Help with 3 Phase Converter

[jim609]

I hooked up a lathe to a digital 3 phase converter. I used a cheaper converter so maybe that is the problem but I am getting nothing with the lathe. The contactor does not even seem to kick in. Any ideas? I connected the converted to the main power not directly to the motor and the lathe is in a bad place to try and open the area that houses the contactor but I do not hear it click when I press the start button. Any ideas?

 

[MTW]

is it a Vevor Converter? Symptoms sound like it. They only work when wired directly to the motor.
They are not a digital phase converter, it's a capacitor control to start and run a 3Φ motor on 1Φ.
You can read more HERE

 

[zbang]

In general, many electronic boxes, whether variable freq. drives (VFD) or solid-state phase converters, don't want anything but wire between them and the motor. (If in doubt, check the mfg's instructions.) If you want the lathe to behave as if it has a real three-phase feed, you'll have to give it one.

 

[hokadof188]

What is the model? Or can you get a photo of it for us? I used to use a lot of these VFD type devices for exactly what you are doing!

 

[jim609]

Thanks everyone, i threw it away and am going with a rotary converter. It was a capacitor electronic converter, garbage or wrong application on my part. (Trying to be cheap).

 

[kwired]

Thanks everyone, i threw it away and am going with a rotary converter. It was a capacitor electronic converter, garbage or wrong application on my part. (Trying to be cheap).

Even with rotary phase converter you want to make sure any controls/control transformers are not connected to the generated third phase.