Inverter for 3hp 3 phase Wadkin Planer Thicknesser

[shuggy]

Hi. First post!
Just looking for any advice on acquiring an inverter to power a 3hp 3 phase Wadkin planer thicknesser.
I read a post after searching that mentioned a "british" made inverter but no mention of the actual type.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Many thanks.

 

[Doug B]

Got mine for my Wadkin off Transwave, they were very helpful, it's just an IMO drive as I didn't need anything more complex.

Have you checked that your present motor is suitable for an inverter, I had to change mine for a 3 phase 220/440 volt one.

 

[shuggy]

Hi Doug!
I'm actually scoping out costs to acquire the PT. It's 3 phase and I think 3hp or 2.2kw.
Should I be looking at an inverter that's slightly higher rated than the 3hp for the 3phase motor?
I'll take a look at the IMO inverters on Transwave's site.

 

[Doug B]

They did say it would be a good idea to go a little higher with the rating of the inverter than the the motor.

I don't know a great deal about inverters other than the experience I've had of the two I've bought from Transwave over the years.

 

[graduate_owner]

I recently bought a 3hp 2.2kWv inverter, an Invertec from Willpowerelectricalltd. It is UK made. I have contacted the supplier several times for advice, both before and after purchase, and have had helpful knowkedgeable replies almost the next day. It cost just under £200, and seemed like good value for a 2.2 kW version. Just a few points -

The motor must be 220 / 415 volt, i.e. dual voltage and must be connected in delta mode. This is not difficult to do and there is plenty of information on the web. Also these inverters don' t like dusty or damp environments. You can get IP56 rated inverters but they are quite a bit dearer. Mine is now housed in a dust proof box about 18" x 12" x 12" to allow plenty of air to circulate, and has a thermostatic cutout wired in, which will cut the input if the cabinet temperature reaches 50 degrees C. Inverters are great for giving variable speed and easy reverse, but need to be connected directy to the motor, not via any other switchgear. For your planer, this may make it unsuitable, but if you can bypass the saw switch (mount an emergency stop near instead) then the inverter will be useful for other 3 phase kit where variable speed is an advantage.

K

 

[Myfordman]

If you get stuck with a 415v only 3 phase motor when you buy the machine, I should be able to supply a modified inverter to run that motor from a 240v single phase supply.
PM me if you want to go down that path.

 

[shuggy]

Many thanks for the info! I hope to find out today whether the motor is dual voltage or not. I've had my eye on a Transwave converter currently on ebay for £150 http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi ... ID=EBAY-GB. Looking at the label from a pic it seems to be 230v in, 400v 3 phase out with max out 3.2kw (might be 3.7?)

Don't want to spend too much more than that to be honest as I have transport costs plus the purchase cost.

Thanks for the offer Myfordman! I'll certainly keep that in mind!

 

[shuggy]

Presumably if I manage to get the Transwave Converter, then the issues mentioned by graduate_owner don't apply as I can just plug this in as a normal 3 phase power source?

 

[graduate_owner]

Hi shuggy,
Sorry for the delay. If you manage to get a converter then yes, you can just plug in. With a static converter you will need to select the appropriate output setting for each motor size you use. A rotary comverter would allow several motors at tue same time, but are more expensive. Also no issues with existing switchgear, with either static or rotary converters.
You won't have bariable speed though
. Hope this helps.
K