Spindle Owners, save power, lower temps.

[watswood]

A few weeks ago I started experimenting with parameter 08-15(automatic energy saving)in the Delta VFD. When set to 01 it monitors your output power and when it senses no-load or near no-load power (for approx. 30 secs.)it kicks in and reduces the ouput voltage, thus lowering power consumption by about 30% and in turn lowering spindle temp. My last project involved pocketing hardwoods with a 1/2" cutter. Each board had 8 min. of heavy ruff cutting followed by 4 min. of light cleanup passes. I monitored the output current on the vfd front panel and noticed that 30 secs. into the cleanup stage the current droped from 3.7 amps to 2.4 amps and stayed there throughout the entire cleanup stage. As soon as it hit the next board for ruff cut it instanly kicked up to full power.

As for the temperature. I ran the above mentioned for an hour with 08-15 disabled, let the spindle cool down a bit, then ran the same thing with 08-15 enabled and noticed approximately a 10 deg.F reduction in spindle temp.

I also tried a project that invloved a number of 1/4" holes and it kicked in during the entire hole drilling process.

For those of you who do nothing but heaving cutting all day long, this will do nothing for you as it will never kick in. For those of you like me who do a wide range of work including small diameter bit work such as intricate and long 3d files at higher rpm, inlay work, etc., this would most definately be worth checking out. Even if it can save any power, it's worth trying. Just monitor your output current on the vfd front panel to see if it kicks in or not.

[gerald_d]

At last, someone who measures and thinks logically!


Thanks for this tip Eugene.

[jhicks]

Interesting that there are SOOOOOO many variables to consider and adjust. I have no idea or data on anything to do with the spindle so am amazed someone has gone to this depth. For someone like me, who only knows how to turn it on, warm it up, and change the speeds, how would one go about gathering this detail for programming or making these setting changes?
I see the screen and watch it move from one MODE to another when we dial up speeds but never saw any published data on what those other modes were,what they control, or how to monitor them.

[Brady Watson]

Jerry,
If you bought your spindle from ShopBot, then you should have received a book on the Delta VFD. It has all of the instructions on how to program it in the book. (although not the easiest thing to understand)

-B

[jhicks]

Thanks Brady, I purchased it used but it did ship to the fellow I bought it from with the spindle from shop Bot and the only thing I have is the electrical wiring diagram to wire it up. He had said that was all he received. Is there any way to obtain that book?

[richards]

Jerry,
Go to www.delta.com.tw/product/em/ac_motor/ac_motor_product.asp?pid=2 (http://www.delta.com.tw/product/em/ac_motor/ac_motor_product.asp?pid=2)
Click on Download Manual at the bottom of the page.