European machinery (230/400v 50hz) operating on US 208/480v 60hz distribution?

[HuskyFC450]

I have recently been assigned to a local manufacturing company that is purchasing European milling machines which are designed to operate at 230/400v 50hz. One of these machines control system is designed (and wired) for 230v (L1-N). The company has wired it up for 3-phase 208 and although the motor runs, the control system doesn't operate. I have tried to explain that with 208-N you will only have +/- 118vac available for the control circuitry, and that they would need to have 400v-N to have 230v for the machine to operate as designed. The voltage distribution system within this facility is a typical 3-phase 480 panel, or 3-phase 208. My question is this: How does operating these European machines at voltages/frequency different than design specs affect the performance of the machine (i.e. speed)? My goal is to motivate the customer to purchase a large 480d/230wye transformer, and have a dedicated 230v distribution panel installed for these Euro machines. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Tom

 

[ScottyUK]

Have a read through faq237-1224 from forum237 and then come back with any questions.

Don't worry about having posted your question in this forum, most of us read both.

 

[itsmoked]

Without looking closely at the machine it's hard to tell if this is a problem. The controls could be all 24Vdc and fed from an omnivorous switching power supply that would be quite happy with 118V or 90V or anything in between. The motors can have Variable Frequency Drives running them that can be set to live with the 208 also.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[racookpe1978]

I wonder if this local "machining company" would be content to buy several sets of very expensive European 12 mm, 24 mm. 36 mm, and 48 mm milling heads, then be willing to spend a few hours each day hand-filing the resulting holes so they end up with a 0.500 inch, 1.000 inch, 1.500 inch, and 2.000 inch holes on a "sort-of-flat" plate.

/sarcasm

Note: You are better posting this in the Electric Motors forum rather than here under Electric Power and Transmission, but don't change things now. Duplicate thread in Machining should be deleted.