Phase converter

[Flycut]

Do any of you have any experience with phase converters and CNC machinery?
I just purchased my first machine, a SL10 Haas lathe with bar feeder.
Do I really need a digital converter or is a rotary one adequate?

[CADCAM396]

I am running a 30 hp rotary. was origanaly bought to run my VF3 mill (since sold) now running my bridgeport off it. way overkill.
have never run a VFD. I believe it is limited to one machine each? but if that is your final goal may take less power to run (save the electric bill).
hopefully someone with more experience chimes in.

[civiceg]

A rotary will be fine for a SL-10. Main thing is that you have the taps on the transformer set correctly on the SL-10 to account for any deviation in the wild leg.

I run my HL-2BB on a 30hp rotary phase converter as well as a mini mill and older VF-0 all at the same time.

[Aaron]

I run my robodrill off of an American Rotary ADX-20 phase converter.  It runs great.  I did need to get a step down transformer because my voltage input varied from 230-245, which caused the "manufactured" or "wild" leg to have a unloaded voltage of 252 which is too high.

I'm not familiar with the SL-10, but I know that one thing that sometimes bites people on VFDs is that they can't handle a "back load" when the spindle needs to decel quickly.  If the SL-10 doesn't have its own braking resistors, it may be just be dumping voltage back "into the grid" when it actively decelerates.  A RFC can handle this natively because the motors is acting as an electro-mechanical flywheel, but from what I read the cheaper VFDs can fault out if voltage goes "the wrong way" though them.   

If the SL-10 doesn't need to do that, a VFD will be cheaper to run as they're more efficient.

[civiceg]

I think OP is talking about a digital like phase perfect vs a RPC. Not a VFD vs RPC.

The nice thing about Haas machines is the on board multi-tap transformer. Makes it very nice to deal with the wild leg on a RPC.

I will say though if it was brand new anything CNC I would spring for a phase perfect just to have peace of mind knowing it is balanced.

Old Haas HL, SL, or VF buy a RPC panel and find a motor. I built my 30hp RPC setup for under 1500.

[Flycut]

So....
I've got the Phase Converter set up.
Before hooking it up to the machine we tested the 3 phases.
2 legs are coming out at 120 volts but the third leg is at 220.
Do you guys have an Isolation Transformer between the phase converter and CNC to correct the third leg?

[civiceg]

You can connect the "wild" leg to the B/2nd terminal.  L-G of the hot leg should be less than any L-L.

Ex hot leg is 208 to ground but all Leg to leg measurements are 240.

Then just make sure your internal transformer taps are set to the actual range and also adjust the T5 transformer tap (depends on vintage). It is just a jumper on the T5 that is a molex mirco fit connector that has two different positions.

[Flycut]

I got power.

Will put it to the test this weekend.

[civiceg]

   Very nice!!

Lathe 6 series software?

Get yourself a floppy to usb emulator off the ebay and let it rip

[Flycut]

I plan on connecting directly to a laptop with com port.

[civiceg]

cut anything yet?

[Flycut]

lol
Thanks for asking.

Leveled off the machine last Sunday.
Lined up the bar feeder.
I ordered some tools yesterday.
Will hopefully make my first part this weekend.
I still have a few issues to iron out.
The hydraulic pump seems to putting out an alarm and the bar feeder needs a few switches replaced.
Almost there.
I was hoping to be in full production by 2024 but that window is too small now.
2024 will be a good year.

[civiceg]

Is the machine phased correctly? might need to reverse L1 and L3. Depending on the year there is an indicator light for phasing on the breaker panel on newer Haas machines maybe 2006ish+. Older machines you just needed to test the pumps were going the right way.

As the hydraulic pump will run in reverse and alarm out if phased wrong. Which if the machine was working prior is probably the case.

[Flycut]

Thanks,
I'll keep that in mind.
We did run the spindle with no issues.
We also checked the alarm history and there was multiple hydraulic alarms 5 years ago before the machine went into storage.

[civiceg]

test the coolant pump, spindle will run fine with the machine out of phase.