Planer thicknesser electrical problem

[Chris_belgium]

Finally found some time to try and install my planer thicknesser. I've been having some problems wiring it up.

Planer thicknesser in question is an old Danckaert one:

The machine is equiped with two motors, one small motor that drives the thicknessing rollers and one big motor that drives the knifeblock. Small motor is running ok, but the big motor isn't.

The machine is equiped with a 'star-triangle' switch (litterally translated from dutch, this is what I mean http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-Δ_transform).

I'm suspecting the switch doesn't work properly, is there some way to directly wire the motor without the switch or is this impossible with this kind of motor?

Some pictures:

Big motor id plate

Connections on the big motor

Star/triangle switch

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Argus]

.

The term in English technical parlance is 'Star - Delta'

It is a form of exploiting a change in 3 -phase winding configuration to exploit a high-torque start.
It's only a 3 kW motor that you have so it should start direct on line in an unloaded condition.
For this you need to configure it as a 'star' connection.

First identify and record all the wires and their locations so that you can restore it at a later stage if you have to.

I'm assuming that you are able to carry out electrical fault finding safely, if not, get an expert.

• You need an ohm meter.
  From the motor you will have 3 pairs of wires.
  Find and record the resistance of each pair - they should be exactly the same.
  Locate three of the wires that do not connect with each other - connect them together and insulate.
  Now, between any two wires that remain, you should meter twice the resistance you had for any one winding previously because you now should have two windings in series.
  Ensure that you have a three phase supply and the motor is correctly earthed.
  Connect each of these to one phase through a suitable contactor or starter. If the supply is good and the motor is OK it should start.
  Remove the belt, and apply power briefly on then off, observing the direction of rotation. If the motor goes the wrong way, interchange any two wires to the motor.

You may find that the motor does not give a clean start connected DOL, which will explain the Star-Delta arrangement.
Fault-finding this set up is a bit more difficult as the two sets of starters should be both electrically and mechanically interlocked to prevent energising both sets simultaneously.


Hope his helps.


.

 

[dickm]

Grandmothers and eggs etc., but you're not trying to run the big motor on single phase, are you?

 

[Digit]

Good question Dick, but it would be an odd machine that used two motors of different configurations. The starter is definitely a Star/Delta unit made up/supplied by a well known manufacturer.
Odd!

Roy.

 

[Chris_belgium]

Hello,

thanks for the advice. I have connected the motor in the delta arrangement and then it sometimes worked and sometimes not, wich lead me to believe that there was a bad wire somewhere, I then inspected all the wires and indeed found one wire that was bad, replaced them all and now the machine works great!!!

I've been avoiding this job for months now as I hate electrical work, but it's weird how a little hand planing job like this one, motivates one to get his planer/thicknesser working!! (note the not connected planer/thicknesser being used as a handy storage space to the side )

Thanks a lot for the advice.