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Thread: What approach to generate 3 phase power for a Minimax Unilev edge sander

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    What approach to generate 3 phase power for a Minimax Unilev edge sander

    Hi, I'm still in my quest to acquire an edge sander and have come across a used Minimax Unilev edge sander in good condition at an attractive price. The issue is that the machine is a 3 phase machine and I have a hobby single phase shop. So, with this machine, would I be best off with a static converter, a VFD, or a rotary phase converter? I don't have an immediate intention of purchasing additional three phase equipment...

    Mike

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    If just one motor a VFD is an easy route. Static is last choice. RPC is good if you will buy more machines but a vfd is what i'd go with first. Not much cost so not much risk. Dave

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    If you have 240 volt single phase, and the motor is 3 HP or less, a VFD would probably be the best way to go.

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    The sander has a two speed motor And controls for the pneumatic belt oscillator and tracking. Does that pose a problem for a vfd?

    A video of the sander. https://youtu.be/gfb2-XJYO8Y
    Last edited by Mike King; 10-06-2018 at 3:11 PM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike King View Post
    The sander has a two speed motor And controls for the pneumatic belt oscillator and tracking. Does that pose a problem for a vfd?

    A video of the sander. https://youtu.be/gfb2-XJYO8Y
    After watching the video, I'd say probably not. An RPC might be more appropriate. It looks like there are electrical controls/interlocks that come off the mains, possibly a step down transformer, and no telling what else. The dual speed wiring would also have to be accommodated or worked around. It would be hard to say how all the auxiliary stuff would play with a VFD. Looks like a fairly complicated machine for a simple job.

    I'm running about six or so machines on VFDs in my shop, but they all just go on and off, with the exception of a drill press which I use with a pot (built into the VFD) for speed control.

    Oh, and you're going to need a source of clean, dry air, too....

  6. #6
    You can start out really simple with a RPC - an extra 3 phase motor the same size as your sander's and some means of getting it spinning. This can be done with capacitors or a small single phase motor.

    i had a machinist friend who ran his whole shop from an idler that he spun up with his foot in the morning.

  7. #7
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    The old time Carnys would wrap a rope around an extra pulley and start there 3 phase rides that way

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    I use an RPC for my own shop and I have a VFD at my dad's shop on one machine (Bridgeport). I prefer the RPC, you can run multiple machines on it and you don't need to change anything about the machine itself to run it.

    The VFD is nice, you can dial in the hertz which is handy for certain applications but you need one per machine so eventually if you buy multiple machines the cost of a VFD for each one is no longer beneficial to you.

    Modern RPC's are pretty quiet, in fact when a machine is running I can't hear the RPC.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

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