Anyone know about light industrial electric systems?

[abudabit]

I've got an industrial machine I'm making, and now I'm getting to a part that is going to be drawing some decent current. I have some questions....

1) Those 240 V outlets, what is their current rating?
2) Are those installed in most light industrial settings?
3) What are those called? I want to look up more info on them.
4) Standard 120 V, those are typically 20 amps, right?

I think I'm gonna need several kW of electric heating. Hopefully I won't burn my workshop down. :icon_eek:

[generoso]

Most industries usa 208v 3phase, But 240 is also a option as well as 480v,
Bascially any voltage can made buy getting a transformer.


If there are 3 phase outlets most times it will be either 20 or 30 amps. LOOK AT THE PLUG IT WILL TELL YOU....

120volt plugs are generally 15amps, even though you can put in 20 amp systems.
Most if not all industries have what is called a panel board. So if you need a bigger breaker to power you machine you just have to run the proper wiring. I have done and seen plugs as big as 300 amps.

[MrBogey]

http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/dept_id_963.htm

NEMA outlets.

[abudabit]

Thanks guys! Didn't realize there were so many systems. Basically I want to be able to use this in different warehouses, not just my workshop, so I want to use something common.

If 208/3 is most common I'll probably use that.

I couldn't imagine I'll need more than 30 amps, I guess most places would be wired for way more than that.

[THE FEZ MAN]

good luck with that, if i were you i would make sure to call ahead and or make a spot check before agreeing to do the work, nothing makes you look like more of an ass than showing up to do a job and looking dumbly at a plug..... ive been there, my tig welder is 230 volt and has what is now considered a "normal" plug for such situations. but i had to make an adapter to go to the other style (like the one for your dryer) just in case because on two different occasions ive been fucked and had to run around like a jack ass trying to get the right plug.

i guess the question is do you absolutely need 208? can you get away with 110? you mentioned heating elements, they draw a lot. so 110 is out of the question, but that is really your best bet , if can get away with it.

i also wouldn't count on them having 3phase either....

so whats ya building????? i must know, beings that im a tinkerererrr

[abudabit]

Low pressure (~100 psi) plastic injection molding system, operates a lot slower then normal high pressure ones. I have to use custom made heating elements to melt the plastic since I can't use high pressure to get the temperatures up.

It's kind of a ghetto machine right now, but this is just a 'rough draft' so to speak.


I'm gonna need to be able to get around 100 cu in of plastic to around 400 degrees (depending on the plastic). Instead of calculating what that's gonna take I'm just gonna use trial and error (it is a ghetto machine after all). :icon_redf

I've already made the plunger and the plate locking system (mostly).

[THE FEZ MAN]

oh so your going to be working at home? in that case dont bother with the 3phase unless its already run into your home. (which its most likely not) just stick with 220v single, on its own dedicated circuit, i remember you talking about this before. so i assume that you got your molds made?

[abudabit]

Well the project's changed quite a bit since then. When I was researching for that project, I found out there is a niche for these that is pretty much ignored. The advantage of a low pressure system like this is: much cheaper molds to make and easier molds to make, the machine can be tiny compared to the regular ones, much simpler to operate, etc. The disadvantages are much lower production speeds, can't fill in narrow crevices with these lower pressures, etc. But the niche is very small businesses that run in the 500-1000s of parts instead of the 10000+ parts range.

The machine's actually coming along nicely, although it's been slow developing it since I have no industrial or mechanical engineering experience. Been learning lots though.

Hopefully in less than a year's time I'll be making and selling these machines.

[THE FEZ MAN]

cool, its fun to make stuff, want to buy a carbon fiber tail section for a 1970 triumph Bonneville?


waka waka

[foyb]

The place I work extrudes sheet. All of our barrel heaters are 208/3 phase.

[weeniewawa]

cool, its fun to make stuff, want to buy a carbon fiber tail section for a 1970 triumph Bonneville?


waka waka

thats the problem with making a mold, hopefully you never need another for your own but it's tough finding someone else that needs one. all that time and work.

[THE FEZ MAN]

well that and it took me 5 of them to get one even half way decent.... 5 parts. not 5 molds, my original plan (and still is kind of the plan) is to sell them as a "kit" the way that i built the part makes it so that it can be adapted to almost any bike buy someone with even the slightest bit of talent. or to offer them in fiberglass instead of the carbon fiber glass is much easier to lay up, thats also the reason that i didn't bother making molds for the fenders, and the more i think about it i shouldn't have bothered making a mold for the tail section. i could have just "prototyped" it with out a mold and if all else fails i will sell the molds on e bay for 50ct

[weeniewawa]

Are people still building bikes as much as a few years ago? I don't have a tv so I am not sure all the bike building shows are still popular. Lots of shops and web sites

[THE FEZ MAN]

yes and no, the market seems to be flooded in my opinion with custom bike builders all making the same chopper junk

[Turfmower]

One of my customers had something to convert regular 220 to 3 phase. It looked like a big electric motor. 3 phase power was 500 feet from his shop and the power company what a fortune to run the lines.

[Hydrosludge]

Stick a fork in the socket then find the blown breaker.

[Hydrosludge]

If you are building the machine yourself, base it on 230 VAC. It is way more efficient than 115 VAC. The three phase boxes in the commercial locations can just use two legs for the 220. If your customer base increases enough and your understanding is better offer 3 phase latter.

If you are prototyping this machine at your house, around here the only cost effective upgrade to your service is to 400 AMP. (Really just two 200 amps service boxes)

I am really unsure about your question but here goes. Your range is normally 50- 60 amp but current codes require it to be hard wired. Most household 220 VAC outlets are 20 or 30 amp and they come in a bunch of different configurations for each. Most 20 amp 220 VAC outlets almost look like 110 outlets. 30 amp outlets usually have a round plug or a dryer plug.

[abudabit]

Aw man, there's so many choices!

230 over 208, then? Thanks. I guess since there are't any ICs in this thing, as long as it's single phase I can make it work for all of those.

Thanks for the great advice guys.

[grail]

Most of my extruders here use 230/3/60 with 60A, however a lot of the downstream equipment uses 20 or 30A. If and when you start to sell the machines make sure you spec to your customers what they will need. Did you find a mold material btw?