[willy1067]

Hi there guys,

I just purchased a OmniSign plus pro 1000 Laser engraver/cutter.
My problem is, that the vacuum, pump and the machine itself is 220 european voltage / current. I am affraid to plug it in to a normal 120V outlet before cheching it out. is it safe to plug it in? do I need a converter, if I do how much watts (300, 500, 800, 1000 or bigger)

Help guys

Fernando Gomez
www.pinellas-signs-manufacturer.com

[Al_The_Man]

Your best bet is to hook up to a 240v outlet from your panel. Do not try it on 120v.
European frequency is generally 50hz, so anything motorized off of the mains, will run slightly faster.
Al.

[DaveDoesIT]

do I need a converter, if I do how much watts (300, 500, 800, 1000 or bigger)

Yes, you need a 110v 60Hz to 240v 50 Hz converter. Do a google search you will find hundreds. The Hz is not that important in the case of a laser as the motion is controlled by internal power supplies and line frequency should not be an issue.

If there is a nameplate on the Omni and it shows Watts then that's what you need in a converter. If it shows Amps then you need to double that for a converter. Halve the voltage, double the Amps for the same Watts.

If the vacuum pump is not plugged into the Omni for it's power then you need to add those Amps to the Omni Amps for a total. e.g. Omni = 240v x 5A = 1200W Vacuum pump 240v x 3A = 720W. The converter needs to be able to run 1920 Watts. So 1920 / 110v = 17.5A which is more than a 110v househould wall outlet should provide.

I think you should consult an electrician. Either that or make sure the Fire Department has your correct location.

[Al_The_Man]

Why would you need the expense of a convertor (transformer) when you have 240 in any residence?
Al.

[zax15uk]

I use a step-up transformer, 110 to 240V.

[mactec54]

Hi Willy1067

You will need a 120v to 240v transformer as what is being said is not correct
Your European voltage is 220/240V one hot leg a neutral & ground USA is 110/120V one hot leg a neutral & ground 220/240V USA is 2 hot legs & a ground

[Al_The_Man]

Hi Willy1067

You will need a 120v to 240v transformer as what is being said is not correct
Your European voltage is 220/240V one hot leg a neutral & ground USA is 110/120V one hot leg a neutral & ground 220/240V USA is 2 hot legs & a ground

That is easily overcome as all he would need is 240v single phase and a ground, it has nothing to do with whether one side of the European 240 is has a grounded neutral.
I have worked in the electrical business both in Europe and N.Amer. and have done this on many occasions.
As in N.A., in Europe the neutral is never grounded in the machine, only at the service entry.
Al.

[willy1067]

OK, so Transformer or not?

my house has 120 volts, to make a 240 I would need 120/120 and ground
the plug I have from this machine has 3 solid connection, I have no idea which one is hot, ground, neutral or so on. anyone with a link to a site with either a transformer or the electrical connection to my 120 or 240 receptacle.

please email me to;
[email protected]

[mactec54]

Hi Al The Man

What you are saying is correct & will work for running motors but not for all other electrics on the machine that wants to see only one 240v line feeding it I was exporting machines that had to be this way so were tested the same way as they were going to be used as they would not pass the electrial code in Europe if they were not wired this way so all testing was done with the use of a transformer 120v to 240V & we still do it now the same way when needed

It will also depend how his machine has been wired as to what he can do with the hook up the safest way is to use a Transformer & you will be up & going

[Al_The_Man]

I agree it would be prudent to check the actual configuration of the machine as it is most likely 240 input with no local reference to ground.
I personally would check this and prefer to connect direct to the 240 service supply, a machine if that size would exceed the capability of a 15amp outlet, which if so, means that a separate circuit is required anyway if a step up transformer is used of at least 2KVA.
Also the decision is to whether when hooked to a transformer, do you leave it isolated, or reference the secondary to ground as may be the case in the country of origin?
If the transformer is hard wired, this will require disconnect and secondary fusing, as opposed to a 15/20 amp breaker and 240v socket.
This would be my first preference.
I don't really understand "only one 240v line feeding it"?
Al.
.

[mactec54]

Hi Al The Man
Willy 1067

Yes that is correct one 230/240V line that many country's use this supply is there single phase & he will have to run a ground from machine to incoming service if using a transformer if the transformer does not have the ground coming into it from the service which you can use if it has

He will most likely have to run a 20/25amp 120v supply to feed the transformer but if his machine is only 7 or 8 amps then a standard supply will work

[Al_The_Man]

There is no difference between European 240 1 phase and N. Amer. 1 phase.
except for the frequency difference, only the way it is configured, N.Amer. uses a single phase centre tapped TXMR which is C.T. grounded, and many places in Europe use one phase of 3 phase transformer with the star point ground, which is one side of the 240.
If the machine is isolated, which it should be, it is easy to test the three conductors going to the machine, two should be isolated from ground (240 power) and the third a ground.
From the machines point of view, there is no difference in the 240v whether hooked up in Europe or USA.
Al.

[DaveDoesIT]

OK, so Transformer or not?

Either a transformer or a converter. BUT as I stated in an earlier post, the transformer **may** be drawing more than a household outlet can supply.

You need to tell us the Watts or Amps for all of the 240 volt equipment you are going to use.

As to 220v from your dryer outlet it is 110v - 110v on two wires. The second 110v is out of phase by 90-degress and that makes it 220 volts across those two wires. I did NOT suggest the dryer in the earlier post as it is not a good idea to use the dryer 220v for the Omni for all the reasons others are stating.

I still say you need to get an electrician as your knowledge of electrics appears limited and you could fry some expensive stuff.

Dave

[Al_The_Man]

I think you will find that should be 180°, on a centre tapped 1 ph transformer at least.
Al.

[mactec54]

Hi Al The Man

That is correct 180deg but there are still some places in the US that have it at 90deg

[Geof]

.....As to 220v from your dryer outlet it is 110v - 110v on two wires. The second 110v is out of phase by 90-degress and that makes it 220 volts across those two wires....

Impossible! If you have them out of phase by 90 degrees you will not get 220 you will get something lower. I think it is something around 170 which is the sum of 120/1.414

[Proaquatics]

Hello all, I've just joined and so far find the posts extremely helpful. I'm also dealing with the European 230 V issue. I'm building a machine that will be sent to a European country that has 220V 50 Hz. I have always thought that when wiring for european 230V single phase, you wire it the same way as you would for 120V in the US. That is, you have a line and neutral and ground as opposed to the 230V in the US (two lines and a ground with no neutral). AND..that when 230 VAC is supplied to the machine, it "should" work fine. My confusion arising with the "neutral leg". Is the US version of 230 V (120/120 +ground) the same as Europe's 230 VAC (230+neutral+ground) except for the 50 vs 60 Hz??

[Geof]

....Is the US version of 230 V (120/120 +ground) the same as Europe's 230 VAC (230+neutral+ground) except for the 50 vs 60 Hz??

They both use the same kind of electrons to create current flow.

Seriously: you get a potential of 220 between the two hot in North America and 110 between both of them to ground and between both of them to the neutral if that is wired in; in Europe only one line is hot to ground and that is at 230. Provided you do not have any ground shorts they behave the same; except of course for the frequency difference. In Europe you cannot pluck out 110 but in North America it is possible between a line and the neutral. In Europe you only need fusing or other protection on the incoming 220 line and single pole switching is okay; in North America you need fusing on both 110 lines and double pole switching on the incoming is essential. As far as I know the bottom line is that North American equipment going to Europe will probably be fine if it can handle the frequency difference, but European coming over here may not be correctly fused and switched.

[Al_The_Man]

. My confusion arising with the "neutral leg". Is the US version of 230 V (120/120 +ground) the same as Europe's 230 VAC (230+neutral+ground) except for the 50 vs 60 Hz??

Geoff pretty much explains it, sometime the confusion arises about the term or definition of 'neutral' There is nothing special about a conductor labelled such.
It can generally be any AC conductor source that a decision has been made to connect this conductor to Earth Ground at some point.
In the case of an electrical service, the point it is grounded is decided by the service company.
In N.A. it is at the service entry panel derived from the centre tap of a 240v 1ph transformer, in parts of Europe it can be only at the star point of a 3 phase transformer.
It is a general code rule that this should be the ONLY point where the ground conductor and the neutral come in contact.
An exception is if a machine has say, an isolated control transformer in its panel, the reference to ground is lost, so in practically all jurisdictions it is permissible to earth ground one side of this transformers secondary to set up a local grounded neutral.
If this machine is not a one-off and you are thinking of selling in Europe I would check some of the local code requirements, especially in the area of safety relays, which are mandatory on some European equipment.
Al.

[willy1067]

Ok I got the Omnisign working with two 120volt wires, one negative and a ground wire.

Now for my next issue... does anyone knows or have an omnisign plus pro laser machine
I don't have the manual to operate it.

Also anyone working with Lasercut5.1? I am trying to send a file to the laser machine but I am missing the printer icon on top.