Reversing rotation treadmill motors?

Thread Starter

Paul Kruger

Joined Jan 9, 2016
6
I have a treadmill motor and controller and was wondering if these motors can be set up to run in either direction?

My plan is to use it for a drill press to give me 2 HP and variable speed without having to change belts. I have been playing around with mounting and the easiest way for me to mount would to be use the shaft opposite the flywheel but then it turns in the wrong direction. It might also be nice to have a reversing switch.

(Side note irrelevant really, I have a digital tach to install so I can view RPM)

If it were just Red/Black no problem (other than to make sure brushes don't care) But there are four wires and it appears the 110 VAC passes through the motor for some reason. My suspicion is that instead of permanent magnets it uses an AC magnet field. Unlike PM motors a metal screw will not stick to the motor housing. The Red/Black go to brushes so it this is the case the use of an AC magnet should make no difference and reversing +/- should reverse the motor.

Rather than take a risk of damaging anything I though it best to ask here to see if anyone has worked with this type of motor and may have answers to save me some hassle and sparks. :)
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
You have to reverse the field leads WRT the armature, it can be done with a DPDT switch.
There has been a few previous posts here on it.
Max.
 

Thread Starter

Paul Kruger

Joined Jan 9, 2016
6
Thanks...that's easy.

Do BOTH field wires and the brush wires need reversed?

I did a search but it did not show results but that specific may have been buried in the discussion and not the actual topic. Thanks much.

BTW love the handle. I really miss Max Headroom
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
BTW for most other applications than the original, (T.M.'s), the flywheel should be removed.
Otherwise it can come un-threaded and fly off!!:eek:
Max.
 
Last edited:

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
@MaxHeadRoom , with your help on the schematics, I just got a (new-to-me) treadmill motor running with the MC80 power supply. It is a two-wire (red/blk) permanent magnet motor which can be reversed by simply swapping the red/blk wires. There are two blue wires coming from the motor, but those are connected to an over-temperature Klixon cut-out switch which is inside the motor housing near the brushes...

I didn't trace out the MC80 in detail, but it appears to be very close to the MC60 schematics you linked me to.

I can post a picture if it will help...
 
Last edited:

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
Is the controller working or is this for further development or ?
Many of the T.M. motors also had either a magnetic or optical rpm sensor on the rear of the shaft.
Max.
 

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
Is the controller working or is this for further development or ?
Many of the T.M. motors also had either a magnetic or optical rpm sensor on the rear of the shaft.
Max.
The only thing it took to make the motor run was to pull the three H W L wires off the MC80 controller and then replace them with a 10K speed pot wired top to H, wiper to W, and bottom to L. With the controller powered, to get rotation of the motor, you have to turn the speed pot to minimum first, then turn up the speed pot to get the desired speed. If you turn on the power without the pot being first set to minimum, the motor will never run...

It looks like controller has some internal back-emf feedback because if you set a slow speed, let rpm stabilize, and then apply a mechanical load to the motor, the current to the motor increases to keep the speed up. This is as described in the schematics you provided.

There was a magnetic rpm sensor in the treadmill, but it senses the belt drive roller speed; not the motor shaft. Its wires go the "incline power supply" (separate board), which I am not using. Originally, the "incline power supply" is what drove the H W L input to the MC80, which is what I discarded and wired the pot to...

The pot-controlled MC80 + motor is all I need for my project. I have discarded/salvaged the rest of the stuff in the treadmill, which I completely disassembled. I bought the treadmill as a "non-running" piece of junk from a local scrap merchant for $10. The fault that caused the treadmill to be discarded in the first place was likely in the microprocessor controller up in the console, or in that "incline power supply", neither of which I am using for my project.

Here are some pictures:

TMdrive.jpg Motor.jpg MC80tag.jpg MC80close.jpg
 
Last edited:

MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
I don't recall coming across a MC-80 board, does it have PWM or SCR control?
Does it appear it is just a upgraded version of the 30/60 etc?
Max.
SCR, and it looks like it is very similiar to the MC60. It appears to implement a PID speed control... See pictures in post #8.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
Yes seems very close, you will have to be careful when running CCW the flywheel does not spin off! I'm guessing that it is threaded on type.
Max.
 
Top