External speed controller for VFD?

[duffy99]

Hi I fried my Allen Bradley Powerflex 4 and bought a Leeson SM2 Speedmaster VFD due to it being half the price of a new Powerflex or equivalent and got a deal by buying a motor and VFD from the source together. The problem is that although it has a million features the face is a digital display and for speed control
( htz)all it has is up / down arrows. It has a terminal to add external keypads and PID's and a potentiometer? Is that what I need is a pot? If so are there inexpensive ones . I've searched around this site and google but haven't found just a pot that I can add. I want the VFD totally enclosed so there is no chance of frying it again but would really like a dial control to be mounted externally . Thanks in advance.

 

[12345678910]

How did you smoke the first one?


Did you find the manual for the new VFD online?
What's it say?

Why wouldn't you figure that out before you bought it?

If you cant find the Pot specs in there, try Leeson Customer - tech service.


"are there there inexpensive potentiometers"?
What do you call inexpensive & what prices have you found so far?
Leeson may sell one for $60, but you can get them for $10 ish

 

[duffy99]

How did you smoke the first one?


Did you find the manual for the new VFD online?
What's it say?

Why wouldn't you figure that out before you bought it?

If you cant find the Pot specs in there, try Leeson Customer - tech service.


"are there there inexpensive potentiometers"?
What do you call inexpensive & what prices have you found so far?
Leeson may sell one for $60, but you can get them for $10 ish

I smoked the first one by my own stupidity , I had it uncovered as I was doing some wiring and decided to take a break . I turned on a little shop vac I use to blow dust off myself and inadvertently blew a pile of metal shavings into the VFD. Yes I contacted Leeson I bought the motor and VFD directly from them, at the time , that day it seemed like a good purchase as I was looking at $700 -$800 locally for a VFD and got a new 2 hp 3 phase motor and the VFD from Leeson for less than that . Somehow I overlooked the fact that it didn't have an external dial on the face. My mindset was that I wanted to get the grinder working again and missed that fact that it doesn't have it. As for inexpensive their keypad is around the same price I paid for the VFD and they said they didn't have just a pot, I don't know why they're that expensive but that is what I was quoted . $100 and under is inexpensive compared to what they're asking for . When I spoke to Lesson all they said is that they have an external keypad , comms networking devices but no simple pot or one that has / on/off/ fwd rev and a dial .

http://www.leeson.com/TechnicalInformation/pdf/SM2manual2_2010.pdf is the manual from that I gather where on the terminal to wire it but I don't know what device is suited for it . +10 VDC, max. 10 mA for internal power to Pot doesn't really mean much to me other than it supplies 10 volts of DC to the Pot. Sorry I'm ignorant to these things but I spoke to Leeson and they weren't very helpful at all. I had pretty much everything break around the same time on the used grinder I bought and at the time it seemed like a good way to get back up and running right away, I've pretty much rebuilt the whole thing now minus the frame . I just spoke to them again and was told they don't have one and the person who knows about it is in Toronto and to call him tomorrow.Is it simply a matter of finding a 10 volt Pot and wiring it in as per the manual ? I just don't understand like how it will all work when the manual talks about remote keypads / networking and other stuff which makes me think I need something more to have it control the speed to tell the computer that this dial is to do this or that . All I know that is in the future I'm going to slow down and research , do due diligence before purchasing things I don't understand and not go for the that day quick fix way since all this DIY and cheaping out is costing me much more then if I had just researched , read reviews and weighed pro's and con's before buying stuff. Since in the end I find I end up having to buy more to fix/replace things I shouldn't have bought in the first place.

At this point in my mind it would be easier to build a flux capacitor and drive 88 miles an hour and go back and purchase one better suited for the use .

 

[12345678910]

It may be a good package, you just don't know yet.
You're a pioneer, for what that's worth.

Look at all the stuff you are learning.
Now you know first hand NEMA 4 is worth having.


Technical service is much more useful than customer service.
Tech service KNOWs stuff, Customer service has a script and the website to refer to.


In the manual that you posted

Page 13
Installation
3.2.3


Terminals
2, 5, 6

I would install a potentiometer
Specs between 2 and 5 K Ohm
2,000 to 5,000 Ohms
Linear
Panel Mount
Single Turn


Should be $10 ish at a local electronics shop.

Like this one.- in Edmonton AB
http://www.mroelectronics.com/mro/product.php?id_product=5121


BUT
It's not my $ at risk, it's yours.
Take the vfd, manual - print page 13 at the minimum, and that pot specs
Go to a local motor shop and ask if that makes sense.

 

[duffy99]

Thanks for the advice , I know of a large Electronics store in the city that has knowledgeable staff I'll bring the manual with me and see what they have and advice on how to do this . I have the VFD wired and set to the motor plate specs it is also sealed up with a large cpu exhaust fan on top of the heat sink as overkill so as to minimize any chance of a repeat. It runs good for what its worth but it's a pain to adjust speeds.

It may be a good package, you just don't know yet.
You're a pioneer, for what that's worth.

Look at all the stuff you are learning.
Now you know first hand NEMA 4 is worth having.


Technical service is much more useful than customer service.
Tech service KNOWs stuff, Customer service has a script and the website to refer to.


In the manual that you posted

Page 13
Installation
3.2.3


Terminals
2, 5, 6

I would install a potentiometer
Specs between 2 and 5 K Ohm
2,000 to 5,000 Ohms
Linear
Panel Mount
Single Turn


Should be $10 ish at a local electronics shop.

Like this one.- in Edmonton AB
http://www.mroelectronics.com/mro/product.php?id_product=5121


BUT
It's not my $ at risk, it's yours.
Take the vfd, manual - print page 13 at the minimum, and that pot specs
Go to a local motor shop and ask if that makes sense.

 

[duffy99]

Got a Pot and Dial , small project box and wiring for $25 , hooked it up and changed the control device settings and just like that I have a nice big dial to adjust speed. Now for some reason the VFD doesn't want to give power to the 12v fan but I'll overcome that part easily.