in conduit or armoured cable works a treat as it also offers a fair degree of electrical shielding to suppress noise + mechanical protection.

 

[Willy301]

I plan on my longest run of wire, about 5 feet, to just be the 220 single phase. The VFD will be mounted on the head of my Bridgeport. I was reading about the shielding, and thought it a good idea, if I were to run a longer cable from the VFD to the motor. The manual actually dictates, a "screened" cable, I think I have seen this one time, and it was in a much more taxing environment than I have, none of my cables will even touch the ground, so I think I will be ok. Thanks for the suggestions, and I will hopefully get it up and running this weekend.