How do I manually control spindle ???

[connie]

I have a PRT Benchtop with Gecko Drives and a Varispeed V7-4x spindle. All of my instructions explain how to warm-up and start the spindle using Shop Bot Control Box. This machine does not have the spindle routed thru the control box. How do I manually control the spindle. I can set the frequency to say 150 (9000rpm) but I am unsure what to do after that. I don't want to mess up the spindle by doing it incorrectly, so I'd rather be safe than sorry. Anyone out there manually using the VFD to do this????

[ed_lang]

My 4HP HSD spindle is not run off of the ShopBot control box. I kinda wish it was but I decided to do it this way even after ShopBot said I should not.

Connie, When I want to warm up my spindle I plug in the VFD power cable to 220Vac and set frequency. Then I touch the blinking RUN button. I can change frequency (speed) while it is running. To stop I touch the STOP/RESET button.

Please make sure the fan in the top of the spindle is running.

Let us know if this helps.

[connie]

Ed,
Thanks. I tried that and at first nothing. Then
we wired the 2 wires on the brown cable together and the spindle runs as soon as its plugged in.
When I press Stop/Reset it stops the spindle displays SRP and then I can't turn it back on unless I unplug it and plug it in again. How do you turn your spindle on and off????

[richards]

Connie,
I have a Colombo spindle and a Delta VFD-B controller which is different from your spindle and VFD, so my manual won't help you.

However, after looking at the YASKAWA V74X VFD manual on the Internet, it looks like the wiring diagram in section 7, page 32 shows that you should use a switch between terminal S1 and terminal SC. (I'm guessing that the brown wires that you've written about are connected to those two terminals.) In addition, there appears to be several parameters in section 8 starting on page 36 that control how the front panel buttons work.

Maybe someone who has the V74X controller would be willing to tell which, if any of the parameters control the manual operation of the RUN and STOP/RESET buttons.

[ed_lang]

Connie.
I do not have the two brown wires you are talking about. I think a call to ShopBot tech support Monday AM would be the best thing.

My guess is the brown wires need to be closed to run the spindle and open to stop it. I also be they get connected to the control box and by pushing the START button, a relay will close the two brown wires and when the file finishes, the relay will open and stop the spindle. There is also programming that controls the functions and I am not messing with what ShopBot programed without checking with them first.

ed

[connie]

Thanks everyone for answering. I spoke with Tim at ShopBot and it turns out that our VFD was wired and set up for an Alpha machine (not the benchtop PRT). The brown wire doesn't need to be connected. However the PRGM option N003 needed to be changed to a 0 for manual control. So if anyone else ever has this problem, the VFD program option N003 uses 1 for control box and 0 for manual control using the touch pad on the VFD.
Thanks again.