460 motor on 230?

[W9RAN]

I bought the Mother of All Drill Presses at a surplus sale where I work. This beast has with multiple speeds, auto-feed, adjustable knee-type table, the works - must weigh 900 pounds!

Only problem is: the 1.5 hp spindle motor runs on 460 volts. I had in mind using a VFD that would take 230 VAC in and produce 460 three phase out, but I haven't found one yet that will do that. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The only other alternative I see is to replace the spindle motor. It's a Reuland similar to what I've seen on mills and other machines, anyone tried doing this?

I know there are VFDs that take 120 single phase in in and put out 230 three phase, so it should be possible to do the same with 230/460. (Hopefully!)

Thanks,
Bob

[J. R. Williams]

Check the motor junction box or name plate to determine if the motor is a dual voltage unit. Three wires only means a single voltage motor while 9 means a dual voltage motor.

JRW

[Forrest Addy]

If it's an Avy or some other drill head with a 4 speed motor and a couple of gears chance are the motor has about a million wires coming out of it and its single voltage. There's no way to mod that motor to dual volts or 230 without re-winding it. DON'T lose the wiring diagram.

Best bet is a step-up transformer. If you have only single phase you can arrange a dry distribution transformer to add 115 to each leg of the 230 auto transformer style. That way you only need a 2 KV transformer for a 5 HP motor. The add your phase converter or VFD.

[Dawai]

AND of course now that you needed it, I throwed three ten hp 460 volt inverters onto the junk mans truck, over the sideboards and smashing the Allenbradley plastic fronts all to hell. They were heavy.

Sorry. I tried to give them away for the longest. Most 460 inverters can be wired to charge the bus with two legs, ie: single phase. Make sure the controls transformer inside the inverter is on the two power legs, 99% of the time they are single phase xfrmer low voltage controls inside the inverter.

Now, I wish I had them huge arsed capacitors out of them inverters to build the edm I have started to accumulate parts for.