Attempting to install my ABB VFD to a series 1 bridgeport

[imtw]

Hey guys, I am a little new to the whole single phase to 3 phase converting with the bridgeports but here goes. I have a slightly older Bridgeport series 1 9x42 mill at my house. I bought an ABB VFD which is 3hp and has single phase input. I installed the VFD and connected the output to the incoming power on my unit, leaving the factory switch on the top left of the spindle. I briefly started through the manual and was able to make the spindle come on. The problem is that it only spins at around 30 or 40 rpms. I can lower the speed from my unit's front panel but cannot go higher. My biggest problem is that the label is gone (painted over and unreadable) on my bridgeport motor. I am not sure what to put the parameters to on my unit to make it run properly or if I might even have another issue. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

[mactec54]

Hi imtw
It just sounds like you have to change some parameters

& if you have a switch between the drive & the motor YOU CAN NOT DO THIS
You can have the switch from the power in to the drive ONLY

You must control the motor from the drive ONLY

[imtw]

ok, i wondered about that too. I will remove that switch and wire direct now. I will also make a control box and use the I/O on the drive to control remotely. Any idea what the motor parameters should be? Not being able to read the tag makes it kinda hard to guess.........thanks

[imtw]

Ok, good news is last night I played with the settings for a couple minutes on my vfd and found my freq was set to 60hz from the factory. I lowered it and the speed came up. At 30hz it brings the motor up nicely. Any idea what a normal series 1 with a 1.5-2hp motor should run at? I will be building a control box today and have deleted the factory switch from my circuit. I am amazed at how easily this works. I would have finished this a year ago had I known how easy this works.

[mactec54]

Hi imtw

I don't know the ABB drives but they look quite nice there should be 2 settings the min& max hz the max you should not really go over 120hz this will almost double the normal motor RPM you also want to put a small fan on top of the motor so it has air fow when running low RPM this fan can run off your drive so it turns on when the motor is on
I have attached a photo of the fan

[imtw]

the abb parameter set has only the one and it is listed as motor nominal frequency.

[mactec54]

Hi imtw
Motor normal frequency is then 60hz it should be set at that

You need to go to Parameters settings in your manual & you will find output Frequency code 0103 this is were you put the out put Frequency I don't know what model drive you have got but I found this in one of the ABB manuals online

[imtw]

thanks mactec, got to work with it some more tonight. I have added momentary push buttons for start stop and a 2 position switch for forward and reverse in a box mounted where the orignal high low speed switch was. I do not have a potentiometer at this time to add for remote speed control so I am using the ABB constant speed selections. For whatever reason, since I have deleted the original motor switch and added the remote i/o, the motor is now very very fast at 60hz. Actually seems almost too fast. Is there a danger in running it at too high of hz? I temporarily set it at 30hz. I also set the parameter to force spindle decel upon pushing stop or changing direction instead of coasting. It seems to work very very smoothly. Since my bridgeport is used here in my home shop (I build custom cars and fuel injection system as well as fab turbocharger systems), I built a "lowboy" frame to set the unit in and mounted 4 casters on it rated at 900lb each. The unit sits 1.5" higher than before but I can easily move it around myself.

[TOTALLYRC]

Hi IMTW,
Most of the j head bridgeports that I have seen in the northeast US are 1725rpm at 60hz

I do however have a spare head/motor that is 3600 rpm. The rpm tag on the head has speeds that are double my standard head/motor, so I know it isn't just a differnt motor on a standard head.From what the guy told me it came of a different type of machine like a duplicator or something, but it is a bport J head step pulley. It just has a different bracket to mount to the machine, but this can easilly be removed to fit a standard b-port.

If the parameter that you are changing is the correct one, then you you should have no problem running at 60 hz, assuming that it is in fact a 60hz motor. The real problem with running at more than 60 hz is that at some point you will get to the limits of the rotor to stay together. I routinely run my standard bport with a 1725 motor at 75hz without any problems at all.
I have no idea what the max safe speed is, but maybe somebody does.

The best way is to get a tach and see what the motor speed actually is.

I just installed a remote station on my lathe for the VFD and you are right, what a huge difference it is. I went to radio shack and got a pot and I really like to be able to fine tune the speed, as opposed to the coarse adjustment you would make by changing the pullies.

Mike

[imtw]

I am still very surprised at how easily this works using a vfd and the fact that a 3 phase machine can be used at home for so little cost. I have been a service tech for 12 years in the CNC industry and have probably made every repair you could need to make including completely rebuilding CNC machines from the ground up and I at first felt intimidated by trying to configure a VFD from scratch but now having done it I realize this is not a hard job and anyone could easily do it.

[mactec54]

Hi imtw

I run my Bridgeport at 6,000RPM it has the 3600rpm 60hz motor on it my VFD is set at 120hz I balanced the motor & put better bearings in the motor if you look in the photo gallery
you will see some more photos of the head mods I cut 5inches out of the top of the head
the motor shaft had 3inches cut off it & could of had another 1 inch

The metal case around the motor & fan are also removed from mine as you can see the aluminium finned motor body in the photo above there is also a encoder on the spindle for rigid taping

If you only have the 1725 motor you should not go above 3200/3400RPM they really need to be balanced & better bearings fitted to get a long life out of the motor

[damiens]

you can find all current abb low volatage drives here. they have lots of datasheets & manuals there.

http://www.clrwtr.com/ABB-Drives.htm