What Are the Voltage Tolerances?

[Little Bill]

I know without seeing a piece of equipment no one can give a clear answer, but I've seen posted on here before how much tolerance or difference in voltage a machine (motor,heater, control etc.) can take. This question comes about due to a machine we bought came with different specs/requirements than what we were told. This is a roller press made in Italy. It is used for a "Sublimation" process. An image is made on a huge ink jet printer. The paper image is than placed onto fabric and ran through the roller press. It has a drum roller that is heated and transfers the inked paper image onto the fabric. It continues through the press by a conveyor belt. That is a brief synopsis of the machine. What my question concerns is the voltage of the new machine. We have a smaller machine already that was made by the same company. It came with a 230V P to 400V S transformer, the machine requires 400V. When the new machine arrived there was no transformer with it. We were told that it would come with it. While the head of the department was trying to contact the company to see why there was no transformer, I looked at the nameplate on the machine and it said 220V or 380V. I said that is why no 400V transformer because it wasn't needed. My concern is we only have 208V in the plant. I was wondering if there is enough tolerance in the 220V that the 208V would be enough? I know we can get a boost transformer to boost the 208V to 220V, just wanted some thoughts on this.
Thanks!

 

[Electric-Light]

This is a roller press made in Italy. It is used for a "Sublimation" process. An image is made on a huge ink jet printer. The paper image is than placed onto fabric and ran through the roller press. It has a drum roller that is heated and transfers the inked paper image onto the fabric.

If it contains any induction motor, they will spin 20% faster on 60Hz than the machine was designed for at 50Hz. .

It continues through the press by a conveyor belt. That is a brief synopsis of the machine.

If the conveyor is driven by an induction motor and its moving at 120% the design speed, the process might be adversely effected.

My concern is we only have 208V in the plant. I was wondering if there is enough tolerance in the 220V that the 208V would be enough? I know we can get a boost transformer to boost the 208V to 220V, just wanted some thoughts on this.
Thanks!

It's a European equipment, so its probably designed for 220-240v and 220 is already on the low-end. If your service voltage is on the low end of 208v(-5%), you might end up with around 187v at machine under load. That could be pushing it, especially with motor @ 60Hz. You'd want to keep VHz ratio, so a 220v/50Hz motor is best operated around 264v/60Hz. Under-driven heater and over-speeding conveyor belt can be a cause for defective end product.

Transformer thing isn't hard to address. Frequency issue is though

 

[Little Bill]

If it contains any induction motor, they will spin 20% faster on 60Hz than the machine was designed for at 50Hz. .


If the conveyor is driven by an induction motor and its moving at 120% the design speed, the process might be adversely effected.


It's a European equipment, so its probably designed for 220-240v and 220 is already on the low-end. If your service voltage is on the low end of 208v(-5%), you might end up with around 187v at machine under load. That could be pushing it, especially with motor @ 60Hz. You'd want to keep VHz ratio, so a 220v/50Hz motor is best operated around 264v/60Hz. Under-driven heater and over-speeding conveyor belt can be a cause for defective end product.

Transformer thing isn't hard to address. Frequency issue is though

Thanks Electric-Light,
The machine is designed for 60HZ, so we're good there. I don't think we are too low on the 208V, I think we are right at or a little above 208V. But as you said, that still might be too low for the machine. Getting info out of the Mfgr. is like "pulling hen's teeth."