I am in a fairly remote location, so the expense of adding three phase power is prohibitive. I was in the process of investigating phase converters when I thought about the stress test machine just sitting there on the other side of the shop.

I'm in a residential area with a small but fairly well equipped machine shop for my own use, so no 3phase. I have a Enco lathe about the size of yours, a surface grinder and a Bridgeport, all with 3phase motors. Each one has a VFD to run the motors on single phase with no problems at all for many years now.

You need to make the decision, is taking the time to make this "free" motor work worth the time away from making chips? 3phase motors are not very expensive, because in a home environment they aren't practical(to people that don't know how to make them work) and industry doesn't normally buy a used motor. So for around $100 for a VFD from Ebay, and maybe $25(or less) for a used 3phase motor from Craigslist and an hour of time you could be making chips.

 

The lathe (a 16x40) apparently switches directions through gearing, so that is one less thing to worry about.

While I don't know what lathe you have, since 1963 in high school shop class through 2012 when I retired as a master die/mold maker I have ran most makes of lathes and have never seen or heard of one that changed spindle direction by gearing. lead screw direction, yes, they all do that, but not spindle direction. So what brand/make lathe is yours?

 

While I don't know what lathe you have, since 1963 in high school shop class through 2012 when I retired as a master die/mold maker I have ran most makes of lathes and have never seen or heard of one that changed spindle direction by gearing. lead screw direction, yes, they all do that, but not spindle direction. So what brand/make lathe is yours?

It is a Goodway 16x40. I actually misstated that. There is not electrical or mechanical option that I am aware of that allows spindle direction change. I could be mistaken. This lathe is a big step up in size for me. I have been using a mill and a table top lathe up until now. I am lucky to have a close friend who was, like you, a tool and die maker for about 50 years. He is mentoring me, and it is a privilege. But the electric stuff is all on me, and whatever help I can get here.
Can you recommend a VFD for my application?

 

If more mechanically inclined, the VFD route may be the better option, but for me that would be a Far superior motor, even if I had to buy a A-M-C BLDC controller for it, it also sounds like it has a pseudo incremental encoder of some type off of two halls.
If so, if ever going to CNC it, would enable such as CSF ability and C axis spindle indexing.
Max.

 

but for me that would be a Far superior motor,

hi Max, I'm not to sure on the HP ratings on those treadmill motors. From the little I've worked with them I wasn't impressed, at least with the brushed motors, the BLDC my be different. I think the HP is a stall, locked rotor number, the amps at stall converted to HP. Like vacuum cleaner motor HP ratings are.

 

hi Max, I'm not to sure on the HP ratings on those treadmill motors. From the little I've worked with them I wasn't impressed, at least with the brushed motors, the BLDC my be different. I think the HP is a stall, locked rotor number, the amps at stall converted to HP. Like vacuum cleaner motor HP ratings are.

In this case, it is a Baldor motor, made in the USA for a commercial application. I think it is a different category of machinery than most treadmills, especially the consumer varieties.
That being said, it is a lower HP rating than the three phase motor that came from the lathe. I removed it not because of any suspected fault, but to inspect it and see if I could get it going with my available single phase power.
The lathe came to me because this happened to the electric panel:

 

Ouch! I can feel you pain

This is what happened to one of my solar panel isolation switches.



It is a bit different but no less disabling.

 

Ouch! I can feel you pain

This is what happened to one of my solar panel isolation switches.

View attachment 148689
View attachment 148690
It is a bit different but no less disabling.

In my case, I have no idea what crashed into the power box. But because of that, I got the lathe almost for free.
So, as far as a specific VFD maker or supplier, does anyone have recommendations, if I want to try to get the original three phase motor running on 220v 1ph? I have read that some of the makers, especially in China, do not produce a product that reliably meets claimed specs. I have no problem putting something together, if I can get reasonably specific directions.
I am a little over my head here. I could spend another week studying the boards and connectors on the stress test motor, and will probably do so anyway. It is too cool a motor not to use for something interesting. But I think I would enjoy thinking about how to do that while running my lathe.
Whatever the quickest and most frugal solution is, that is what I want to go with. Probably frugal weighed more heavily than quick. But nonetheless a balanced solution.

 

The Chinese Huanyang are popular because of the price, but generally poor manuals and virtually no support.
Hitachi are one step up and maybe worth the extra expense.
Max.

 

The Chinese Huanyang are popular because of the price, but generally poor manuals and virtually no support.
Hitachi are one step up and maybe worth the extra expense.
Max.

Thanks, Max. I want to confirm that it should be ordered at twice the three phase motor HP?

 

The first thing you need to check is that that the motor can be configured for 220 volts phase to phase. Assuming it was working in the same country as you (220 volts phase to neutral and not the American system with the centre point of the 220 volts at ground potential.) then it was probably configured for 380 volts phase to phase. If this is the case then if it is configured in star (Which it probably is.) then you need to make sure the windings can be configured in delta. This is because most VFDs with 220 volts input have 220 volts phase to phase output. You can get some with 380 volts phase to phase output but these will be more expensive. I do not think you need to get a VFD with 2 or 3 times the motor rating. (But wait for Max's opinion.)

Les.

 

What is the HP of the motor you want to use? Most manuf: now rate in Kw for their VFD's and they make the 1ph/3ph models accordingly.
So unless stated their is no need to de-rate.
For that application just ensure it is a Sensorless vector version, (not V/F).
Max.

 

toadboy65, the ones I bought are like the ones Max was talking about, Huanyang but they aren't listed as that brand, they are a "clone" of them. the manual was very good compared to most Chinese chinglish manuals. When I go to Ebay I'll try to find the ones I bought. I have 2HP motors and bought 3HP drives. My reason was they used to tell you to do that, but the newer ones don't say to do that. But I thought if running a 2HP motor on something made to run 3HP it will last longer since it's not being used at full capacity.

Your lathe is like the one I have from Enco, just the next step up in size. And it needs the motor to reverse to run the spindle in reverse, like every other lathe I've ever seen or ran.

 

Another feature if the existing motor is 4 pole, (17xx rpm), you can run it up to 160Hz for x2 the plate rpm if needed.
Max.

 

@toadboy65 , here is the Ebay page for the ones I bought. You will need to pick the one that fits with your motor. They have them for all different KW/HP and different voltages.
http://stores.ebay.com/world-etrade?_dmd=1&_nkw=vfd

 

What is the HP of the motor you want to use? Most manuf: now rate in Kw for their VFD's and they make the 1ph/3ph models accordingly.
So unless stated their is no need to de-rate.
For that application just ensure it is a Sensorless vector version, (not V/F).
Max.

The motor is two speed, 7.5hp in high, and 3.75hp in low. I assume that I will probably just use the low side. The data plate says it is a "3-phase pole change induction type" motor.

 

How about hooking up a "non dead virtual patient". http://www.ewh.org/kits/ecgsim
Seems cheap enough.

 

The motor is two speed, 7.5hp in high, and 3.75hp in low. I assume that I will probably just use the low side. The data plate says it is a "3-phase pole change induction type" motor.

7.5hp usually exceeds the 1ph input versions, normally 5hp is the limit.
What is the RPM in low?
Max.

 

7.5hp usually exceeds the 1ph input versions, normally 5hp is the limit.
What is the RPM in low?
Max.

865rpm. But high and low speeds on the motor each allow a wide and overlapping range of spindle speeds. The high speed allows 2000rpm spindle speed, which I currently cannot currently imagine needing.

 

You could start by running it in 8 pole mode and increase the rpm via the VFD.
The VFD parameters should be entered to reflect this pole count.
Max.