While we're talking machines
- Thread starter Pete Wass
- Start date
GeneT
Active member
I noticed on the Grizzly site some of their machines come with 3 phase motors and built in Phase Converters. Thought that is an interesting way around the great American shortage of "proper" power.
Pete
I wonder if you have to plug in two plugs? Or perhaps it's something closer to a VFD? The VFD seems like a smart way to go - power compatibility and continuously variable speed. Certainly a lot nicer than futzing with phase converters.
GsT
Butch Lambert
Active member
The size and price of VFDs has come way down.
The devices used for the final output drive have become easier to drive and have lower voltage drop compared to some of the older devices.
They have also added more 'protection' around the output drivers so that they are not as easily damaged by the transients around 3-phase motors.
We had older VFDs that needed a foot of 19 inch rack and still managed to fail every few months.
We finally traced the failure to the magnetic field collapse in the 3-phase motor generating a voltage spike and turn off.
That spike back fed into the output driver in the VFD and damaged the part a little every day when the equipment was shut down for the night.
Our 'fix' for the old equipment was to add a bunch of voltage clamps to the line.
As soon as prices came down we scrapped out those old giants.