Author Topic: new machine added to the shop (Read 5424 times)

Riverrat · « **on:** October 07, 2015, 08:45:53 am »

Been a busy year finally added a 2nd CNC machine to the shop. Like to never made room in the shop to get it in. Just wondering now if our residential electric transformer will handle the load without blowing. Iddee if you hear a boom dont worry it just rat setting in the dark

iddee · « **Reply #1 on:** October 07, 2015, 10:04:04 am »

Don't worry, rat. It it blows, they've got larger ones ready to install. They love the one time expense in trade for the forever higher monthly check you will be sending.

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** October 07, 2015, 10:18:54 am »

I bet the cost of that baby would be a pretty nice honey house!

apisbees · « **Reply #3 on:** October 07, 2015, 11:26:02 am »

It only draws 40 amp that is what your stove requires. OK you need 40 amp on 1 more leg seen as its 3 phase so it uses 1/3 more power than your kitchen stove. Nice machine, How are you at drafting the programing?

iddee · « **Reply #4 on:** October 07, 2015, 01:08:53 pm »

Apis, if it draws 40 amps on 2 legs, it is drawing 20 amps from each leg. Adding the third phase will reduce the draw to 13.333 amps per leg, still totaling 40 amps. With 13.3 amps producing less friction and heat, it will actually reduce the total power draw and reduce the power bill rather than increase it. You can run the machine on 3 fuses, 15 amp each if the start up surge will take it.

Riverrat · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2015, 02:53:30 pm »

Quote from: apisbees on October 07, 2015, 11:26:02 am

How are you at drafting the programing?

Do real well with the programming i run mastercam for software been programming for several years

Quote from: Perry on October 07, 2015, 10:18:54 am

I bet the cost of that baby would be a pretty nice honey house!

Lets say I paid less for my first house when the wife and I got married 26 years ago than what I paid for the machine. But it will pay for itself fairly quickly

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2015, 04:54:24 pm »

Oh that brings back some UGLY memories from working at Pratt & Whitney making jet engine parts... Cnc lathes and mills, but the people, specifically the "lifers" made life there unbearable.. god forbid you actually WORKED and turned out all the parts you could... they all had little kittens because their "rate" was being ruined... rate was 4 parts a day, I was turning out 7...
Did enjoy the work!

Lburou · « **Reply #7 on:** October 07, 2015, 06:03:33 pm »

Riverrat, when you make the first bowls for an oxalic vaporizer, I'll test one for you! ;-)

iddee · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2015, 07:12:42 pm »

And I'll peer review the second one, but it has to be the complete unit, not just the bowl..

apisbees · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2015, 07:16:19 pm »

Iddee I was interested to see what size it was and the x,y,& z travel and looked it up. I noticed that it draws 40 amp at 230 volt on three phase. the largest motor was 27 amp 3 phase draw. and after Rat's sitting in the dark comment it doesn't draw that much power. If he has 440 volt power the amp draw will be 1/2
When I ran the hive making equipment we were short 50% on power to turn every thing on at once but that did not mater as at the most only 1/3 of the equipment would be used at any one time.

iddee · « **Reply #10 on:** October 07, 2015, 07:41:55 pm »

Absolutely. Any motor will pull much more power at start up then while running. You can actually get a cheaper rate on your electricity by turning on one or two machines every 15 minutes, rather than starting them all at once. The highest draw at any time of the day is what they set your rate by. If all your machines take a surge of start up power at the same time, the surge will increase the cost of each KWH you use from that time on. I would have them come out and reset my meter about once a year, just to start at 0 again on "the largest draw" meter.

apisbees · « **Reply #11 on:** October 07, 2015, 11:02:53 pm »

We only get charged that way if we have 3 phase power and get charged the on demanded rate. On standard 220 volt single phase we are set on a fixed rate per KWH. but in an attempt to get people to conserve power we have a cheaper rate on the first 1376kwh @ $0.0690/kwh and over carged @ $0.10340

iddee · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2015, 05:46:47 am »

Same here. It's only when you have 3 phase.

apisbees · « **Reply #13 on:** October 08, 2015, 06:47:10 am »

And only on newer installations and buildings about 1995 so if one needs a shop with 3 phase it is best to look at older buildings. Or be a farmer They get a special rate for power to run their irrigation pumps. Every pump house has its own service. Most are 3 phase. When I put together and ran Apis Hive Co. we were on a usage metered 3 phase. not on demand.

Quote

I would have them come out and reset my meter about once a year, just to start at 0 again on "the largest draw" meter.

They do this every month up here when they read the meter. They have installed the smart meters on single phase installations so they don't even come out to read the meter any more. They can get the reading from in their offices, and they can turn the power on and off from their office as well.

Riverrat · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2015, 07:25:08 am »

Im in a residential area and run phase converters since they will not drop 3 phase into a residential home

apisbees · « **Reply #15 on:** October 08, 2015, 01:55:23 pm »

then it is a matter of the phase converter being matched to the power requirements of the machine. Do you use rotary of solid state phase converter. If you have a number of 3 phase machines it may be time to look into a diesel or natural gas 3 phase generator. Run it for just your 3 phase power needs.

Riverrat · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2015, 09:08:58 pm »

I'm running 2 20 hp rotary converters that balance out the voltage may have to add a 3rd. Like the idea of 3 20hp's over a 60 hp if it goes down I'm dead in water but if I loose a 20 I can still at least run one machine. I try to have double the hp of the machine motors running in phase converter hp

apisbees · « **Reply #17 on:** October 10, 2015, 05:36:29 am »

Do you buy them of make your own? I'm in the process of building a 2Hp for a multi motor edge banding machine.
I bought at an auction a while back an electronic phase generator with a speed controller It can handle a 2 HP 3 phase motor when hooked up to single phase 220 power, If hooked up to 3 phase and used as a speed control it can handle a 3 hp motor. No one else knew what it was so i picked it up for $50.00 will find a use for it some day on a grinder, lath, drill press, or something could even switch out the motor on the extractor to a 3 phase to have the variable speed.

Riverrat · « **Reply #18 on:** October 10, 2015, 08:02:04 am »

I have built phase converters to run manual machines. But since cnc has to have balanced power I have them built at smith electric motor works over in missouri

http://www.gwm4-3phase.com/

apisbees · « **Reply #19 on:** October 10, 2015, 09:01:41 am »

It looks like they supply a good product.
You are right, A computer operated machine will require a more stable, balanced power than motors running on a speed controlled rheostat.