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Running a shopbot CNC off a portable generator
Hi
I have a shopbot all neatly set up in a container at my shop which I am demolishing due to earthquake damage – I am renting a temporary shop elsewhere while the demo and rebuild takes place, but there is no room for the shopbot.
I had the power disconnected, but there have been delays in the rebuild, and I have just had a valuable job come in which involves cnc routing.Here’s my question.
Is it possible to run the router and its computer off a portable generator?
I suspect there will be pulses or surges that will make the router malfunction.Simon.
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6 Replies
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we dont have shopbot’s in the uk but if it was my axyz, not a chance due to the amount of power it requires.
However, it could be possible if someone knows the guts of that machine.
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im not an expert, so check with an electrician on this idea. Hire a large towable generator that can supply 2 or 3 times the power needed so when the cnc starts up you don’t starve it for power and get an in-line surge protector, NOT one you but at the end of a power lead.
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Dave most of the power needs are for the vacuum hold-down, which has a huge three phase motor running a roots blower, but I can do the job without that by screwing /gluing the work to the table.
The spindle is no more hungry than an electric drill, and I use a variac for control of this, so there is no surge at start up. The electronics and steppers dont take much at all. I could run the whole thing off a single 10 amp plug.
I will look into surge protectors. -
Simon
ideally you want a Inverter Generator which supplies a cleaner power with no major spikes this should ideally be at least one & half times your power requirements of your entire kit that you need to run. Even though these generators offer a cleaner power still use a surge protector just it case. At a push you can use a standard gen if its is fitted with a AVR (auto voltage regulator) but this is only as good as the AVR fitted, which are built into the machine from new they are not add ons.http://www.seddondirect.co.uk/MultiGenerator
The site might help you out
Kev
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I have a Kippor generator which is specfically designed to be used with computers, it is rated at 2.5kw and is also a silent type which can be useful, bought a few years ago cost approx £300.00 , they have gone up in price, the fuel used is regular unleaded, which is easier to obtain than 2 stroke used by the cheaper generators. Generators with built in surge protection are easier to obtain now than they were a few years ago. Good luck
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Sorry for the late reply, but we’ve run the cnc router from a 3 phase gen-set for many months, till I eventually got a rotary phase converter.
The switchmode power supply in the PC will filter any spikes out.
I also ran a pc from an unregulated old generator with no issues, for 8 years.
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