The 2.2Kw Chinese Spindles - Info, Setup and Advice + More

[MikeyC38]

Hi Jazz
As always the font of wisdom for us newbies. I forgot about these ports on the VFD. I was thinking about these to enhance my safety system by getting the relay ( based on your wonderful simple design emergency stop setup) to signal the VFD to stop when the safety button switch is operated.

Cheers
Mike

[JAZZCNC]

Hi Jazz
As always the font of wisdom for us newbies. I forgot about these ports on the VFD. I was thinking about these to enhance my safety system by getting the relay ( based on your wonderful simple design emergency stop setup) to signal the VFD to stop when the safety button switch is operated.

Cheers
Mike

Yep, that would work and there are various ways it can be done, to be honest. The controller or Bob your using will also play some part in which approach to use.

If I'm using a controller that doesn't have relays built into it then I control a relay for on/off using an Output. I then use this relay to turn the water pump on as well.

[Voicecoil]

I'm thinking of adding a slight enhancement to the "pump switched by VFD" thing by sticking a flow sensor in the return line to the reservoir driving a relay. It's then pretty easy to sound an alarm if the pump is energised but insufficient water's flowing.

[JAZZCNC]

I'm thinking of adding a slight enhancement to the "pump switched by VFD" thing by sticking a flow sensor in the return line to the reservoir driving a relay. It's then pretty easy to sound an alarm if the pump is energised but insufficient water's flowing.

If going to that trouble I'd be more inclined to fit the temp sensor on the spindle than worry about water flow. Or have both work together.

[Green Apple]

One other thing that should be done is to replace a power connector because the one that comes with 2.2kW spindle is not rated to 10A, but to something way below it.
About a month ago my HY VFD went up in smoke due to an arc that went across pins of my spindle power connector.
Today I'm looking at a new Altivar 320 to replace it and I need help with setting it up Altivar 320 VFD + ESS Smoothstepper + Mach4 + Gecko G540

[Clive S]

One other thing that should be done is to replace a power connector because the one that comes with 2.2kW spindle is not rated to 10A, but to something way below it.
About a month ago my HY VFD went up in smoke due to an arc that went across pins of my spindle power connector.

There is nothing wrong with the connector.

If the plug is not fitted correctly or is loose or a wire falls off the vfd will blow up. Always fit a cable strain clamp to the Z axis.

Never unplug the spindle or put any switch in thee cable from the vfd when the vfd in on.

[Wal]

+1 on what Clive has to say.

Happened to me recently - I was using a cable clamp so it had me scratching my head for a bit - turned out I had an oversized blob of solder on one of my pins that shorted against the inside of the connector's sleeve. Was purely luck that it hadn't done that before - I'd recently moved my machine into a new workspace and had to unplug and re-assemble everything - something moved and I wasn't as lucky this time around... Made quite a pop!

Wal.

[Kitwn]

+1 on what Clive has to say.

Happened to me recently - I was using a cable clamp so it had me scratching my head for a bit - turned out I had an oversized blob of solder on one of my pins that shorted against the inside of the connector's sleeve. Was purely luck that it hadn't done that before - I'd recently moved my machine into a new workspace and had to unplug and re-assemble everything - something moved and I wasn't as lucky this time around... Made quite a pop!

Wal.

A good reason for putting Hellerman or heat-shrink sleeving over each pin/wire.

Kit

[ericks]

One other thing that should be done is to replace a power connector because the one that comes with 2.2kW spindle is not rated to 10A, but to something way below it.
About a month ago my HY VFD went up in smoke due to an arc that went across pins of my spindle power connector.
Today I'm looking at a new Altivar 320 to replace it and I need help with setting it up Altivar 320 VFD + ESS Smoothstepper + Mach4 + Gecko G540

You are correct, some suppliers supply undersized/under rated connectors. Full load current of a three phase motor is not split between phases. However your spindle might never draw the full load current. But if your motor is rated for say 10A that means ten amps per phase and you should have a cable and plug that is rated minimum 10A...:)

...just to add, a loose connection is obviously something that will likely damage any connector no matter the current rating

[JAZZCNC]

You are correct, some suppliers supply undersized/under rated connectors. Full load current of a three phase motor is not split between phases. However your spindle might never draw the full load current. But if your motor is rated for say 10A that means ten amps per phase and you should have a cable and plug that is rated minimum 10A...:)

...just to add, a loose connection is obviously something that will likely damage any connector no matter the current rating

I have fitted well into the 100's of these Chinese spindles and I've had ZERO fail due to the connectors not being able to handle the load.
In my experience, the only weak link (other than being lower quality to brand names) with these spindles/VFD's is a lack of cable restraint. Both at the Spindle and the VFD you need to restrain the cable so the don't move around. I've only ever had 3 fails with connector faults and all of them where because the cable restraint I'd fitted had been left unconnected after the customer had moved or adjusted spindle etc and not fastened cables back up.

It's common sense really. . . which isn't so common these days.!