VFD choice for new mill

[luxige]

I asked for forum guidance in choosing a new mill in this thread here:

Help me spend my money! It’s mill-shoppin’ time...

I’m planning to make my final decision this week and pull the trigger on a new mill. I decided to buy new partly to avoid buying an endless project, partly because the vast majority of available used equipment in my area runs on industrial power and is too tall and/or heavy for me to deal with...

www.hobby-machinist.com

And with the few molecules of remaining funds:

..... Some of that will have to go to a VFD unit right away. (I’ll be posting a new thread asking for help with that).

Well I was going to start a thread similar to the other one asking for advice about a VFD. But I have arrived at final choice, so I'll just throw it out there for a sanity check.

Some of the posts on this forum mention the inexpensive import drives. Looking into those, there seem to be a lot of variations on three models: 'the white one', 'the gray one', and 'the even cheaper gray one'. The gray one is something I'd been looking at for a while, so I looked for some genuine reviews. In doing so, I came across youtuber Jeremy Fielding, who has lots of clear, if basic, tutorials on all things motor related. (Check out his channel!) He put a 'gray one' on his homemade bandsaw a while back. I put up a comment asking for his impressions since he's used it a couple of years. He was kind enough to reply right away and basically said "Meh." It's been rather finicky for him, and he seems like a pretty savvy guy to me. So, name brand for me.

I looked at Hitachi and Mitsubishi drives, then saw the Teco/Westinghouse L510. It looks like it will be easy to set up and use. I have downloaded the manual, which is huge but pretty easy to follow. Best of all, I found a YouTube series by user Clough42, who shows how he installed and programmed one for his 1HP Grizzly lathe. Very clear instruction, about 4 hrs of detailed content!
I'll be checking out the rest of his stuff.

Anyway, this is the unit I think I'll go with:

AC Drive, 3hp, 230V, Single Phase,

VFD, 3hp, 230V, Single Phase, IP20, Medium Duty

www.wolfautomation.com

Opinions welcomed.
Also, anybody have experience with that vendor?

 

[RYAN S]

I went with wolf automation for three of my VFD’s very good company, they stand behind their stuff, also the tech support line is nice. I went with the Lenze AC Tech for the three that I have. I really like the Lenze drives, very easy for me to program. The manual is straight forward. They are also made in America!! I called their tech line and had great help.
Ryan

 

[luxige]

Thanks, Ryan! Wolf it is then.

 

[toploader]

I went with wolf automation for three of my VFD’s very good company, they stand behind their stuff, also the tech support line is nice. I went with the Lenze AC Tech for the three that I have. I really like the Lenze drives, very easy for me to program. The manual is straight forward. They are also made in America!! I called their tech line and had great help.
Ryan

I went this same route as well a couple years back. I’m happy with Wolf and Lenze drives.

 

[machPete99]

I have used the Hitachi WJ200 series on a couple of machines (lathe and mill) and have been happy with them. I have not used the others so cannot directly compare. The lathe VFD has been running close to 3 years now, about 2 years on the mill. I have used large enough enclosures such that it does not require secondary fans, and that seems to have worked out ok.

 

[stupoty]

I've had good luck with the HY vfd's , they have lasted well , I have got them a bit over rated for the motors they are running maybe thats a good thing

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[mksj]

The Lenze SMV are good reliable VFD's but quite expensive and dated as to design and features, but a simple install on the mill. They will work fine for a mill, but for a lathe they would not be recommended them because of limited programming parameters and it does not support an external braking resistor. The Teco L510 offers all the same features at less than 1/2 the price. The Automation Direct GS1 and GS2 drives are also becoming quite dated, you want to be able to run the motor in sensorless vector mode, which is only supported by the GS3 and GS4 models, which work well but pricey. HY drives are inexpensive, they have a high DOA up to 25%, the manuals are very poor, there are numerous iterations of the drives some lacking many features, no technical support/warranty, etc. I consider them a disposable drive which may or may not work for you. Looking at the technical end of the internals, many individuals that have worked on VFDs say the internals do not support their ratings. If they work for the first few hours then they probably will continue to work. They have many models running single phase up to 10 Hp, but on difficult loads they often go up in smoke so advisable to up size the VFD for the load you plan to use.

The Teco's would be my first suggestion based on reliable electronics, reasonable price, ease of install and decent technical support. Their manuals are less intimidating then others and tend to be well written. The L510 is the entry model which is very reasonably priced, the E510 is a bit more full featured and available in a NEMA 1 or 4X enclosure, the latter being sealed and with a power disconnect switch. The Hitachi WJ200 is a mid cost reliable VFD, they work very well, but the manuals can be overwhelming. I have already posted quite a bit of information on the WJ200's for both lathes and mills, so should be an easy setup. There is the Fuji and Mitsubishi VFD's in a range of models, they all work well similar to the WJ200, but manuals are similar to the Hitachi in complexity, so a bit more challenging for a novice install. Cost wise they are in the same range as the WJ200. Vendors for VFD's, the most common ones that I use are Drives Warehouse, Wolf Automation and State Motors and Controls. I purchase a lot of ancillary switches and controls from from Automation Direct, but not their VFD drives. In other discussions with VFD technicians, it was mentioned that the Automation Direct drives were sourced from other manufactures and rebranded. The support from Automation Direct is very good, and they sell good quality parts.

 

[Aaron_W]

I went through Wolf as well. If you email their tech services they will help you choose a VFD specific to your use.

I was looking at a Teco 510, but they suggested a Lenze or Fuji for a mill, something over my head about how they work at low speeds which improves torque. I went with the Fuji which was the cheaper of the two by about $100.

Edit, mksj posted while I was typing, I will second his comments about the manual. The Fuji manual is rather intimidating, although after some help here that intimidation was reduced and while complicated and dry, honestly if you follow it step by step it is actually well written and easy to follow, just very technical.

 

[cathead]

My Teco FM50, now a few years old, has worked flawlessly.

 

[mksj]

Sensorless Vector mode helps drive motors better at lower speeds, typically below 30 Hz. It is a form of motor feedback that the VFD reads the motor speed/operating conditions and then adjusts the drive to optimize performance. The implementation of the software control varies, the L510 I have heard reported has this feature, but the implementation is not as good as more expensive models. Still it works well for general use, more expensive VFD's will give you better low speed control and torque. The Fuji are very popular with Wolf Automation, they seem to be pushing them a lot. They are good solid VFD's, but take a little more work in regards to getting through the manual. A mill is an easy setup anyway you go, I prefer to go with 3 wire control where you use momentary start and stop buttons, and then a separate selector for Forward/Reverse. I recently did a system for a PM-935 with this setup using the WJ200, but works the same with other VFDs.