Thank you for this. Some of us don't have easy chairs for reading instructions, and must rely on the thoroughness of other people who do have easy chairs.
Good Morning Mr. Pete. I'm attempting to install a 3 phase motor and VFD on my 8530 Clausing mill. I'm recapping your videos for reference. This was 10 years ago, my how time flies. Thanks again for all your information.
Mr Pete your videos are truely insperstional! I have not found anyone on the Internet that comes close to having your knowledge and experience. Thanks for your hard work which allowed us youngens to learn machining the old school way. Cheers mate!
Hi Pete, Dont forget most motors use the same rotor no matter if they are 1700 or 3400 RPM, so your only limiting factor for overdriving a 4 pole (1700) motor is the running amperes, as long as you stay below the nameplate amp spec, you can push your motor above 60 HZ, I commonly run 1700 RPM motors @ 120 HZ, they have proven reliable with years of service behind them.
Tubalcain, I stumbled across your VFD UTube Videos after purchasing a Delta Unisaw (Tablesaw)with a three phase 2 horsepower motor. I have wanted one since junior high school wood shop class! I searched and was pleased to find one locally on Craig's List at a very reasonably price. I was actually afraid to hook up my Teco VFD and I am sure I would never have done this myself without your helpful video! I built a "power pedestal", which is secured to the floor immediately to the right side of my tablesaw (under the table top) and mounted the VFD on top of the pedestal where I can safely turn the saw on and off without looking at the VFD. (I made a guard from Plexiglass to protect me.) I am very pleased with my new saw, the learning, and doing process. Thank you for your help!
Just for reference, since you wondered why the VFD was marked PE, the acronym PE stands for Protective Earth which is a standardised term refered to in the NEC (National Electrical Code, a US standard). The word ground is a bad way to refer to a Protective Earth, since that may imply that the ground could be used for something which it's not supposed to be used for (flow current through). It's of utmost importance that the potential in a Protective Earth is the same as the ground your walking or lower, to protect you in case of emergency, that is not possible if you regularly make a habbit of flowing current through it. But most importantly, with the earth potential in mind, for a RCD (residual-current device, which a modern home should have) to work there must be a neutral reference point which doesn't have current flowing through it in any case but cases of emergency. Otherwise the RCD will just be tripping constantly.
Thanks Tubalcain, great video. I've been looking at VFD's and it's really helpful to see this. Teco is a good brand. Westinghouse went into a joint venture with them in 1988 forming Teco-Westinghouse. Teco then bought them out in 1995. Their VFD's are sold both as both Teco and Westinghouse internationally now. So the Chinese writing on the manual doesn't necessarily imply cheap. My tell for cheap Chinese is a crappy quality manual written in Chinglish. PE stands for 'protective earth'. It's the international abbreviation for the our NEC 'groundiNG conductor' (as opposed to the NEC 'groundED connector' - they're different). Grounding gets more complicated dealing with 3-phase distribution in different countries and with electronic equipment with signal grounds that carry current. Thanks again.
Several years ago, I moved my Shop to a new locations, where most of my large tools (i.e., Mill and Lathe) have been reconnected to 220V power. At the previous location I had built and installed a 9HP Rotatory 3 Phase Converter, its size was a little overkill, but I used it with my 2HP Drill Mill. With that much converter power, instant reverse of the Drill Mill was possible, which made tapping small AND large holes a dream. After moving my Shop to the current location, I have not re-installed the Phase Converter due to the desire to move it to the Pump House where the noise would not be bothersome. In fact, in preparation, I pulled the 75' Pump House 220V supply wires from the conduit, and then re-installed them with two additional wires; one for control, and one for the third phase return for the shop. But still several year later, the converter has not be installed yet, and therefore my Drill Mill has sat in the corner collecting dust. A couple weeks ago, I viewed your UA-cam video where you described a Variable 3 Phase Controller for a Drill Press. After some research, I immediately placed on order a; TECO DRIVE JNEV-202-H1 2HP/7.5A, 230V IN 230V OUT. The price a little higher than I liked, but I got it without shipping costs. Yesterday I received the Variable Converter, and had started to cobble it together with my Drill Mill to see how it operates (and to learn how to program it). This was before mounting it to the side of the Drill Mill. My Son walked in with a Prototype Job that needed four 5/16" tapped holes in some 3/4" Stainless Steel bar (a somewhat difficult job). So far, I had not learned how to program the controller for instant reverse or for extremely low speed. I was not sure it could be done. But with a little research (of the small manual), I figured it out. The results, the TECO Drive Controller works much better for Tapping than my Rotatory Phase Controller I configured the TECO Drive Controller for; o External Terminal - F04=001 o Freq Signal Source - F05=001 o Control Method - F06=000 (remote PNP Input Signal for Forward and Reverse) o Stop Method - F09=001 (to avoid forced controller deceleration) Later I will connect this function to a switch, see F11-15 =014 o Freq Lower Limit - F08=02.0 For a quick test, and to help my Son run his Prototype Tapping Job, I configured a SPDT Center-Off switch on end of a cable, and then attached it to pins 3, 4, and 5, as per page 4-11 of the CD manual. We actually found our cobbled together hand held switch to work great, it was very useful for quick Tap reversing. In fact now I plan to include a hand held remote in my final configuration. BUT, with both, my Son and I working at the Drill Mill, it became obvious the final configuration will need a large E-Stop switch to avoid accidental operation while another person is changing the bit. For this first test run, I was actually holding the hand held remote, but I was still nervous, while my Son changed the bit. A large real E-Stop switch is needed so the person at the chuck can ensure the Drill Mill will NOT start. Thanks for creating you video, the TECO Drive will be a great addition to my Shop. Regards, Eldon Brown WA0UWH.blogspot.com/
When using one of these be aware that running an electric motor at less than normal speed but under load will overheat it because the cooling fan slows down as well. Either gear the drill press for slow speed and compensate by driving it at at more than normal speed or fit a electric fan to the motor to assist with the cooling. (there are specially made fans for industrial applications to fit standardized motors)
I did almost the same drill press conversion excepting that I salvaged the motor and controller from a discarded tread mill. Works fantastic! I have the belt set on the slowest speed to provide the maximum torque and just about never change it! The tread mill motor has a tag on it showing 4000 RPM. Really a sweet setup. I later installed a GE Fuji AF-300 Mini VFD on my 12-inch Clausing lathe having a 3-phase motor. On this application I'm using electronic braking by adding the braking resistor to the VFD. I'm pretty sure that you're supposed to match the VFD motor horse power rating to the motor's horse power.
You will love your vfd...have one on my 17 inch rockwell delta from 1955. DO not eliminate your pulleys. Sometimes you want to use the higher speed at motor and low speed through pulleys. Keep all of your options open. If you use remote controls you will need to carefully check all function setting especially the speed. When I set up my remote the setting fro the variable pot was defaulted to zero. Made for a few tense moments. Thank you for all of you hard work sharing your knowledge!
With all due respect to a man I admire very much, PE is a term for "Protective Earth" which is not the same as "Ground." The term ground is used most often to indicate circuit reference ground or "return" as is sometimes used. There is a significant difference in the electrical and descriptive properties of these terms and proper understanding is paramount to a safely configured and operated system. That all said, I love your videos and find your traditional sensibilities enjoyable and comforting.
When i was a young man and had illusions of crazy proportions. I was going to wire a 10 hp rated single phase to 3 phase VFD to a panel with a contactor for each piece of equipment with a speed switch at each machine. I still think its a good idea for others.
Wish I had seen this video earlier. I looked into a vfd, but didn't know they had them that converted 120 to 240 3 phase. I ended up getting a 1/2hp 24v dc permanent magnet motor, power supply, and variable speed control. This would've saved me some hassle for sure.
These VHD work very well despite what some people are saying. I find they are much more efficient when you use 220 VAC single phase as an input. Helped a friend install one one an old south bend heavy ten. He had a 1HP motor and a VHD rated at 1.5 HP which is overkill for that size lathe but it did give him the ability to create an EPO that was connected to a piece of plastic over the chuck. If his arm were to get sucked in to the chuck it would hit the plastic and trip the EPO. Having the over size motor and VHD means it spins down in 1.25 seconds. Not the sort of thing you want to do a lot as it's hard on the equipment but a nice safety feature. Lots of info to be found at hobby-machinist. Still if you can get 3 phase for a decent price that's the way to go. I live in rural Ohio so it isn't an option.
This vfd would be good for a surface grinder. You could ramp up the speed on startup to avoid the wheel shifting on the arbor. I will probably convert mine, because I noticed bridgeport grinders have a rough running motor that leaves a bad surface finish. This might straighten it out. By the way, just in case you were looking for a tachometer for your drill press, I found a neat little digital tachometer on amazon. It works on hall effect, and comes with a little magnet that sticks to the shaft. I bought one, but haven't connected it yet.
Great video Mr. Pete, I'm also very scared every time I connect a new electric gadget, specially those that handle large amounts of current. Thanks for sharing your learning experience.
Re: your noisy Rockwell drill press. I have a 1973 vintage Craftsman drill press that began making a similar noise that was driving me crazy. I feared it was due to faulty bearings. but on close inspection I noticed that the pulley on the motor had slipped down on its shaft and was rubbing on metal. So, I raised the pulley so that it aligned properly with the pulley on the quill, tightened the set screw that had worked loose, and the awful noise was gone. (Plus my pulleys were now properly aligned.)
Mrpete, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS ADVICE, I have three VFD units in my home shop. They have worked fine for over a year, with "ONE" exception, "heat". Please consider the internal fan blade that is inside most electric motors that is designed to cool the guts of the motor. You will probably not have heat issues with a drill press because the motor only runs a few minutes. The cooling fan/motor did not run fast enough for my 3hp / 3ph Bradford lathe nor did it run fast enough for my J-head Bridgeport to keep it what I believe cool enough. I was very creative with my solution to the heat issue. I added a small external squirrel cage fan on the back side of my lathe (with a 12x12 intake air filter) to keep dust out. The little fan blows more than enough air into the back of the 3hp motor via cloths dryer vent duct work. I have done the same on my Bridgeport Mill. Be careful with VFD use, don't loose a motor to over-heating! External fans works great.
Tubalcain, nice video. Very convenient as I just installed a Teco FM50 VFD on my Powermatic 1200 drill press. Well actually I have had the VFD on there for years but I finally got around to wiring up the remote controls. I bought a 10k linear potentiometer, 22mm momentary push button switch, and a 3 way switch (fwd-0-rev). Made a little panel and laser engraved the settings on it. It works great now. The speed pot controls the Hz almost instantly, both with the motor off and while it is running. I will warn you that if you try and fly up the speed too quickly the VFD will fault out and reset after 20 seconds or so. But a gradual ramp up works fine. I use the momentary switch to control the JOG function to bump the spindle at 6 Hz for things like when I want to power tap. The FWD REV switch works just like it's supposed to. All the wiring was pretty basic. Getting into the settings on your VFD (assuming they are similar to my Teco) is also fairly straightforward. To use a remote pot, you just change a certain parameter from 0 to 1 or similar and now it looks to the pot for frequency control vs the panel. I wish I had done the speed pot earlier, makes using the VFD a lot easier. I made a short video walking through some of what I did to show a buddy who wanted to do something similar. powermatic 1200 drill press and VFD
Great video! Very thorough and you covered just about everything! VFDs can add noise to your line. So if you have other sensitive equipment nearby, the noise may effect them. If you have any problems with other sensitive equipment, a quick, cheap and easy fix is to add a surge suppressor (known in electrical jargon as a "line reactor") between the sensitive equipment and the line/power.
Teco is a producer of many of the low price items for major manufacturers. , usually they make some to sell under their own name as well. Little logic controllers, vfds, motors, switches, etc. factorymation sells these items in the US for very good prices. I love your videos, am always waiting to see the next one.
If you don't like the cheapo TECO VFD, you can get a quality US made VFD that comes in a fully enclosed cast aluminum NEMA4 case from KB Electronics. It is configured mainly by iinternal jumpers and does not require "programming". I left most of the settings the default. I bought a KBAC-24 which does 110V-> 220V 3ph, 1hp, and installed it on my Grizzly G4003G lathe and works great. It does cost more than the TECO but by the time you put the TECO in a metal case (so chips and coolant doesn't short it out) its not that much more.
It might have a reversing function. We have a much larger VFD that I've used on a couple of projects. There might also be a RS232 function where you can program it for the ramp up and ramp down speeds. VFD's can be quite useful for people who don't have 3 phase in their shop.
This is so great!! I am planning to build a band saw and power it with a washing machine motor. So I am going to be all eyes and ears. And of course I bookmarked this video. Thank you for uploading.
I've seen hundreds in my line of work.That brand is decent.Plenty big for a smaller motor like yours.Keep the dust out it should last till it's someone elses problem.
Regarding voltage vs. wire size, I think I can explain it without boring you with Ohm's Law or the formula for electrical power. Simply stated, if you double the voltage you can get the same power transfer with half the current. (More current requires a large wire.) If you don't believe me, then think back to 1955 when GM & MoPar went from 6 volts to 12 volts for their automotive electrical systems, the the current requirement was halved and therefore the wire size was reduced. Check out the wiring of a 1955 car vs. a 1956 car. (Ford went to 12 volts in 1956, one year later than the other two.)
Hi, I have installed two of these single to three phase VFD units without boxes and had no issue, as long as there is no large amount of dust in the room for the fan to suck up. Accumulation of dust can cause short circuits on sensitive electronics.
Purchased the same VFD with a 3/4 hp motor as a set from a mail order tool supplier, hooked up just as you did and discovered that the motor has very little torque at lower frequency's. Not sure if I screwed up or there is another problem and with the holidays have not had a chance to get back to it. I will be watching to see how you make out. Thanks for the video maybe it will save me some time.
The best advice I can give to anyone wanting to use a VFD is to ground the motor shaft. The high-frequency harmonics of the waveform used is known to induce currents in the shaft which can cause electrolytic corrosion of the motor bearings over time.
Just do some research before you dive in. The static inverters like Mr. Pete's new toy don't generate a true third phase, and you lose power and torque, to the tune of only getting 2/3 of the rated capacity of the motor...
Your best bet for 3 phase is to get 3 phase service from your power company. If that is not an option. Get a rotary phase converter. They work really well. You can get utility grade power out of them, good enough to run a CNC machine. I will tell you to have it installed by a pro. There is a little tweaking that has to be done when installed. You can find a dealer that will handle everything for you.
It is still a dream away. First there is the cost of the motors and then the cost of the converters. ($300 to $500 per machine). Let alone the time to remove and replace the motors. And they work just fine the way they are. Speed changing on the lathe is easy; my Mill is a real pain to change.
if you are at a slower rpm on the motor the VFD might go into shutdown because of overload, running at lower frequency at a load will be alot of power to drive it. id sudjust having a high/low range on the belts
also its best practice to use screened cables from the vfd to the motor, because the frequency drive emits lots of emf (electricial noise) may disrupt electronic things close to it.
Tubalcain, I wish I lived close enough to stop in and help you with the VFD's. I have them on my mill, lathe, belt grinder etc. I have built target movers with them and recently a potters throwing wheel for my wife. I will give you a bit of advice as to grinding dust. When in use, the VFD is a magnet for grinding dust and it takes very little internal dust collection to let the smoke out of the unit. As you well know, once you let the smoke out of a tool it tends to never power back on. So, you must enclose the VFD or at the very least shut it down in the presence of grinding dust. You are right in that by the time you find an enclosure deep enough it is obnoxiously large to hang on the wall. I just made up plywood boxes with plexi glass front doors. I am sure the NEC police wouldn't like them but they have been in service for a number of years without incident. I am a big fan of your videos. I just realized that your shop is set up in a basement and do hope you have a water alarm or sump pump or both set up. It would be like loosing a machinist museum if a water line broke.. Keep up the good work with the videos..
Well done Sir, wish you were my instructor. I have from my dad; an old powerstat, made by “The Superior Electric Company Bristol Conn, USA. And have used it for years. Wish I knew more about its use! As always, thanks’ for taking the time to make this video! And I support this site. ~M~
Hello I've really enjoyed your Teco VFD videos. I'm getting close to ordering mine for my Hardinge HC Chucker lathe. Your videos have been very helpful and informative. Thank you for taking the time to make them. You have answered several questions that I had regarding such. The Hardinge is a rather complex problem. I'm hoping the VFD will serve more as the phase converter not just the speed controller. My machine has the spindle motor, speed control motor, Z and X apron motor, coolant motor and the auto threading has power to it too! Hoping this will work vs a rotary converter. Thank you again! Denis
On my lathe I find that sometimes when torque is an issue I still have to change belts even though I have a VFD, keep the pulleys, keeps your options open!
Really Good Video Mr. Cain. It made go looking though my tool boxes to see if I still had my old Starrett speed gauge, haven't used it for a while. Yeap, still hav it. LOL
Dear Mr Pete can you plz show the connection diagram for this split phase single phase USA motor with centrifugal switch eliminated? Or is this motr a true 3 phase?
'Made in Taiwan' = very good stuff. I've got a few machines made there and they are excellent (like Jet/Powermatic lathes) and electronic units that just go and go. I did a change from single to 3-phase and don't use any of the many functions on the converter. Maybe I should investigate reverse, that would be nice to have. Best Wishes, Brendan.
Even in industry, one doesn't use a fraction of the functions on a VFD. I really wish the smaller ones would be simpler. Only the very large HP motors and equipment might require some of the more exotic settings.
I use VFDs like this at work, and we generally don't use motors over 1 HP, and I get constantly frustrated at having to go through deep menu structures for such simple things.
Great video. Thank you for posting it. I have been considering doing the same thing on one of my drill presses to get the speed down to running larger drills.
Mr Pete: Is it possible to wire up a VFD to an outlet so that you can run 2 different machines off the one unit? When using the lathe - plug in the lathe ..... when using the milling machine, unplug the lathe and plug in the milling machine. .......... or use 2 outlet box ...... plug in both - but only use one at a time (rarely need both at same time in the home shop anyhow)
best way to test it really have it running at full speed under heavy load if it runs ok and doesnt trip its a keeper, be very surprised if it doesnt trip good luck anyway
Hello there, I have been watching your videos and find them greatly informative. I am not machinist ...yet. I've always been interested since I was in my twenties.I was around tool and die makers but was only allowed to watch.in my forties now may be late to start but I'm going to anyways.I've found used Bridgeport and a few lathes.I will be buying both, hopefully with a bunch of tooling.sorry for the long comment, just want to thank you for posting these videos. Looking forward to your future videos and was wondering if you were doing more on the bridgeport. I wasnt interested in a lathe until your videos...than again.
Informative vid. Even though you don't like the variable speed press, would you consider doing a vid showing how the mechanism works? I searched the internet and haven't been able to find any sources showing this mechanism. I don't have access to a variable speed machine to study. Again thanks for the videos.
For once I find you doing something after I did it, instead of my projects being copies of yours. I got my Sheldon going with one of these VFD's, from the same company. Installation was a snap.
Can you read the opening lines of johnny cashes rendition of "the man comes around" for me/us? It's taken me ages to work out why you sound do familiar.
You are the fist to tell me I sound like Johnny--1000s have said I sound like jimmie stewart. I saw Johnny live--in 1959--still have his autograph on my sophomore ID!
VFD's are a dime a dozen. I've used at least 20 different brands and they've all worked well. Typically you would want to use an inverter duty motor with these due to how the drives generate the output signal. Also, I've never seen an inverter that wasn't capable of reversing. "PE" means earth ground and is not the same as "ground". Sometimes they are tied together and other times not.
I know Im randomly asking but does anyone know a way to log back into an Instagram account? I was stupid forgot my password. I would appreciate any help you can give me
@Jeffrey Onyx Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm in the hacking process atm. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@mrpete222 OK. I got the Vevor VFD & it was dead on arrival, went into an ambient temperature fault. Returned it and bought a different make. I just received it today, hooked it up and bench tested at 1725 rpm @ 60 hz. Now, time to study the book.
I would say that you could lose the intermediate pulley. In the video, at least, it looks mis-aligned. I hate those compound drives. My Drill Press has one. I can almost guarantee that every time I want to change the speed one or other of the belts is in the way. Also balancing the tension is a pain. I tend to let the centre pulley float. Incidentally, How does slowing down the motor affect the torque? When it is running slow is when you need the greatest torque.
You get the most torque by reducing RPM with gearing. There is a torque curve in using a VFD. The Hurco VMC I work with has a RPM range of 100 to 8,000, the max torque is at about 1,400 or 1,600.
horseshoe28016 Seems like a good case for retaining the main step pulleys. This will increase the speed range in any case. For most purposes the 1:1 [or close] ratio could be used with a belt change for special circumstances such as a heavy drilling job.
Thanks for your VFD series of videos. I am looking into installing one on my Harbor Freight 12x36 lathe. my only concern is low Tq. at low RPM . I am also happy to have learned that we are like minded on things other then our love of tools and machinery. Be safe and keep those videos coming Thanks Ray Mc
At 6:32 you show the input/output requirements for the speed controller, witch shows the input amps at 17.9A. your 14 AWG 110-120V (rated for 15A) cord is undersized; It should be 12 AWG witch is rated for 20A. But you'll probably never use the maximum current draw of the motor (i.e. drilling a really-really big hole) so you should be ok.
I have a similar model, but for 220v. It's the jnev-2p5-h1. I'm trying to get a 3phase motor running a crusher/destemmer powered up. I too have the L2 missing and am confused how to wire up my 3 wire 220v to the input side of this. If you have any ideas I'd appreciate it.
Just use two of the three lines like in any of your domestic appliances. I can tell this because I also have three phases and a vfd 220V input at home.
hi pete, im a uk big fan of your vids, i know a fair bit about frequency drives i think your frequency drive may be a bit too small / underrated, if you look at the data plate it only outputs 4.2 amps thats not much current really it may run the drill, but may trip under load or heavy load, whats it like using a big drill bit with a lit of pressure contact me if you need any help
That's been most interesting and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next instalment and beyond. Interesting point about motor cooling as mentioned by oudijzergek below. Also I have a question:- does lower speed of the motor = lower torque available?
chemech Those images almost always are for an induction motor at a fixed input frequency and voltage. For a VFD, motor torque is essentially constant at lower speeds, limited by maximum current that the motor can handle. But compared to pulleys or gears torque goes down because the lower gear/pulley ratio acts as a torque multiplier.
The setup of a VFD is not too hard but you really should use a motor rated for inverter duty, they are rated to full power at a lower speed (freq) I looked at a lot of VFD drives and contacted Automation direct www.automationdirect.com/adc/Home/Home they are an excellent source of information and they are very helpful for us new, first time users. They will give the straight dope on the motor ratings. Using a non-inverter duty motor can drastically shorten the life of the motor.
I have a VFD on my mill and I never go below a freq. of 30. You lose torque and the motor might overheat due to less airflow over the motor itself. Keep the pulley system to assist you in keeping the torque at a adequate level.
I realize your question was asked a long time ago, but yes, you can do what you ask. You would need a VFD that is rated for that amount of horsepower, which would be significantly more expensive, probably $1500 or so for a decent Hitachi or better name brand. I'm not expert on these things yet, but I would imagine that you would want to have a separate VFD for each device, and depending on the HP rating of your saw you could get a decent VFD for it for around $300.
You do know that the U.S. is not the only country in the world, nor is it the most populous. Protective Earth is used in almost every country in the world and every college that teaches electronics teaches that earth is the proper ground.
Thank you for this. Some of us don't have easy chairs for reading instructions, and must rely on the thoroughness of other people who do have easy chairs.
Good Morning Mr. Pete. I'm attempting to install a 3 phase motor and VFD on my 8530 Clausing mill. I'm recapping your videos for reference. This was 10 years ago, my how time flies. Thanks again for all your information.
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Mr Pete your videos are truely insperstional! I have not found anyone on the Internet that comes close to having your knowledge and experience. Thanks for your hard work which allowed us youngens to learn machining the old school way. Cheers mate!
Tim Winks THANK YOU very much for the wonderful complement & encouragement. Keep watching.
Hi Pete,
Dont forget most motors use the same rotor no matter if they are 1700 or 3400 RPM, so your only limiting factor for overdriving a 4 pole (1700) motor is the running amperes, as long as you stay below the nameplate amp spec, you can push your motor above 60 HZ, I commonly run 1700 RPM motors @ 120 HZ, they have proven reliable with years of service behind them.
Tubalcain, I stumbled across your VFD UTube Videos after purchasing a Delta Unisaw (Tablesaw)with a three phase 2 horsepower motor. I have wanted one since junior high school wood shop class! I searched and was pleased to find one locally on Craig's List at a very reasonably price. I was actually afraid to hook up my Teco VFD and I am sure I would never have done this myself without your helpful video! I built a "power pedestal", which is secured to the floor immediately to the right side of my tablesaw (under the table top) and mounted the VFD on top of the pedestal where I can safely turn the saw on and off without looking at the VFD. (I made a guard from Plexiglass to protect me.) I am very pleased with my new saw, the learning, and doing process. Thank you for your help!
Awesome. I still WANT a unisaw
Just for reference, since you wondered why the VFD was marked PE, the acronym PE stands for Protective Earth which is a standardised term refered to in the NEC (National Electrical Code, a US standard). The word ground is a bad way to refer to a Protective Earth, since that may imply that the ground could be used for something which it's not supposed to be used for (flow current through). It's of utmost importance that the potential in a Protective Earth is the same as the ground your walking or lower, to protect you in case of emergency, that is not possible if you regularly make a habbit of flowing current through it.
But most importantly, with the earth potential in mind, for a RCD (residual-current device, which a modern home should have) to work there must be a neutral reference point which doesn't have current flowing through it in any case but cases of emergency. Otherwise the RCD will just be tripping constantly.
Thanks Tubalcain, great video. I've been looking at VFD's and it's really helpful to see this. Teco is a good brand. Westinghouse went into a joint venture with them in 1988 forming Teco-Westinghouse. Teco then bought them out in 1995. Their VFD's are sold both as both Teco and Westinghouse internationally now. So the Chinese writing on the manual doesn't necessarily imply cheap. My tell for cheap Chinese is a crappy quality manual written in Chinglish. PE stands for 'protective earth'. It's the international abbreviation for the our NEC 'groundiNG conductor' (as opposed to the NEC 'groundED connector' - they're different). Grounding gets more complicated dealing with 3-phase distribution in different countries and with electronic equipment with signal grounds that carry current. Thanks again.
Several years ago, I moved my Shop to a new locations, where most of my large tools (i.e., Mill and Lathe) have been reconnected to 220V power.
At the previous location I had built and installed a 9HP Rotatory 3 Phase Converter, its size was a little overkill, but I used it with my 2HP Drill Mill. With that much converter power, instant reverse of the Drill Mill was possible, which made tapping small AND large holes a dream.
After moving my Shop to the current location, I have not re-installed the Phase Converter due to the desire to move it to the Pump House where the noise would not be bothersome. In fact, in preparation, I pulled the 75' Pump House 220V supply wires from the conduit, and then re-installed them with two additional wires; one for control, and one for the third phase return for the shop. But still several year later, the converter has not be installed yet, and therefore my Drill Mill has sat in the corner collecting dust.
A couple weeks ago, I viewed your UA-cam video where you described a Variable 3 Phase Controller for a Drill Press. After some research, I immediately placed on order a; TECO DRIVE JNEV-202-H1 2HP/7.5A, 230V IN 230V OUT. The price a little higher than I liked, but I got it without shipping costs.
Yesterday I received the Variable Converter, and had started to cobble it together with my Drill Mill to see how it operates (and to learn how to program it). This was before mounting it to the side of the Drill Mill.
My Son walked in with a Prototype Job that needed four 5/16" tapped holes in some 3/4" Stainless Steel bar (a somewhat difficult job). So far, I had not learned how to program the controller for instant reverse or for extremely low speed. I was not sure it could be done. But with a little research (of the small manual), I figured it out. The results, the TECO Drive Controller works much better for Tapping than my Rotatory Phase Controller
I configured the TECO Drive Controller for;
o External Terminal - F04=001
o Freq Signal Source - F05=001
o Control Method - F06=000 (remote PNP Input Signal for Forward and Reverse)
o Stop Method - F09=001 (to avoid forced controller deceleration) Later I will connect this function to a switch, see F11-15 =014
o Freq Lower Limit - F08=02.0
For a quick test, and to help my Son run his Prototype Tapping Job, I configured a SPDT Center-Off switch on end of a cable, and then attached it to pins 3, 4, and 5, as per page 4-11 of the CD manual.
We actually found our cobbled together hand held switch to work great, it was very useful for quick Tap reversing. In fact now I plan to include a hand held remote in my final configuration.
BUT, with both, my Son and I working at the Drill Mill, it became obvious the final configuration will need a large E-Stop switch to avoid accidental operation while another person is changing the bit. For this first test run, I was actually holding the hand held remote, but I was still nervous, while my Son changed the bit. A large real E-Stop switch is needed so the person at the chuck can ensure the Drill Mill will NOT start.
Thanks for creating you video, the TECO Drive will be a great addition to my Shop.
Regards,
Eldon Brown
WA0UWH.blogspot.com/
When using one of these be aware that running an electric motor at less than normal speed but under load will overheat it because the cooling fan slows down as well. Either gear the drill press for slow speed and compensate by driving it at at more than normal speed or fit a electric fan to the motor to assist with the cooling. (there are specially made fans for industrial applications to fit standardized motors)
I did almost the same drill press conversion excepting that I salvaged the motor and controller from a discarded tread mill. Works fantastic! I have the belt set on the slowest speed to provide the maximum torque and just about never change it! The tread mill motor has a tag on it showing 4000 RPM. Really a sweet setup. I later installed a GE Fuji AF-300 Mini VFD on my 12-inch Clausing lathe having a 3-phase motor. On this application I'm using electronic braking by adding the braking resistor to the VFD. I'm pretty sure that you're supposed to match the VFD motor horse power rating to the motor's horse power.
You will love your vfd...have one on my 17 inch rockwell delta from 1955. DO not eliminate your pulleys. Sometimes you want to use the higher speed at motor and low speed through pulleys. Keep all of your options open. If you use remote controls you will need to carefully check all function setting especially the speed. When I set up my remote the setting fro the variable pot was defaulted to zero. Made for a few tense moments. Thank you for all of you hard work sharing your knowledge!
With all due respect to a man I admire very much, PE is a term for "Protective Earth" which is not the same as "Ground." The term ground is used most often to indicate circuit reference ground or "return" as is sometimes used. There is a significant difference in the electrical and descriptive properties of these terms and proper understanding is paramount to a safely configured and operated system. That all said, I love your videos and find your traditional sensibilities enjoyable and comforting.
PE is protected earth. And thank you mr Pete, i really really wanted to sharpen my knowledge on VFD. And happy new Year...
When i was a young man and had illusions of crazy proportions. I was going to wire a 10 hp rated single phase to 3 phase VFD to a panel with a contactor for each piece of equipment with a speed switch at each machine. I still think its a good idea for others.
Wish I had seen this video earlier. I looked into a vfd, but didn't know they had them that converted 120 to 240 3 phase. I ended up getting a 1/2hp 24v dc permanent magnet motor, power supply, and variable speed control. This would've saved me some hassle for sure.
These VHD work very well despite what some people are saying. I find they are much more efficient when you use 220 VAC single phase as an input. Helped a friend install one one an old south bend heavy ten. He had a 1HP motor and a VHD rated at 1.5 HP which is overkill for that size lathe but it did give him the ability to create an EPO that was connected to a piece of plastic over the chuck. If his arm were to get sucked in to the chuck it would hit the plastic and trip the EPO. Having the over size motor and VHD means it spins down in 1.25 seconds. Not the sort of thing you want to do a lot as it's hard on the equipment but a nice safety feature. Lots of info to be found at hobby-machinist. Still if you can get 3 phase for a decent price that's the way to go. I live in rural Ohio so it isn't an option.
It is exciting to see you using some new Techno stuff ..This has my interest . I can tell you are as excited as we are with this project
This vfd would be good for a surface grinder. You could ramp up the speed on startup to avoid the wheel shifting on the arbor. I will probably convert mine, because I noticed bridgeport grinders have a rough running motor that leaves a bad surface finish. This might straighten it out. By the way, just in case you were looking for a tachometer for your drill press, I found a neat little digital tachometer on amazon. It works on hall effect, and comes with a little magnet that sticks to the shaft. I bought one, but haven't connected it yet.
Great video Mr. Pete, I'm also very scared every time I connect a new electric gadget, specially those that handle large amounts of current. Thanks for sharing your learning experience.
Re: your noisy Rockwell drill press.
I have a 1973 vintage Craftsman drill press that began making a similar noise that was driving me crazy. I feared it was due to faulty bearings. but on close inspection I noticed that the pulley on the motor had slipped down on its shaft and was rubbing on metal. So, I raised the pulley so that it aligned properly with the pulley on the quill, tightened the set screw that had worked loose, and the awful noise was gone. (Plus my pulleys were now properly aligned.)
Mrpete, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS ADVICE, I have three VFD units in my home shop. They have worked fine for over a year, with "ONE" exception, "heat". Please consider the internal fan blade that is inside most electric motors that is designed to cool the guts of the motor. You will probably not have heat issues with a drill press because the motor only runs a few minutes. The cooling fan/motor did not run fast enough for my 3hp / 3ph Bradford lathe nor did it run fast enough for my J-head Bridgeport to keep it what I believe cool enough. I was very creative with my solution to the heat issue. I added a small external squirrel cage fan on the back side of my lathe (with a 12x12 intake air filter) to keep dust out. The little fan blows more than enough air into the back of the 3hp motor via cloths dryer vent duct work. I have done the same on my Bridgeport Mill. Be careful with VFD use, don't loose a motor to over-heating! External fans works great.
Thanks--I mention this issue in one of the other videos in this series.
mrpete222 Keep up the great work! I have a front row seat in your class Mr Tubalcan.
Tubalcain, nice video. Very convenient as I just installed a Teco FM50 VFD on my Powermatic 1200 drill press. Well actually I have had the VFD on there for years but I finally got around to wiring up the remote controls. I bought a 10k linear potentiometer, 22mm momentary push button switch, and a 3 way switch (fwd-0-rev). Made a little panel and laser engraved the settings on it. It works great now. The speed pot controls the Hz almost instantly, both with the motor off and while it is running. I will warn you that if you try and fly up the speed too quickly the VFD will fault out and reset after 20 seconds or so. But a gradual ramp up works fine.
I use the momentary switch to control the JOG function to bump the spindle at 6 Hz for things like when I want to power tap. The FWD REV switch works just like it's supposed to. All the wiring was pretty basic.
Getting into the settings on your VFD (assuming they are similar to my Teco) is also fairly straightforward. To use a remote pot, you just change a certain parameter from 0 to 1 or similar and now it looks to the pot for frequency control vs the panel. I wish I had done the speed pot earlier, makes using the VFD a lot easier.
I made a short video walking through some of what I did to show a buddy who wanted to do something similar.
powermatic 1200 drill press and VFD
Great video! Very thorough and you covered just about everything! VFDs can add noise to your line. So if you have other sensitive equipment nearby, the noise may effect them. If you have any problems with other sensitive equipment, a quick, cheap and easy fix is to add a surge suppressor (known in electrical jargon as a "line reactor") between the sensitive equipment and the line/power.
Teco is a producer of many of the low price items for major manufacturers. , usually they make some to sell under their own name as well. Little logic controllers, vfds, motors, switches, etc. factorymation sells these items in the US for very good prices. I love your videos, am always waiting to see the next one.
If you don't like the cheapo TECO VFD, you can get a quality US made VFD that comes in a fully enclosed cast aluminum NEMA4 case from KB Electronics. It is configured mainly by iinternal jumpers and does not require "programming". I left most of the settings the default. I bought a KBAC-24 which does 110V-> 220V 3ph, 1hp, and installed it on my Grizzly G4003G lathe and works great. It does cost more than the TECO but by the time you put the TECO in a metal case (so chips and coolant doesn't short it out) its not that much more.
It might have a reversing function. We have a much larger VFD that I've used on a couple of projects. There might also be a RS232 function where you can program it for the ramp up and ramp down speeds. VFD's can be quite useful for people who don't have 3 phase in their shop.
This is so great!!
I am planning to build a band saw and power it with a washing machine motor.
So I am going to be all eyes and ears.
And of course I bookmarked this video.
Thank you for uploading.
Can't wait for part 2... I ordered the same unit for my beadroller thanks for sharing
A brake is usually referring to a braking resistor, which you connect in to *very* quickly dump the energy from the motor(short it) and stop it.
Thanks tubal, that's pretty nifty very informative. With these vfds you don't need those phase converter motors on three phase. Pure majic.
I've seen hundreds in my line of work.That brand is decent.Plenty big for a smaller motor like yours.Keep the dust out it should last till it's someone elses problem.
Very Informative. Thank You! MR.PETE (The Original UA-cam Teacher)
Regarding voltage vs. wire size, I think I can explain it without boring you with Ohm's Law or the formula for electrical power. Simply stated, if you double the voltage you can get the same power transfer with half the current. (More current requires a large wire.) If you don't believe me, then think back to 1955 when GM & MoPar went from 6 volts to 12 volts for their automotive electrical systems, the the current requirement was halved and therefore the wire size was reduced. Check out the wiring of a 1955 car vs. a 1956 car. (Ford went to 12 volts in 1956, one year later than the other two.)
Hi, I have installed two of these single to three phase VFD units without boxes and had no issue, as long as there is no large amount of dust in the room for the fan to suck up. Accumulation of dust can cause short circuits on sensitive electronics.
I placed my VFD above the mill and use a remote to control on/off & speed.
Purchased the same VFD with a 3/4 hp motor as a set from a mail order tool supplier, hooked up just as you did and discovered that the motor has very little torque at lower frequency's. Not sure if I screwed up or there is another problem and with the holidays have not had a chance to get back to it. I will be watching to see how you make out. Thanks for the video maybe it will save me some time.
It's okay to get side-tracked Mr. Pete, it's all great info for those of us that want to learn!
+ShysterLawyer THANKS
The best advice I can give to anyone wanting to use a VFD is to ground the motor shaft. The high-frequency harmonics of the waveform used is known to induce currents in the shaft which can cause electrolytic corrosion of the motor bearings over time.
I have wanted to change my lathe and mill over to three phase. Glad to hear you can use 110 VAC input.
Just do some research before you dive in. The static inverters like Mr. Pete's new toy don't generate a true third phase, and you lose power and torque, to the tune of only getting 2/3 of the rated capacity of the motor...
Your best bet for 3 phase is to get 3 phase service from your power company. If that is not an option. Get a rotary phase converter. They work really well. You can get utility grade power out of them, good enough to run a CNC machine. I will tell you to have it installed by a pro. There is a little tweaking that has to be done when installed. You can find a dealer that will handle everything for you.
It is still a dream away. First there is the cost of the motors and then the cost of the converters. ($300 to $500 per machine). Let alone the time to remove and replace the motors. And they work just fine the way they are. Speed changing on the lathe is easy; my Mill is a real pain to change.
if you are at a slower rpm on the motor the VFD might go into shutdown because of overload, running at lower frequency at a load will be alot of power to drive it. id sudjust having a high/low range on the belts
also its best practice to use screened cables from the vfd to the motor, because the frequency drive emits lots of emf (electricial noise) may disrupt electronic things close to it.
Thanks for sharing. Good description of initial wiring and explanation of 3 phase wiring.
Tubalcain, I wish I lived close enough to stop in and help you with the VFD's. I have them on my mill, lathe, belt grinder etc. I have built target movers with them and recently a potters throwing wheel for my wife. I will give you a bit of advice as to grinding dust. When in use, the VFD is a magnet for grinding dust and it takes very little internal dust collection to let the smoke out of the unit. As you well know, once you let the smoke out of a tool it tends to never power back on. So, you must enclose the VFD or at the very least shut it down in the presence of grinding dust. You are right in that by the time you find an enclosure deep enough it is obnoxiously large to hang on the wall. I just made up plywood boxes with plexi glass front doors. I am sure the NEC police wouldn't like them but they have been in service for a number of years without incident.
I am a big fan of your videos. I just realized that your shop is set up in a basement and do hope you have a water alarm or sump pump or both set up. It would be like loosing a machinist museum if a water line broke.. Keep up the good work with the videos..
+Larry Barnett thanks for watching the vfds are amazing
Well done Sir, wish you were my instructor. I have from my dad; an old powerstat, made by “The Superior Electric Company Bristol Conn, USA. And have used it for years. Wish I knew more about its use! As always, thanks’ for taking the time to make this video! And I support this site. ~M~
Thanks for this great video on a difficult topic. Also, thanks for the video on Felt Way Wipers... both great!
I have the same Walker Turner drill press. Plan on changing the spindle bearings someday. It has lots of play in the spindle.
Hello
I've really enjoyed your Teco VFD videos. I'm getting close to ordering mine for my Hardinge HC Chucker lathe. Your videos have been very helpful and informative. Thank you for taking the time to make them. You have answered several questions that I had regarding such. The Hardinge is a rather complex problem. I'm hoping the VFD will serve more as the phase converter not just the speed controller. My machine has the spindle motor, speed control motor, Z and X apron motor, coolant motor and the auto threading has power to it too! Hoping this will work vs a rotary converter. Thank you again!
Denis
Thank you for making this easy understanding video, I search for so long and all the videos in here are mostly useless
+Reza Adibpour Glad I helped
I felt like I was watching "It's A Wonderful Life" the entire time he was talking!
On my lathe I find that sometimes when torque is an issue I still have to change belts even though I have a VFD, keep the pulleys, keeps your options open!
Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge and expertise. You do a fantastic job.
Thank You MrPete for another excellent tutorial.
Watching with much interest!! Thank you for the tutorial- Fred
You may feed a 110-V wall outlet from a VFD and plug both drill presses into it.
To figure out horsepower you do voltage*amps to find watts or killowatts and online search watts to hp you can convert it to horsepower that way
Really Good Video Mr. Cain. It made go looking though my tool boxes to see if I still had my old Starrett speed gauge, haven't used it for a while. Yeap, still hav it. LOL
Dear Mr Pete can you plz show the connection diagram for this split phase single phase USA motor with centrifugal switch eliminated? Or is this motr a true 3 phase?
'Made in Taiwan' = very good stuff. I've got a few machines made there and they are excellent (like Jet/Powermatic lathes) and electronic units that just go and go. I did a change from single to 3-phase and don't use any of the many functions on the converter. Maybe I should investigate reverse, that would be nice to have.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
Even in industry, one doesn't use a fraction of the functions on a VFD. I really wish the smaller ones would be simpler. Only the very large HP motors and equipment might require some of the more exotic settings.
I use VFDs like this at work, and we generally don't use motors over 1 HP, and I get constantly frustrated at having to go through deep menu structures for such simple things.
i would love to find a old unit like that i got a lath but i need the rest mill and drill press ,,nice stuff God bless,,,Why the name Two-Ball Cane
Great video. Thank you for posting it. I have been considering doing the same thing on one of my drill presses to get the speed down to running larger drills.
Mr Pete: Is it possible to wire up a VFD to an outlet so that you can run 2 different machines off the one unit? When using the lathe - plug in the lathe ..... when using the milling machine, unplug the lathe and plug in the milling machine. .......... or use 2 outlet box ...... plug in both - but only use one at a time (rarely need both at same time in the home shop anyhow)
Happy New mr. Pete- you've brought me a lot of enjoyment this year.
so you got the one with the Fun button...
best way to test it really have it running at full speed under heavy load if it runs ok and doesnt trip its a keeper, be very surprised if it doesnt trip good luck anyway
Hello there, I have been watching your videos and find them greatly informative. I am not machinist ...yet. I've always been interested since I was in my twenties.I was around tool and die makers but was only allowed to watch.in my forties now may be late to start but I'm going to anyways.I've found used Bridgeport and a few lathes.I will be buying both, hopefully with a bunch of tooling.sorry for the long comment, just want to thank you for posting these videos. Looking forward to your future videos and was wondering if you were doing more on the bridgeport. I wasnt interested in a lathe until your videos...than again.
Informative vid. Even though you don't like the variable speed press, would you consider doing a vid showing how the mechanism works? I searched the internet and haven't been able to find any sources showing this mechanism. I don't have access to a variable speed machine to study. Again thanks for the videos.
Thanks for watching. I never thought of doing one.
thanks Mr Pete,cant wait for the next one
Nice video indeed sir .
Thanks
For once I find you doing something after I did it, instead of my projects being copies of yours. I got my Sheldon going with one of these VFD's, from the same company. Installation was a snap.
Thank you for watching
Can you read the opening lines of johnny cashes rendition of "the man comes around" for me/us? It's taken me ages to work out why you sound do familiar.
I'm listening to it right now---its great. I might do just that.
mrpete222 yup, one of my favourite, "while I'm working albums". And you sound just like him .
You are the fist to tell me I sound like Johnny--1000s have said I sound like jimmie stewart. I saw Johnny live--in 1959--still have his autograph on my sophomore ID!
I was thinking jimmy stewart, or that guy from prairie home companion
I have a 0.75 kW drill press. Should I get a 0.75 kW VFD or go a size up and get a 1.5 kW drive?
VFD's are a dime a dozen. I've used at least 20 different brands and they've all worked well. Typically you would want to use an inverter duty motor with these due to how the drives generate the output signal. Also, I've never seen an inverter that wasn't capable of reversing.
"PE" means earth ground and is not the same as "ground". Sometimes they are tied together and other times not.
MrPete ...... do you have any suggestions on model VFD's. I'm going to run a South Bend 13". That press is a real beauty
Much love to ya, Mr. Pete! Admire you for the knowledge your sharing with us, Sir! :)
I know Im randomly asking but does anyone know a way to log back into an Instagram account?
I was stupid forgot my password. I would appreciate any help you can give me
@Ronald Rohan instablaster :)
@Jeffrey Onyx Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm in the hacking process atm.
I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Jeffrey Onyx It worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thank you so much, you really help me out !
@Ronald Rohan glad I could help xD
mrpete222 Thank you for making this video. It was an enormous help!
Just wondering, Mr Pete, did you ever install a VFD on your Bridgeport mill? And if no, why not?
Never did, I’m just totally satisfied with my phase converter
@mrpete222 OK. I got the Vevor VFD & it was dead on arrival, went into an ambient temperature fault. Returned it and bought a different make. I just received it today, hooked it up and bench tested at 1725 rpm @ 60 hz. Now, time to study the book.
I would say that you could lose the intermediate pulley. In the video, at least, it looks mis-aligned. I hate those compound drives. My Drill Press has one. I can almost guarantee that every time I want to change the speed one or other of the belts is in the way. Also balancing the tension is a pain. I tend to let the centre pulley float. Incidentally, How does slowing down the motor affect the torque? When it is running slow is when you need the greatest torque.
You get the most torque by reducing RPM with gearing. There is a torque curve in using a VFD. The Hurco VMC I work with has a RPM range of 100 to 8,000, the max torque is at about 1,400 or 1,600.
horseshoe28016
Seems like a good case for retaining the main step pulleys. This will increase the speed range in any case. For most purposes the 1:1 [or close] ratio could be used with a belt change for special circumstances such as a heavy drilling job.
Thanks for your VFD series of videos. I am looking into installing one on my Harbor Freight 12x36 lathe. my only concern is low Tq. at low RPM .
I am also happy to have learned that we are like minded on things other then our love of tools and machinery.
Be safe and keep those videos coming
Thanks
Ray Mc
Ray McCrodden Thanks for watching
Ray McCrodden I agree with Ray the more I watch the more like minded principles I hear you touch on.
At 6:32 you show the input/output requirements for the speed controller, witch shows the input amps at 17.9A. your 14 AWG 110-120V (rated for 15A) cord is undersized; It should be 12 AWG witch is rated for 20A. But you'll probably never use the maximum current draw of the motor (i.e. drilling a really-really big hole) so you should be ok.
I have a similar model, but for 220v. It's the jnev-2p5-h1. I'm trying to get a 3phase motor running a crusher/destemmer powered up. I too have the L2 missing and am confused how to wire up my 3 wire 220v to the input side of this. If you have any ideas I'd appreciate it.
Just use two of the three lines like in any of your domestic appliances. I can tell this because I also have three phases and a vfd 220V input at home.
nice, it will be very handy and a lot easier to use the equipment it is attached to.
thanks Mr. Pete is this also available for Europe i mean i have a drillpresss with 380V and my input is 220V ??
So do you always have to always change the motor when you install a VFD?
hi pete,
im a uk big fan of your vids, i know a fair bit about frequency drives i think your frequency drive may be a bit too small / underrated, if you look at the data plate it only outputs 4.2 amps thats not much current really it may run the drill, but may trip under load or heavy load, whats it like using a big drill bit with a lit of pressure contact me if you need any help
Couldn't you mate the 240v motor direct as a a Direct Drive a Drill ?
Very intresting, maybe I can use it also....
Another great video, thank you!
the Rockwell drill press most likely has bad bearings hence the noise
I had no Idea Jimmy Stewart knew how to wire up VFDs
That's been most interesting and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next instalment and beyond.
Interesting point about motor cooling as mentioned by oudijzergek below.
Also I have a question:- does lower speed of the motor = lower torque available?
No, usually you can get more torque at lower rpms - google: "electric motor torque curve" and click on images to see some graphs...
chemech Those images almost always are for an induction motor at a fixed input frequency and voltage. For a VFD, motor torque is essentially constant at lower speeds, limited by maximum current that the motor can handle. But compared to pulleys or gears torque goes down because the lower gear/pulley ratio acts as a torque multiplier.
The setup of a VFD is not too hard but you really should use a motor rated for inverter duty, they are rated to full power at a lower speed (freq) I looked at a lot of VFD drives and contacted Automation direct www.automationdirect.com/adc/Home/Home they are an excellent source of information and they are very helpful for us new, first time users. They will give the straight dope on the motor ratings. Using a non-inverter duty motor can drastically shorten the life of the motor.
great video!
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you lose torq at lower speeds with a vfd?
I have a VFD on my mill and I never go below a freq. of 30. You lose torque and the motor might overheat due to less airflow over the motor itself.
Keep the pulley system to assist you in keeping the torque at a adequate level.
Thank you soooo much I have multiple 3ph devices! 25hp powermatic air compressor n bandsaw!if I get a 25hp vfd can I run a 3 hp motor?
I realize your question was asked a long time ago, but yes, you can do what you ask. You would need a VFD that is rated for that amount of horsepower, which would be significantly more expensive, probably $1500 or so for a decent Hitachi or better name brand. I'm not expert on these things yet, but I would imagine that you would want to have a separate VFD for each device, and depending on the HP rating of your saw you could get a decent VFD for it for around $300.
How many poles does it take to turn an electric motor?
2 or more
What model number is this?
It's NOT power robbing to have 2 belts/3 pulleys,it's torque multiplication!
You do know that the U.S. is not the only country in the world, nor is it the most populous. Protective Earth is used in almost every country in the world and every college that teaches electronics teaches that earth is the proper ground.
you could just use a transformer from you ac to dc and put a rechargeable Battery in
very cool