VFD ??????????????????'s

[MrHorsepower]

Hi guys, it's been a while since I posted. I was called out of the country for work and I'm just getting back to my Boss5 conversion. To catch everybody up. I've got a Boss5 that I am re-assembling after a fairly complete refurb, every nut, bolt, bearing got some love. I also gave the old girl a paint job.

I will be switching to MACH with the stock steppers, Gecko 203V's a CUBLOC 280 for IO via MODBUS. I already have an NCPOD but I think I will switch to a SmoothStepper since the POD doesn't get any support or developement. I've also got a KEB VFD that I plan to use to control my spindle motor.

I've got 2 questions for everybody-

1: I plan on using the VFD fo spindle speed. My clutch (both the shaft and the bull gear) is shot. When these are done with a VFD is everybody still using the transmission. I thought about just driving the spindle with a cogged belt at like a 25% reduction??? Thoughts.

2: Since I'm using the VFD I don't have a need for 3ph power for the motor. I seems wrong to run my phase converter just to power the stock 3ph transformer for the DC power to the steppers. I'f I scrap (DON'T WORRY I WON'T JUST THROW IT AWAY--LOL) the stock transformer. What is the lowest voltage I will get decent power with; with these NEMA 42's?

I sure would appreciate some advice, I serched but couldn't come up with the answers. Thanks in advance.

[mactec54]

Hi Mrhorsepower

The transmission is good for big cutters, with out it you can not go below 1000rpm with a 1in cutter if you want to plunge it, cutting is fine at any speed its just the plunge cutting & taping with big taps that you need the low gear, check my photos in the gallery I took 5in out of the top of the one in the photo & you don't need a cog belt use a poly-v belt they are much better & run very smooth

[MrHorsepower]

Thanks for the quick response! Mine is a rigid but I think they're the same up top. Mine is going to be used for very light work in aluminum so I think I'm going that route. It looks from your pics you are driving yours 1:1. Can you cut down to 150ish RPMs? I also want to do a lot of high speed in foam, how fast can you run yours up to. Thanks.

[mactec54]

Hi MrHorsepower

Yes it's 1:1 it could go down to 150rpm thats very low & you will have very little motor torque at that low speed, the head is the same as the ridge ram The motor is good for 6000rpm but have your motor balanced & put good bearings in it & put a fan on top for better motor cooling which you can run from the VFD

[MrHorsepower]

Good advice. For once I did something right the first time. I had the motor gone through already by a very reputable shop here. Bearings were replaced and it was balanced. I had planned on a aux fan anyway, but I hadn't thought about controlling it from the VFD, mine has a temp input too. My setup will be a touch different though. After looking at your pics a bunch I noticed the heads are different. My motor hangs instead of sitting on top.

[mactec54]

I lost this post then it posted so put some photos here

[mactec54]

The motor in the photo is hanging down the same as your one, it looks different to your motor because all the outer steel covers are off the motor, & there is no fan on the bottom of the motor, It has a custom box for the wiring on the motor & a 4'' fan on top
that the VFD turns on when the motor is running

The whole low gear section has been taken out aluminum housing as well 3.250 was machined off the end of the motor shaft I could of taken more but left it at that

[MrHorsepower]

How did you re work your brake? My drum is built into the lower sheave.

[mactec54]

You will most likly have to keep the front sheave,There is major surgery to do to make it like what I did in the photos, some more photos here may help you see what was done, I made a disc brake which is air operated & is ether manual auto or off with the switch on the side of the head were the e-stop is

[MrHorsepower]

Very nice work. I was thinking your caliper was a mount to read a speed sensor. I have decided the easiest approach here for me is to keep my transmission which means replacing the bull gear shaft to fix my worn clutch (the one up top looks pretty good.) So I see the spanner nut down in there, I can't find any section of my service manual that addresses this repair so I have one question. Is that a right or left hand thread?? I found that with a little grinding, a standard 1/2 ton 4X4 front hub socket fits the nut good. I have a good bite on it with a breaker bar and cant crack it loose. It would be nice to know FOR SURE which way to turn it. Thanks again.

[mactec54]

I think they are right hand, & they have loctite on them so you may need to heat it first to cook up the loctite & then it should break loose,

Also check to see that it does not have a lock tab that you have to get out of the notch in the nut some had lock tabs most just loctite