[TAProwler]

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to post and let everyone know about this spindle drive replacement we did to a Hardinge Lathe with an OmniTurn GT-75 Control.

Yes, it can be done with a Chinese inverter. Yes, it works! And....Yes, it was actually pretty easy (except for one small parameter issue). No, I'm not sure how long it will run!

Here's the back story. I have a buddy that emailed me a few weeks ago and was lamenting that his machine was down and that the spindle inverter was dead. He was looking online and all of the brand name inverters for a 5 HP spindle motor were nearly $1K. So, I scanned the eBay listing and found this HY-04D0-23B inverter. You have to look the ebay ads over very closely to find the one that has the correct values for your operating (input) Voltage, number of phases, etc. His was a 220Vac, single phase input feeding a 220Vac 3phase motor.

So, I told him that for less than $300 we could try to put in that inverter. He was game, so he bought it on eBay and a little more than a week later it showed up at his door. It was packaged well, came with an installation manual (not the most detailed or well edited document - but it gets the job done, kinda) and was all in one piece. I told him to take pictures of all the wiring, mark all the wires with the terminal name from the old inverter and then yard the old inverter out. Then, I had him install the new inverter so that all the wires would reach the new inverter terminals (it actually worked without having to splice anything). On my next few days off, I went over to his shop and helped him do the hook-ups on the first evening. On the second day we did the programming fun.

HOOK-UPS
The hook-ups were pretty easy and straight forward. The terminals on the new inverter are all pretty much the same (and have the same functions) as the old inverter (it was an old Yaskawa EMS PC3). There are 16 wires to disconnect and re-connect, and 9 of them are really easy (3 Line Power input wires, 3 Power output wires to the motor, 2 brake resistor wires and 1 earth ground). Here's how they look from the wiring diagrams from each of the drive installation manuals:



Here's the wiring crossover chart:

Take the wire........................................This terminal on
on this terminal..........and put it on........... the
of the PC3 drive................................... HY drive
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
L1(R) --------------------------------------> R
L2(S) --------------------------------------> S
L3(T) --------------------------------------> T
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
T1(U) --------------------------------------> U
T2(V) --------------------------------------> V
T3(W) --------------------------------------> W
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E(G) --------------------------------------> E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B1 --------------------------------------> P+ or P
B2 --------------------------------------> P and N
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good, now you're already over 1/2 way done!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 --------------------------------------> FOR
2 --------------------------------------> REV
3 --------------------------------------> DCM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 ---------------------------------------> RST
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 ----------------------------------------> V1
11 ----------------------------------------> ACM
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLTB --------------------------------------> FC
FLTC --------------------------------------> FB
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excellent - You're done with the easy part. Now, it's on to the programming (AKA - setting the parameters).

The next thing you have to do, before you start to set your parameters is confirm your motor data plate info. It should be on the motor somewhere and it should look something like this:



PROGRAMMING (SET PARAMETERS)
OK - the first thing we are going to do is set enough parameters so that we can test the motor using the control located right on the VFD (called the "Operator" in the manual). Also, take note:

NOTE 1: I am only going to list the parameters that need to be changed or verified/confirmed. If I do not list a parameter, then leave it be - the default value (set by the manufacturer) is fine.
NOTE 2: This is done for this application with the WEG 5HP motor that came with the Hardinge lathe. If your motor is different the same parameters will need to be changed, but maybe to different values.

So, now, look over the operators manual and figure out how to punch the buttons on the operator panel to change the parameters (basically, the FVD normally has the LEDs for Pwr and Hz lighted, the FOR LED is flashing, and the Freq is displayed on the LED display). To get to the parameter list, push the PGM button - this will display what parameter is currently active. Use the up/down arrows to navigate to the PD (parameter) that you want to change. Then, to set the new parameter, push SET, then use the side arrow (>>) button to navigate to the character to change, then use the up/dwn buttons to change the value. When the parameter is set the way you want it, push SET again and the word END will be displayed. When you see END - that parameter new value has been saved. OK - on to more programming.

Set Parameter
(or Confirm Set) TO
--------------------------------------
PD003 = 10.0 (This is just for testing and only used from operator panel)
PD004 = 60 (Normal Max Freq for typical US motors not high speed or special)
PD005 = 60 (Don't try to turn a 60Hz motor faster than 60Hz for too long!)
PD007 = 1.5
PD008 = 230
PD009 = 15
PD010 = 10
PD014 = 1.0
PD015 = 1.0
PD023 = 1 (Allows motor to run in both directions)
PD141 = 220 (Use number from your motor data plate)
PD142 = 13 (Use number from your motor data plate)
PD143 = 4 (Use number from your motor data plate)
PD144 = 1720 (Use number from your motor data plate)
PD146 = 23 (or use number from your motor data plate)
PD147 =1.7 (or use number from your motor data plate)

These parameters are the basics needed to test your motor and make sure the rotation is correct.

Now, make sure your spindle is free, has no stock in it, and any and all tools are clear. Next, reach in and push the RUN button on the operator panel of the VFD. The spindle should start to rotate at the F=10 Hz rotation speed. You can make the speed go faster or slower by pushing the up/dwn arrows on the operator panel. Push STOP when you want to stop the spindle.

If you get any faults, use the troubleshooting guide in the manual to help you. Fix any issues before continuing.

IF you paid close attention to your RST's and UVW's - the spindle should be rotating in the correct direction. If it is not, shut off the VFD, and switch any two of the U,V, or W wires. This will make the rotation switch. With the correct rotation, and with the VFD in Forward, the spindle should rotate CCW when you are looking straight at it from the tailstock end.

If this is all good, we can now go set parameters for the CNC control stuff. Push the STOP button and navigate to the parameter changing place again (PGM, up/dwn)

Set Parameter
(or Confirm Set) TO
--------------------------------------
PD001 = 1 (Shifts VFD FOR & REV to external [CNC] control)
PD002 = 1 (Shifts VFD Freq control to external [CNC] control)
PD024 = 0 (Prevents VFD STOP button from stopping when CNC in control)
PD044 = 2 (Signal here starts FORward rotation)
PD045 = 3 (Signal here starts REVerse rotation)
PD046 = 14 (Allows button on side of panel to reset the VFD after fault)
PD052 = 03 (Output to Estop - VFD Fault will shut down CNC)
PD070 = 0 (VFD will use 0-10Vdc signal from CNC to control motor speed)

And now, for the little bugger that took me an hour to figure out!!!!!!

PD072 = 105 (Adjust to get accurate speed on your spindle)
PD073 = 0 (You want 0Vdc to give you Zero speed)

MORE EXPLANATION OF PD072 & PD073
First, the manual had an error with respect to these two parameters in the "Parameters Function List 3" on page 22 of the manual. It has the function of these two parameters switched. The expanded discussion of these parameters on page 44 is correct with regard to the function of each parameter. However, here it listed the Factory Setting for PD072 as 50.0 and it was really set to 400.0 in the box. THIS CAUSED A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR TESTING THE MOTOR!!! I'll tell you why in a minute. First, here are what these parameters should be labeled and what the values SHOULD BE in the manual:

PD072 Higher Analog Frequency, Set Range: 0.00-400.00 Hz, Unit: 0.01Hz, Factory Setting: 400.00Hz
PD073 Lower Analog Frequency, Set Range: 0.00-400.00 Hz, Unit: 0.01Hz, Factory Setting: 0.00Hz

NOW, HERE'S WHY THIS IS A BIG DEAL!!!

What these two values do, is set the slope of your V/F line on the analog (SPEED) input to the VFD. Parameter PD073 is set to zero because when you put 0Vdc on V1 input to the VFD you want to get Zero speed out of the VFD. You set parameter PD072 to give you 100% speed when you put 10Vdc onto the V1 input of the VFD (in theory). With the PD072 set to 400.00Hz, a very small voltage on the V1 input to the VFD tries to put a VERY HIGH speed output to the motor (OK for a router spindle motor - BUT NOT A 5HP lathe spindle motor!!!!) The following two diagrams illustrates what I mean:

Attachment 247482

Now, this illustration does not take into account the step up or down in spindle speed caused by gear or belt ratios between the motor pulley and the spindle pulley. So, to fix that, what you can do is one of two things. Measure your pulleys and calculate the step up/down ratio and live with that. Or, you can go down to Harbor Freight and pick up a dandly little hand-held tachometer for a few bucks and do the following.

What you can actually do is (by trial and error using a hand-held tachometer) set this PD072 value to give you at the spindle what your CNC is asking for in the SxxxxM03 or SxxxxM04 command. In other words, enter for example S500M03 into the CNC and execute it. Measure the actual speed of your spindle with a tach. If the spindle is slow, put in a bigger number in for PD072. If the spindle is fast - put in a lower number in for PD072. If you change this by 1 or 2 at a time, you can get the speed set pretty accurately.

After about 10 minutes, we got my buddy's machine set so that at S300M03 the spindle was doing about 292 and at S1000M03 the spindle was actually turning 1009. We just split the difference.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

I hope that others find this experience and write up helpful. The Chinese drives are probably OK. The Chinese INSTALLATION MANUALS.....not so much. But, for the price, you can actually get a decent box that will do the job. If I remember, I will try to update this with info on the longevity of the VFD we installed.

Please let me know if you think I messed up any part of this write-up. Thanks.

Regards,
Todd