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Thread: VFD Wiring help

  1. #1

    VFD Wiring help

    Bit of a pickle on how to get my jointer running with a VFD. Single phase in, 3 phase out. Wire it up, VFD works fine, starts up, but the jointer just growls at me and only trys to spin.

    I havent got into the jointer, but it can be wired 460. Would it do what its doing if it was wired for 460?

    Could it be I have to switch one of the hots coming out of the VFD?

    File_000 (6).jpg

  2. #2
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    it appears you are running the 220v VFD on 110? What is the specific model of the vfd and how many hp is the jointer? also, i would open up the shield on the motor and check the wiring for 460/220 there. should be a sticker showing what to do on the inside, or a diagram on the motor plate.

    if i remember correctly, the ones made for 110 input are the smaller case size. i have an fm50 220v input on a drill press. the order of the wires going to the motor should not matter, swaping them should reverse the motor. (you can set motor direction in the VFD as well)

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Adam Herman View Post
    it appears you are running the 220v VFD on 110? What is the specific model of the vfd and how many hp is the jointer? also, i would open up the shield on the motor and check the wiring for 460/220 there. should be a sticker showing what to do on the inside, or a diagram on the motor plate.

    if i remember correctly, the ones made for 110 input are the smaller case size. i have an fm50 220v input on a drill press. the order of the wires going to the motor should not matter, swaping them should reverse the motor. (you can set motor direction in the VFD as well)
    It's 220 single phase in, and 220 3 phase out. I'm going with the theory it's wired for 440 thus not starting

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Riseborough View Post
    It's 220 single phase in, and 220 3 phase out. I'm going with the theory it's wired for 440 thus not starting
    From your photo, you need to move the incoming N (white wire) to the L3(N) terminal on the drive. The incoming G (bare copper) should be on another terminal, but I don't have the manual, so not sure which - - maybe the P terminal? The G (ground) terminal could even be on the bottom? Regardless, it should be well marked in green and have the 'earth' symbol on it - same for NEMA and IEC .

    ****************
    Edit: I found a FM50 manual, but doesn't seem to match your setup. It shows the incoming G is tied to the motor fame G and landed on a G-lug inside the chassis on the heat sink. If you don't have such a lug inside, then I'd put a ring terminal on both the incoming G and the motor frame G, then insert the chassis mounting bolt into the chassis, then thru both ring terminals, and then fasten all into whatever structure you plan for VDF mounting.
    Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 03-01-2017 at 7:44 PM.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm McLeod View Post
    From your photo, you need to move the incoming N (white wire) to the L3(N) terminal on the drive. The incoming G (bare copper) should be on another terminal, but I don't have the manual, so not sure which - - maybe the P terminal? The G (ground) terminal could even be on the bottom? Regardless, it should be well marked in green and have the 'earth' symbol on it - same for NEMA and IEC .

    ****************
    Edit: I found a FM50 manual, but doesn't seem to match your setup. It shows the incoming G is tied to the motor fame G and landed on a G-lug inside the chassis on the heat sink. If you don't have such a lug inside, then I'd put a ring terminal on both the incoming G and the motor frame G, then insert the chassis mounting bolt into the chassis, then thru both ring terminals, and then fasten all into whatever structure you plan for VDF mounting.
    Thats just the way my 220 is wired. Its two hots and a ground, producing my 220V.

    Will be diving into the control box and motor later this week to see if wired 440V.

  6. #6
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    Regardless, Malcolm is right. Your ground is wrong - it should be connected to the bottom left terminal (there's a silver screw there for ground). Check the manual.

    I have 3 FM50's.

  7. #7
    Malcolm is right. You're using a ground wire as a neutral, which is a serious safety hazard. Your two hots should go to L1 and L3. L2 is unused (it's just physically located there because they likely use the same injection molds to make a 3-phase input version and they didn't bother to remake it for the single-phase version). Your ground wire gets hooked to some piece of exposed metal on the VFD (maybe one of the mounting holes has a metal insert to allow you to tie the ground wire to it using a ring terminal).

    P and R terminals are for a braking resistor. DEFINITELY do NOT connect your ground to those

    It's not working because you've essentially wired it with 120V. One of your hot legs is connected to L2, which goes nowhere.

    If the motor is wired for the wrong voltage, it should still spin.

    Flipping any of the 3-phase output wires should result in the motor changing direction. You can't connect the 3-phase output incorrectly in any way - any combination is valid and will work, and if the combination you pick results in the motor spinning the wrong direction, simply flip any 2 wires, and it will switch the direction of rotation.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm McLeod View Post
    - - maybe the P terminal?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    P and R terminals are for a braking resistor. DEFINITELY do NOT connect your ground to those
    Oops! I thought maybe the P could be 'PE' (Potential Earth) - for a manufacturer too cheap to engrave the 'E' in the molds.

    Looking closer at the photo, I see what looks like metallic inserts in the mounting holes at the bottom edge. This is likely where the all the G leads need to tie together.
    Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 03-01-2017 at 8:45 PM. Reason: spell check

  9. #9
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    mine came with a little tab for ground wires that screws to one of the mounting holes. I would switch out the white for red or label the cord as that could trip someone else up in the future.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Adam Herman View Post
    mine came with a little tab for ground wires that screws to one of the mounting holes. I would switch out the white for red or label the cord as that could trip someone else up in the future.
    Good point -- the traditional method for residential electrician to flag a white wire as 'hot' (rather than neutral), is to wrap 4-6" of each end in black electrical tape. This applies mostly to romex where you can't very well pull in a new red or black wire. But if you're running single conductors, then by all means use red.

    Edit: And while we're talking colors, the expected color standard for the 3-phase wires to the motor is Black/Red/Blue (T1/T2/T3) if using 230VAC. For 480VAC, its Brown/Orange/Yellow (aka 'BOY').
    Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 03-02-2017 at 1:02 PM. Reason: clarity

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm McLeod View Post
    Good point -- the traditional method for residential electrician to flag a white wire as 'hot' (rather than neutral), is to wrap 4-6" of each end in black electrical tape. This applies mostly to romex where you can't very well pull in a new red or black wire. But if you're running single conductors, then by all means use red.

    Edit: And while we're talking colors, the expected color standard for the 3-phase wires to the motor is Black/Red/Blue (T1/T2/T3) if using 230VAC. For 480VAC, its Brown/Orange/Yellow (aka 'BOY').
    In the wall at the receptical its marked. I am using cord to the VFD.

  12. #12
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    What settings did you set on the VFD?
    Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Heidrick View Post
    What settings did you set on the VFD?
    60Hz, 5 second on/off start up shut down. Not sure the start up/shut down matters, I have a on/off switch on the jointer for the motor

  14. #14
    Jim:

    1) "I have a on/off switch on the jointer for the motor". Not sure what you mean by this, but just to be clear: you can NOT have a switch between the 3-phase VFD output and the motor. Flipping a switch on the 3-phase output of the VFD while it's running is very likely to destroy it.

    2) Did you try moving your white wire to the L3 terminal? I absolutely guarantee this is the problem.

  15. #15
    Join Date
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    The L3 isn't necessarily the problem. I know because I've had my hot lines erroneously connected to L1 and L2 and they've worked just fine. Factorymation tech told me today that's not a problem, but in rare cases it will throw a low voltage error. I'm going to switch to L1/L3 as recommended here and by Factorymation, but I just wanted to point out that the L3 likely isn't the problem - it's that the ground is connected to a line in terminal (L3).

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