01-04-2016, 06:00 AM
Today I swapped the 240v single-phase in, 240v 3-phase out VFD on my lathe for a 415v 3phase in, 415v 3-phase out model. It was only a few months ago that I cottoned on to the fact that I was running a 415v 3-phase motor on a 240v 3-phase supply, which explained why it would not run up to speed in top gear, and why it slowed down with heavy cuts. Since I now have 415v 3-phase available via my rotary phase converter, I decided to feed the lathe the volts it requires, spotted an appropriate VFD on eBay for a reasonable price and it has been sitting in the shed for a couple of months. I ran out of time tonight before I could chuck anything up and make some thick chips, but the lathe now runs up to full speed without difficulty. As an added bonus, I discovered that the chart on the gearbox is not quite correct, all the other gears clock exactly as charted including 4th with 700rpm in high, but what is marked as 3rd (of 4) gears with 400rpm actually gives me a tad over 1100rpm in high range. Happy days.
Lathe (n); a machine tool used in the production of milling machine components.
Milling Machine (n); a machine tool used in the production of lathe components.
Milling Machine (n); a machine tool used in the production of lathe components.