# PM935 Hitachi WJ200 setup



## kb58 (Feb 18, 2019)

Having finally gotten everything up and running, I thought that I'd give back to the group. The following is how to configure the Hitachi WJ200 VFD to control a PM935 mill with its 3-phase motor. The following assumes that a remote speed pot, forward switch to terminal 1, reverse switch to terminal 2, and Jog to Terminal 3:

Disclaimer: These settings worked for me, but these are not all the settings in the VFD, so it doesn't get around having to learn the unit.

Configure start/stop switch inputs, pg 4-16
A002 = 01
Set Fwd to terminal “1”, C001 = 00
Set Rev to terminal “2”, C002 = 01

Configure remote speed pot, pg 4-28
Pot on terminals “H”, “O”, and “L”
A001 = 01
A005 = 02 (confirm) (“AT” defaults to off, so selects pot by default)

DC braking, pg 3-26
A051 – 01 (enable during Stop)
A052 – brake applied below this frequency
A053 – Wait time before braking
A054 – Braking power, 0-100%
A055 – Braking duration, shorten this some?
A059 – Carrier frequency during  braking

AC Braking, pg 3-71
Connect resistor to terminals “+” and “RB”
B095 Dynamic braking control, 01 = enable during Run
B096 Activation level, 360
B090 Dynamic braking usage, % per 100-seconds, 0.0-100.0%
B130 Overvoltage Suppression = 1 (enabled)

Jogging, pg 3-21, 4-19
Set terminal input, C003 = 06
Frequency, A038, try 4.0 Hz
Jog deceleration, a039 = 2 (DC braking and stop)

Notes:
·        A038 must be > B082, or the value is zero
·        Press Jog, then Fwd or Rev

Carrier frequency, B083, pg 3-69
B083, increase to decrease whine. 5 – 12KHz (motor runs warmer), set to 10
B089, automatic carrier freq reduction (to a minimum of B083), set to 01

Unattended Start, pg 4-25
Set terminal input, C004 = 13. Wire input “4” permanently high

Stop/Restart Mode, pg 3-72
B091, 00 = controlled deceleration
B088, 02 = resume motor drive at current spin-down speed (active frequency matching)

If you decide to try the "auto tune" feature:

Auto tune, pg 3-104, 3-108.
Auto tune selection, H001 = 02 (enabled with motor rotation)
Motor constant selection, H002 = 02 (use auto tuned data)
Motor capacity, H003 =2.2
Poles, H004 = 4

Notes:
·        DC braking must be disabled (A051 = 0)
·        Simple positioning P012 = 0


----------



## mksj (Feb 19, 2019)

Nicely done. I have done a few VFD system builds for the 935/949 mills using the Hitachi WJ200. I use it with a latching relay system with momentary buttons, but one could also use 3 wire control which works well. I like to mount the run controls in a pod on the knee as opposed to overhead.  I have not found the need to use DC injection, but as you have done an external braking resistor is required.

One thing to note is that the 935/949 use the same 2 speed constant Hp motor, which runs at either 4 pole or 2 pole. I wire the motors up on their 4 pole setting (1720 RPM) and run the VFD maximum frequency to 120 Hz which will give you the same RPM as 2 pole. You can also wire up a back gear sensor switch so that the mill rotation is always the same.


----------



## kb58 (Feb 23, 2019)

Looks like we have different motors. My PM935 has a 4-pole only motor.


----------



## rogerl (Feb 25, 2019)

KB58:
Do you have any photos of the installation of the drive on the machine? I am curious on how and where you mounted it to the machine.

Thanks
Roger L


----------



## kb58 (Feb 25, 2019)

Yeah, I have pictures scattered all over this site,
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/attachments/img_20190202_192752-jpg.286929/

Which is from this thread: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/another-pm935-base.76545/


----------



## Karl_T (Feb 25, 2019)

mksj said:


> .... You can also wire up a back gear sensor switch so that the mill rotation is always the same.



Tell me more. Which sensor and how did you mount it?


----------



## rogerl (Feb 26, 2019)

What speed pot did you use and where did you mount it? I am assuming that you are using the existing on / off switch for forward and reverse.

Thanks
Roger L


----------



## kb58 (Feb 26, 2019)

All the electrical parts came from www.digikey.com. The pot, bottom-left, is 2K ohm (per the Hitachi manual) and just because I could, it's 5-turn. The Rev/Off/Fwd switch is wired into inputs 1 and 2. It would have been cheaper to use the existing factory Rev/Off/Fwd switch, but that's yet another control on the opposite side of the mill. Also, I've read that some high power switches (ironically) have trouble switching small "delicate" signals, like the logic level signals used to tell the VFD what to do. The "E-stop" button is simply in series with the Rev/Off/Fwd switch, which opens the circuit when pushed. Everything is in an aluminum case, mounting below the DRO. The red and green buttons were installed before realizing that one rotary switch for Rev/Off/Fwd could be used instead of separate Start, Stop, and Reverse buttons.

The very cool spindle light/tach sensor was not my idea; user "mksj" here came up with the design and I just copied it. Both the spindle light and the tachulator (also in the aluminum box) are powered by a cheap 12VDC, 2A wall adaptor.

An amusing aside is that when manually cutting out the rectangular hole for the LED display, I thought, "it would sure be nice to have a mill do this, but I can't until this is wired up."


----------



## Stonebriar (Feb 26, 2019)

A very nice looking control box.


----------



## rogerl (Mar 13, 2019)

I am setting up a WJ200 VFD on my PM-935 mill and I can not get to some of the parameters to set them. I can not see any of the H, P, or U function groups. I tried to do the initial setups in section 2 and I could not see parameter A082 . My display jumps from A045 to A085. I tried to set B012 and my display jumps from B011 to B037. Like I said above I can not see the H group to set H004. What am I doing wrong?
I was able to get the motor to run at 60 HZ forward and reverse from the selector switch. The motor had a rather loud whine when B083 was set to 2. I changed B083 to 10 and it is much quieter. If I call tech support at Precision Mathews will they be able to help with the drive questions I have?
Any information will be great.


----------



## kb58 (Mar 14, 2019)

Search the manual PDF for something like "show all parameters". I'm not at home and don't remember the parameter to change.


----------



## rogerl (Mar 14, 2019)

I found today the it it parameter B037. You need to change it to 0 and all the parameters will show. I would think that the manual being so in depth would state that as the first thing to change when you do the power up. I found this out today by doing an internet search for Wj200 drive does not show all parameters.
The mill is up and running making chips. I just need to get the pot so that I can change the drive hertz on the fly.

Roger L


----------



## TakeDeadAim (Mar 20, 2019)

kb58 said:


> Looks like we have different motors. My PM935 has a 4-pole only motor.



I have the same model motor on mine as you do.  Its older (2015) and has fractionally different amp rating but a 4 pole 1720 RPM motor.   Are you able to run more than 60Hz?  If so what did you change to make that possible.  I'd like a bit more range and RPM if I could get it.


----------



## kb58 (Mar 23, 2019)

TakeDeadAim said:


> I have the same model motor on mine as you do.  Its older (2015) and has fractionally different amp rating but a 4 pole 1720 RPM motor.   Are you able to run more than 60Hz?  If so what did you change to make that possible.  I'd like a bit more range and RPM if I could get it.


Not as of yet (full time job and all) but nothing's stopping me. There's a parameter for setting max Hz, which I've left along for now. In another thread I brought this up, how the motor itself is rated at 1720 RPM, yet PM states that with a VFD, this mill can go to 5000 rpm. Thing is, I remember PM telling me that since the motor is rated for 60 Hz, going any higher is on us. I agree with this, yet because they say that, I feel that it's a little misleading to state as fact in the specs that it can be run to nearly 120 Hz - or whatever (5000 / 1720) * 60 is.


----------



## mksj (Mar 24, 2019)

According to their site information the rating is for the spindle speed not the motor speed. Based on the TS speed range this equates to a motor speed of around 110 Hz to achieve a 5000 RPM spindle speed. Typically you see 4200-4500 RPM as the top end spindle speed for these type of mills which would work out to ~90-100 Hz range.  I do not speak for QMT, but from what I have been informed by others and also the motor manufacturer specs is that 80-90 Hz is quite a conservative upper operating point for a newer 4P motor. It is what I specify for almost all my lathe and mill VFD builds with 2-3Hp 4P 3 phase motors. Beyond 90 Hz, I typically do not recommend it, and I often suggest that with belt drives that people change the belt drive ratio so the maximum spindle speed is not exceeded.The PM-935 TV version has a maximum spindle speed of 4200 RPM.  My knee mill it is 4500 RPM.

Although 4P motors can often go to 2 X their base speed, their performance tends to drop off above 90-100 Hz vs. inverter/vector motors which can maintain full Hp up to their max speed (2-3X their base speed).  The two speed constant Hp which comes on some PM mills is rated at 1720/3340 RPM so there is no issue with using the 4P winding and using a maximum speed of 3340 at 120Hz when using a VFD.







Nice install job on your 935.


----------



## Kiwi Canuck (Mar 24, 2019)

I have the stock motor and I've set mine to run from 30 to 90 hertz, nothing gets too hot at those settings and I've been running my mill for hours at a time.
I think that's what Mark Jacobs suggested when using the stock motor.

David.


----------



## Karl_T (Mar 24, 2019)

I have 4 pole spindle motors with VFD on three mills and two lathes...

I set them all to 4500 RPM max. and have not had trouble with years of operation.

My thinking was simple. 2 pole (3600) and four pole (1800) are made exactly the same inside. Then there surely is a large safety margin for centrifugal forces ripping the motor apart. Also 4500 on a decent bearing is no big deal.


----------



## TakeDeadAim (Mar 24, 2019)

kb58 said:


> Not as of yet (full time job and all) but nothing's stopping me. There's a parameter for setting max Hz, which I've left along for now. In another thread I brought this up, how the motor itself is rated at 1720 RPM, yet PM states that with a VFD, this mill can go to 5000 rpm. Thing is, I remember PM telling me that since the motor is rated for 60 Hz, going any higher is on us. I agree with this, yet because they say that, I feel that it's a little misleading to state as fact in the specs that it can be run to nearly 120 Hz - or whatever (5000 / 1720) * 60 is.


I found the command, A004 is the setting for max Hz.  I see the 935TV model runs to 4200 RPM.   It looks like they use the same head and spindle assembly on the 935, 949 and 1054 models and the parts list supports this.  All of those machines have max RPM of 4200 in the variable speed model.  Based on that I think its safe to increase the max Hz by 15% to 20% and see how the spindle bearing temp responds.  From what I have read a 4 pole motor would not exceed its balance rating until 135 Hz.  I would not come anywhere near that number to get where I would like the speed to be.  Loss of torque is the trade off but since higher RPM would be used with small cutters the torque needs would be reduced.


----------



## haakonpe (Apr 29, 2019)

My PM-935TS just arrived a few days ago!

They didn't have a single phase 220 in stock so I got the 3 phase and the same Hitachi controller.

So far so good. Will earmark this thread for info on the remote control stuff. 

Thank you so much for sharing. This is a huge help.


----------



## davidpbest (Apr 29, 2019)

And yet another approach - the control system is by Mark Jacobs.























And then there's this:


----------



## TakeDeadAim (Apr 29, 2019)

The Hitachi manual is not for the faint of heart but let us know if you need help with getting your mill running.


----------



## Karl_T (Apr 29, 2019)

Say, bit off this topic, but I need to make up a label like your second pic for my CNC control panel. Do you know how or where to get that?

be glad to help with hitachi programming. got two machines with this VFD.


----------



## haakonpe (May 2, 2019)

haakonpe said:


> My PM-935TS just arrived a few days ago!
> 
> They didn't have a single phase 220 in stock so I got the 3 phase and the same Hitachi controller.
> 
> ...



What threw me for a loop was that the 220 to the VFD needed to be connected to the leftmost and rightmost terminals as the manual pointed out.  I'm so used to wiring up 120 where you need a reference neutral I got a bit befuddled.  

The system will now power up, and it runs like a dream    There are so many features on the VFD, it's crazy!  

One issue that I had that I worked out with PM is that the spindle bearing sleeve was not moving.  I thought that I may have not seen a locking screw of some sort.  It turns out that the fit with lube etc. is just that tight.  What I wound up doing, was to use a dead blow hammer, in conjunction with a piece of brass stock, and literally forcing it down.  After quite a few cycles, it loosened up to the point where I can now just push it down by hand if it doesn't just drop.  All in all, I guess I'd rather have it this way than to have it too loose.  PM was very good about working with me to validate and remediate.  

Next step is to get the DRO installed.


----------

