Dead VFD

[JAZZCNC]

ok we did some testing and mysteriously it has started going again which is almost more annoying as i have no idea why it stopped in the first place!

Charlie if this is mission critlcal then buy spare VFD/Spindle setup. For the Sake of £200 it's not worth not having spare if making money from machine.

[m_c]

As Jazz says, if it's critical, get a spare.

Plenty alternative options can be found at https://inverterdrive.com/group/AC-I...=Power%7c2.2kW

[charlieuk]

yes i think i may order a spare tomorrow anyway any other recommendations other than the china one or just get the same type of eBay and if so what should i be paying on average for one of the china ones now?

many thanks

[magicniner]

Did it start working with no changes or after you removed & re-applied power?
Some VFDs require errors to be cancelled or the power to be cycled before they'll run after an error.
It's good to have a spare but remember to follow the procedure for capacitor conditioning if it gets left on the shelf for a long time before use,

- Nick

[charlieuk]

I had turned it of once and it didn't re start then had it off for a little longer and that's when it did, im wondering about over heating but it seams unlikely as it wasn't running for long and it was all feeling quite cool. Im just about to switch it all back on and give it another go this morning

[cropwell]

It's good to have a spare but remember to follow the procedure for capacitor conditioning if it gets left on the shelf for a long time before use,

- Nick

As I understand it, conditioning an electrolytic means charge and slow discharge for a number of cycles. Sometimes difficult when the component is in circuit. I tried to find out the recommended parameters, but there has been little or nothing posted on t'Interweb.

Nick, Can you give us some pointers to the procedure for in-circuit ?

Ta,

Rob

[Graeme]

For capacitors made in the past 20 years you do not need to condition them after a period of not using them. For an explanation as to why have a look here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alumin...rage_or_disuse
In most cases it is impractical to do this process on equipment without a major dismantle, which may cause additional damage.
Graeme

[charlieuk]

so i used the machine today for about a hour and its worked perfect, the spindle was fine and did not do anything out of the ordinary! so the mystery is still out there!

[magicniner]

For capacitors made in the past 20 years you do not need to condition them

The Siemens Micromaster 440 is considerably less than 20 years old and yet -

page 23 - https://inverterdrive.com/file/sieme...ter-440-manual

I would always recommend reading Manufacturer's Manuals rather than relying on a quick Google where mains voltages and complex systems are concerned ;-)

- Nick

It's been brought to my attention, again, that this is not the case for most electrolytic capacitors so thinking Siemens might be a one-off I checked the manufacturer of my nearest tot the door non-Siemens drive (ABB on my 3hp mill/drill) and found this -

https://library.e.abb.com/public/cf2...ming_Rev_G.pdf

Mitsubishi and Omron seem to suggest inspection & testing prior to installation.
In short RTFM as Wikipedia and Google might be right or it might just get you some magic smoke ;-)
Enjoy!