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VFD Recommendations?

catch22

Aluminum
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Location
CANADA
Hi everyone, I am having trouble finding a decent VFD for my milling machine. It is 2 HP 230volt 3 phase. What I am looking for is 1 phase in and 3 phase out. Also would like it to have built in braking resistor. Looking to spend $200 to $300 if that's possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike
 
Hi everyone, I am having trouble finding a decent VFD for my milling machine. It is 2 HP 230volt 3 phase. What I am looking for is 1 phase in and 3 phase out. Also would like it to have built in braking resistor. Looking to spend $200 to $300 if that's possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike

I'm using two 2HP Hitachi WJ200's for my mill (Van Norman 22LU). They were $275 each at Drives Warehouse. The Hitachi are quality units.

Why would you want/need a braking resistor for a VFD? I can see for a lathe, but I would expect the normal drive deceleration and/or DC braking would be adequate for a mill?

-Phil
 
EBay for used.

New in that budget are not allowed here.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Why not? Don't agree with that in today's world.

I bought a new WEG (don't have the part number handy)for my lathe. Its a 3 hp 230 volt single phase in and 3 phase out. It has the built-in braking resistor - I use a braking resistor. Works great on my lathe.

I bought the RF filter which I didn't really need and I paid about $320 shipped from a dealer in the Atlanta area. Don't know what it costs in Canada but a 2hp should be a little cheaper.
 
Hitachi WJ200-015SF ($275-300), they work and never had a problem with them. Control from their front panel is poor in my opinion for routine use,but very easy to have a separate pod for the machine controls. WJ200 has internal baking, but also circuity for an external braking resistor which runs about $70. W/O an external braking resistor you should get 3-4 second braking.

Less expensive ($180-210) is the Teco L510 either the 2HP L510-202-H1-U or 3HP L510-203-H1-U, they are simple but work. They do not support and external braking resistor, but all these units have an internal braking resistor which should be able to give you 3 second stopping.
Teco-Westinghouse, L510-202-H1, 2 HP, Variable Frequency Drive 230 Volt, 1 Phase Input, IP20, at Dea
Teco-Westinghouse, L510-203-H1, 3 HP, Variable Frequency Drive 230 Volt, 1 Phase Input, IP20, at Dea

Teco E510 a step up from the L510, supports an external braking resistor, runs around $260. Nice units at the price point manual is easier to follow.
Purchase 2 HP VFD, 230 Volts, NEMA 1/IP20, Teco, E510-202-H-U at Dealers Industrial


Fuji Electric various models FRN0010C2S-7U, FRN0008E2S-7GB around $200-270, manuals are a bit more cryptic, but seem to be becoming more popular as a low cost VFD option.
FRN0010C2S-7U | Fuji Electric | AC Drives
FRN0008E2S-7GB | Fuji Electric | AC Drives

No experience with the WEG which seem to have new models, there are other more industrial VFD's that are more expensive. Wouldn't waste your money on used, at this price level you get no warranty or tech support, not worth it in my experience unless you know what you are looking for. Make sure you size the VFD to the motor rater current amps, not just the Hp rating. Also if there is any derating say for duty cycle and carrier frequency. In the 2-3 Hp range there are lots of good options in the under $300 range.
 
Wouldn't waste your money on used, at this price level you get no warranty or tech support, not worth it in my experience unless you know what you are looking for. Make sure you size the VFD to the motor rated current amps, not just the Hp rating. Also if there is any derating say for duty cycle and carrier frequency. In the 2-3 Hp range there are lots of good options in the under $300 range.

Fully agree with this.........
 
Another good feature about the Hitachi WJ200 is that high carrier frequency settings can be run without derating the 3HP and below models. If I remember correctly. And I don't think that's true of many VFDs. Plus if you have a question about them, mksj can answer it. He's the resident WJ200 expert.

I bought a couple of Fuji's from Wolf Automation at their recombination. The manual was a bit tough for my limited knowledge and few people own them so they're hard to find help for.

I have an irrational fondness for VFDs, and have bought 5 or 6 used ones, including my 2 WJ200's. I haven't bought a bad one yet. Maybe I've been lucky or maybe they're more durable than they get credit for.
 
Another good feature about the Hitachi WJ200 is that high carrier frequency settings can be run without derating the 3HP and below models. If I remember correctly. And I don't think that's true of many VFDs. Plus if you have a question about them, mksj can answer it. He's the resident WJ200 expert.

I bought a couple of Fuji's from Wolf Automation at their recombination. The manual was a bit tough for my limited knowledge and few people own them so they're hard to find help for.

I have an irrational fondness for VFDs and have bought 5 or 6 used ones, including my 2 WJ200's. I haven't bought a bad one yet. Maybe I've been lucky or maybe they're more durable than they get credit for.
 
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RFI filter (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI filter (ElectoMagnetic Interference) help attenuate these common forms of electrical interference generated from VFD's. These VFD RFI/EMI filters help decrease the electrical noise feeding back into your power wiring. Use of shielded motor cables help reduce radiated noise and also noise contaminating the control wires. Always keep the VFD control wiring away from the motor cable.

RFI filter.jpg
 
Awesome, thanks for your help, I am going with the WEG found one 2hp for $277 and a 3hp for $278, I'm thinking of going with the 3hp model even though I only need 2hp, just incase I upgrade the motor eventually, my lathe has a 3hp motor also. Do you think it would be a problem running the 3hp on a 2hp motor?
 
Awesome, thanks for your help, I am going with the WEG found one 2hp for $277 and a 3hp for $278, I'm thinking of going with the 3hp model even though I only need 2hp, just incase I upgrade the motor eventually, my lathe has a 3hp motor also. Do you think it would be a problem running the 3hp on a 2hp motor?

Absolutely no problem. Its the right thing to do.
 
Power tapping. The brake allows you to get better cutting speeds without crashing.

Sure, agreed. I guess what I mean more precisely is whether the deceleration capability of these drives is enough (given the relatively low spinning mass of a J-head mill) to reverse quickly enough without a supplemental braking resistor.
 
Sure, agreed. I guess what I mean more precisely is whether the deceleration capability of these drives is enough (given the relatively low spinning mass of a J-head mill) to reverse quickly enough without a supplemental braking resistor.

IME/IMO, no. I end up using the hand brake. I like to tap as fast as possible and after using my mill with no braking resistor vs my friend's with resistor, his is the way to go.

But that was before I got my CNC so now I'm all like G84.1. lol
 
When you set a VFD to stop faster than it's capable of without a external resistor, it shuts down to protect itself from overheating and coast to a stop. My Lagun 3HP mill with Reeves drive has a lot of rotating mass and I can't get it to stop faster than about 6 seconds without a resistor.

Not an experienced power tapper, but everything I've seen about it involves reversing direction without stopping the motor. No braking involved. YouTube
 
Automation Direct GS2-22PO $265. I have several 3HP units that have worked with no problems for many years. I also have one WJ200 10HP unit also on line with no problems.
 
I would be cautious of just buying a brand without understanding the various models and what they come with as standard features. A good example is the WEG CFW300 VFD drives, only the B frame size models have provisions for an external braking resistor, so the 2 HP single phase CFW300A07P3S2NB20 does not have this ability, the 3 Hp CFW300B10P0B2DB20 does have this ability. The standard WEG VFD model only has 4 inputs, which can be very limiting if say using are using 3 wire control which takes up 3 inputs, then if you want to jog, fast stop, change the braking speed add another speed function, you do not have enough inputs. There are optional modules to add more inputs, but at an additional cost. The 3 Hp single phase input CFW300 VFD is derated for higher carrier frequency so a 3Hp 10A model is derated to 8A for a carrier frequency of 12-15 kHz. The Hitachi WJ200-15S and -022S are not derated so the 2HP WJ200-015SF at the higher carrier frequency has the same current output as the 3 Hp WEG. A few other gotchas, so you need to know what you are comparing as far as features and your needs. OK for a basic mill install, wouldn't use it for a lathe install. You will see a lot of Hitachi WJ200 used along with Yaskawa drives in factory installs for mills and lathes in the 3-5 Hp range.

The Automation Direct GS2 is a very dated design and pretty simplistic (like not having sensorless vector control), there are better drives out there these days. Their GS4 model is expensive.

As far as braking, an external braking resistor would be needed if a mill is in back gear and you wanted quick stopping for tapping, in the high speed gears you should be able to get 3-4 seconds w/o a braking resistor. Controlled deceleration requires a braking resistor, the speed/rate is enhanced with an external braking resistor. Also in an emergency E-Stop or Fast Stop command. All the factory installs that I am aware of do have an external braking resistor. In a lathe it is required. Cheaper VFD may have poorer braking abilities due to cost cutting in the design/components, better VFD's have better ability to control an over voltage buss error from too rapid braking which causes you to loose all braking. I deal with installing the drives not how they work, others can provide more details and opinions. I personally stick with the Hitachi WJ200, Teco A/E510, Yasakawa V1000 drives for installs in the 1-5Hp range.
 








 
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