Where should a VFD be placed in relation to the machine?

HMF

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A VFD is fairly large, and should be enclosed. So where do you place it? On your machine? On the wall behind it?


Nelson
 
Up off the floor, so it stays cleaner, mounted on a wall so it's clear from any chips that may get blown on it. Depending on the exact construction, I might put it in a NEMA enclosure, with the remote mounted on the machine within operator reach. If it gets warm, vent it properly, filter the air and use a fan to draw air thru the enclosure.
 
Up off the floor, so it stays cleaner, mounted on a wall so it's clear from any chips that may get blown on it. Depending on the exact construction, I might put it in a NEMA enclosure, with the remote mounted on the machine within operator reach. If it gets warm, vent it properly, filter the air and use a fan to draw air thru the enclosure.


This is exactly how I mounted my vfd. I still need to add the 12vdc transformer, fan and filter.. but i might not,the vfd hasnt even got remotely warm after its has been on for 4 hrs...
 
Re: Where should a VFD be placed in relation to the machine? It depends...

Wanting to keep my Holbrook looking original and having a phobia of trailing cables, I opted for...

In the (enormous cast iron) base cabinet, next to the suds tank - in the useful cubbyhole just big enough to pass a retro ABB VFD through!

So, it still needed to be accessible for maintenance, configuration etc - I put it on a tray mounted with cut-down computer rack slides and brackets to the front and rear inner walls of the base - 1/2" of cast iron tapped 0BA, the holes then "capped" with epoxy putty on the outside so they didn't show:

The tray is shown as-welded, mocked-up in place with the VFD, and retracted, there's also a "bridge" over the tray for cable glands.

The cubbyhole and suds tank are covered by a huge cast-aluminium panel with ventilation louvres (with swarf-proof mesh added), so it doesn't show :)

The VFD has since been smartened up with some filler and paint, as has the lathe base, and has been joined by a smaller VFD to run the suds pump and a 24V AC relay to switch the suds on and off with the motor starting and stopping (there's a suds pushbutton with an indicator lamp on the original control head that now toggles the AC supply to the suds VFD to give a choice of suds or not).

Dave H.

Convenient cubbyhole 8.75w by 8.25h.jpg Tray welded and assembled.jpg VFD part extended mock-up.jpg VFD stowed mock-up.jpg bracket improved and glands.jpg
 
Mine is on the wall for the lathe:

IMG_1051.jpg IMG_1054.jpg

And in a steel EL box on the side of the mill, controls are in the black box on the DRO arm:

IMG_1231.jpg

IMG_1051.jpg IMG_1054.jpg IMG_1231.jpg
 
I mounted mine on the machine. It's in a plastic electrical box with vent holes in the bottom and top. Its been there a year now without any problems.


be

DSCN0036a.jpg
 
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