Vfd Installed, Lathe Up & Running :)

[Lonnie]

Awhile back I had posted how much I liked Mark's (mksj) VFD install on his lathe. Mark PM'd me and, long story short, after a few emails back and forth he decided he would do me a huge favor and offered to build a system for my lathe.

Yesterday that build arrived in the mail. When I first opened the package I was floored. EVERYTHING was neatly and carefully packaged up. The instructions that came with it were superb to say the least. It was basically like connect the dots!

I spent most of the first day reading and getting a better understanding of the install. All I had accomplished on the first day was the control panel on the front of the lathe installed.

Today, I got a good jump on it and had all the factory electrical in the lathe tore out and VFD (Hitachi WJ200) installed in the top cabinet by noon. Getting the actual VFD mounted was most of the battle. Everything else just fell into place. The new electrical panel bolted right in, all I had to do was put in the 24VDC 100 watt power supply. Here it is all powered up. You can see how well marked the power connections were. SUPER easy to get everything hooked up where it was supposed to go!

Here's a few more pics of the install;

Wire routing from control panel through gearing to electrical panel. I just used the ties that were already on the lathe.

Wires leading into cabinet where VFD is mounted. Main power and motor wires on right and everything else from VFD to control/electrical panel on the left.

Lathe at first power up.

Proximity sensor installed. (installed before initial start up)

And finally, after programming the VFD, lathe up and running! I followed the instructions as per Mark and the lathe powered up without any hiccups.

I put the lathe through a few paces before calling it a night. The braking is awesome, stops the lathe dead in a second or better. The proximity sensor was accurate to 0.0001" each and every time!

A HUGE thank you out to Mark!
His talent for building these systems is incredible. There is no way I could have ever built a system this complex nor one that runs the lathe so smoothly.

*Mark, I'll get that proximity cable run under the chip pan tomorrow.

 

[davidpbest]

Looks great. Congratulations. I have a similar kit from Mark (but with the Turbo option) ready to install on my 1340GT that just arrived last week. Mark is a terrific resource and the kit he sent me was truly breathtaking in it's attention to detail.

I'm curious how you mounted the VFD and what kind of Tach sensor you used. Also, looks like you upgraded the drive belt on your lathe - can you share the details on that belt - make/model/source?

Thanks for posting this - gives me courage to push ahead.

 

[FOMOGO]

Really nice setup. Should be a treat to run. Mike

 

[jeff_g1137]

Hi
"The proximity sensor was accurate to 0.0001" each and every time!"
What is the sensor for ???
jeff

 

[tmarks11]

Stops the spindle when the carriage approaches the proximity sensor.

Used for safety (prevent crash) or for precision (threading into a shoulder).

With a VFD active braking, the spindle stops on a dime (ok, much smaller then that).

 

[wrmiller]

Very nicely done Mark and Lonnie!

(I don't have one of Mark's setups, because when I got my lathe he wasn't offering build kits back then)

 

[Lonnie]

Looks great. Congratulations. I have a similar kit from Mark (but with the Turbo option) ready to install on my 1340GT that just arrived last week. Mark is a terrific resource and the kit he sent me was truly breathtaking in it's attention to detail.

I'm curious how you mounted the VFD and what kind of Tach sensor you used. Also, looks like you upgraded the drive belt on your lathe - can you share the details on that belt - make/model/source?

Thanks for posting this - gives me courage to push ahead.

Hi David

The belts were upgraded to Gates BX24 and a Gates BX25. I bought them on Amazon fairly cheap. One is for the high speed pulley and the other for low speed pulley.
The tach was one that I had purchased off eBay from China. Think I paid $6 or $7 for it. Do a search on eBay for RPM Sensor and you'll get many to choose from in different colors.

I mounted the VFD with 1"x 2" angle iron and 2 pieces of 1 1/2" x 3/8" aluminum flat bar. I bolted the flat bar to the 2" side of the angle iron and the 1" side of the angle to the cabinet wall. I spaced the flat bar out so the VFD would bolt into the center of each piece. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Bamban]

The VFD conversion on my ACER 1236 was one of the first ones done by Mark, the system has been flawless and still ticking. The VFD is just an inexpensive Huanyang, when it goes I will upgrade to a Hitachi.

He did another one for the 1024, this one is a much simpler system based around a TECO 115 1P to 220 3P unit.

 

[Lonnie]

I was very fortunate to have Mark build this for me. It was just the luck of the draw that he had some time to do it. He is a very busy man and I respect that.

I initially had bought the Huanyang VFD but after discussing things with Mark, I decided to "upgrade" to the Hitachi. I'll use the HY VFD if I ever get a mill. I have a lead on one (mill) but it's still not a "done deal".

 

[wrmiller]

The VFD conversion on my ACER 1236 was one of the first ones done by Mark, the system has been flawless and still ticking. The VFD is just an inexpensive Huanyang, when it goes I will upgrade to a Hitachi.

He did another one for the 1024, this one is a much simpler system based around a TECO 115 1P to 220 3P unit.

The man IS very talented.