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Author Topic: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.  (Read 3127 times)

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Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« on: December 13, 2017, 07:33:32 PM »
Hi, I have been converting a lathe I bought to cnc.

I fitted a Powtran PI900 2.2Kw, 240v single phase in and 240v 3 phase out, also I have fitted an ESS and MB2 board I purchased from cnc room and it all runs on Mach4, the problem I am having is I want to connect the vfd to the ess and be able to control the css of the motor through mach4.

I have read the manual that came with the inverter and I can't figure out which connections to use from the vfd to the ess  :-[
I would appreciate some help if anyone has had experience with a Powtran vfd.

Thanks Peter
« Last Edit: December 13, 2017, 07:35:05 PM by bluebumper »
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2017, 08:40:30 PM »
Hi,
can you post the manual?

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2017, 11:17:53 PM »
Hi Craig, I have just downloaded the manual, will try to post in now
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2017, 01:44:18 AM »
Hi,
most VFDs are fairly similar and a number of control strategies are common.

First question to ask is 'what sort of control I require'. It is common, I've done it myself, spent lots of time and money on a really good spindle control
setup only to find that I don't use a tenth of its potential.

I use my high speed spindle for engraving mainly in which case I set it to run at max RPM and leave it that way until the job is done. At best I need only to
turn it on or off.

Do you really need for the spindle to go backwards? I made my setup so I could but I don't use it....so why did I bother? It was a waste of time.

Sometimes its necessary to have the spindle at less than full speed but it will stay at whatever speed you set for the duration of the job. You could have the ESS/BoB
set the speed but it could also very simply be set with either a potentiometer or the VFD control pad.

If you are changing tools during the making of a part it may be necessary to have the spindle run at several different speeds throughout the job and then some
sort of automatic/programmable speed control becomes desirable.

With VFDs there are two common ways to achieve that sort of control:
1) Use an analogue control voltage, usually 0-10Vdc derived from PMW from your controller
2) Using Modbus wherein serial digital signals are sent to your VFD over a two wire circuit known as RS485

For simplicities sake analogue control is preferred. If you like a programming challenge then Modbus is good.

My suggestion would be to start off at the simplest, that is on/off and maybe reverse with manual speed control. Once you've got that working then
maybe try PWM control. What I don't recommend is jumping in the deep end with a really ambitious plan when you don't know how, you'll get really
frustrated at end up learning less than if you start simple and work your way up.

Put your thinking cap on and decide what you want/need and then you can make  plan how to do it, let us know what you decide.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2017, 04:39:53 AM »
Hi Craig,

What I want to do is just have the spindle turn counter clockwise as it has a thread on it and not a cam lock, also I want it to have constant surface speed so as the diameter reduces the speed increases and be able to run it through Mach4, that's it...lol

Peter.
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2017, 04:48:16 AM »
Hi,
constant surface speed requires infinitely variable speed control. Is that what you want or what you need?

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2017, 04:55:26 AM »
Hi,
have you got the VFD hooked to your motor? Can you control the motor (stop/start/speed) from the VFD control panel?

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2017, 05:14:22 AM »
Hi Craig,

Yes it is all hooked up and working and I can control it from the panel.

This is new to me Craig, I thought it would be easy to set constant surface speed for turning,that is why I went with a vfd and 3 phase motor, I do have another lathe but that is manual and I wanted to get better surface finishes on this one.

Peter
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2017, 05:46:48 AM »
Hi,
so I guess its what you want rather than what you need.

I suggest to start with just have Mach turn it on and off with speed set by the VFD control panel. Once you've got that happening program the VFD to accept
a voltage input and use a potentiometer to provide the voltage. Once your happy with that then use  PWM output to supply the control voltage.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Powtran PI9000 vfd, need help please.
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2017, 12:27:15 AM »
Hi,
the page you want to follow is 10.3.2. If you wire per the diagram and get it to work then it should be a simple matter to have either a digital output
or a relay contact of you BoB under control of the ESS which is in turn controlled by Mach in place of the switch and a PWM output of your BoB to
replace the potentiometer.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'