Originally Posted by Rick Fisher
The problem with most VFD's is that they are not rated to take the startup surge from a motor at full power, and you have to start them at 0 hertz and then spin the VFD up to 60 hertz (or 50, depending upon where you're located).
For this reason, I would not want to run an entire shop on a VFD.
In two of my shops, I have/had a 30hp phase converter feeding a 3 phase load center, and all of the machines hooked into that. Quick, easy, and you can stack converters if you need more power.
Probably your least expensive option is the motor replacement, but a whole-shop rotary phase converter may be the least expensive in the long run. You can often pick them up used for a pretty good deal (I recall that I have around $700.00 in mine).
In fact, I have a spare 240 single phase to 208 three phase converter if you're interested. I forget the HP, but it's in the 25 - 30 hp range (or thereabouts).
Reply With Quote