Bridgeport and location of VFD

Install the VFD on the back of the mill base, along with your braking resistor. Make a small control box with your forward, reverse and stop buttons and speed knob to mount at the bottom of the DRO panel.

Pete, thanks... I like the idea of mounting controls there... I do, however, want to see the screen of the VFD, it is very informative.

i

The VFD doesn't have a removable control panel I take it? I've seen some where the control panel pops right off and can be extended to a convenient location. If you want to be able to se the display perhaps still mount it at the back, but up on a stalk facing forward so you can see the display when you want, but still remote the controls up front.

Here's what works for me...

Those older Mitsubishis are able to display 3 independent parameters, so I wanted to keep them in view. The speed pot on the lathe is mounted on the drive; the mill's is in the yellow pushbutton enclosure along with the FWD-STOP-REV buttons.

That's right.

I think that that is what I will do. Thank you Pete.

i

Ned, very nice. I think that I will do something similar, esp. since my VFD is a lot smaller in size.

i

Interesting handle on that mill vise...

Stick it all on the backside of the mill. Cleaner neater area, not all that subject to chips and spray and bring the f/r/stop and speed pot around to the front on a pendant. Simple plastic or metal box works find for the pendant.

Gunner

Werks gud as long as you remember not to stick your index finger thru the spokes far enough to catch on the vise when spinning the handle. One or two times was enough for the lesson to sink in. The rim is apparently some sort of sealing ring for a high pressure pipe flange, the hub is made from a 3/4" deep socket.

Ig woul it be possible to put the DRO AND the VFD on the arm?

VFD below the arm DRO above?

I'm soon to face the EXACT same question on my index mill

it requires three phase and i'll be giving it a VFD but i'm going to hunt to a DRO to let my machine do mixed measurements. (I own an imperial mill in a metrified nation)

Brent, I may mount it on the arm, I will see how stiff the arm is. I may place the vfd to the left of the DRO.

i

Yes, I think so -- though if the arm is not stiff enough, I may not be able to press VFD buttons one handed.

I think that I will remove the drive, install the DRO and then will consider where to place the VFD.

The good news here is that you live in a metric nation.

i

Mine is mounted on the wall behind the machine.

mounted vertically next to the VFD. If it gets hot, the heat goes up and doesn't bother the VFD.

Jon

Oh oh, that is a 100 Ohm braking resistor! On a 240 V VFD, the DC link is 340 VDC, so the current would only be 3.4 A This may not be enough to drain energy out of a larger motor. It would probably be fine for a 1 Hp mill, but not good enough for a 3 Hp, for instance. I am using a 40 Ohm resistor on mine, with 1 Hp motor and drive. Even that is not enough when stopping my high speed spindle, which has a lot more momentum at 24,000 RPM, and the VFD will get an over-voltage trip when the resistor gets hot.

Jon

Resistance should be mateched to the drive. My drive specifies 80-200 ohm resistor, IIRC. I found some junk brackets and may try to re-mount the drvie today.

i

Keep it out of the path of chips if it has vent holes. Distance in a typical garage should not be that much of an issue but closer is generally better.

Wes

Yes, close and high. It's amazing how far a mill can throw chips.

I have my VFD on an aluminum plate screwed to the wall next to and behind the mill, with a control pendant from the VFD to a table next to the mill. The aluminum plate is required by the VFD maker, and is a good idea.

The VFD is 5.5 feet from the floor, and the main power switch is 6 feet from the floor. The power switch is high to keep it out of reach of stray children.

If the wires from VFD to mill are less than 10 or 20 feet long, no problem is likely.

Joe Gwinn