Brazilian bought machine

[James Purslow]

Hi,

I am buying a machine for my business from Brazil. They have replaced the 60Hz motor with a 50Hz but are worried about our 240v system. The machine will run at 220v but they think - see following: as you said, we saw that in the UK with 240 VAC voltage range of +10% -6% and frequency of 50 Hz. We have a motor in stock, 220 VAC / 50 Hz, equipment for use in Portugal and other Latin American countries and we will replace it with this. The problem now really is the voltage, the difference of 20 VAC can generate overheating in motor and, in future, burn the central's components. The solution is, maybe simple tor find in UK, use an transformer 240 VAC input for 220 VAC output of

1.2 KVA or more. Unfortunately, we don't find this transformer in Brazil,

From further investigation I have realised that we now run on a 230v

-6% +10% system in this country. Would I still need to worry about transforming down to the exact 220v or do you think that this is more of a 'caveat' from the company in case of future issues with the motor?

Cheers for any help you can offer

James

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The UK mains 'spec' was changed to fall in line with Europe, but didn't actually change.

If a motor is made for use in Europe , it should be ok.

[dom]

Depending on what type of machine it is, there may be British or EU type approval or health and safety compliance issues - particularly if you're talking about woodworking machinery or the like.

[Andy Dingley]

Easiest thing is to ship it sans motor, and fit an appropriate one here. You get a local motor that works and has some service backup, and you also save some shipping weight.

Mate of mine recently bought a US-made milling machine that arrived with a conversion transformer, although it was so poorly made it had no earth continuity (let alone paperwork claiming it ought to). Both transformer and motor had the build quality of late '70s British Leyland and have since gone skipwards.

If you're UK and commercial, you also need to read the PUWER 98 regs. HSE website has some prtety readable guides, at least for woodworking machines. Your main problem is the requirement for a rapid spin-down time after power-off. This can need electric braking adding.

[Dave Starling]

I have a belt sander(porter cable 362) circa 2002 that was bought in America. I have used it on a couple of jobs with a step down 110v 5kva site transformer. With a plugin energy monitor it claims to be around

1300w when running loaded.

Would running at 50hz, rather than 60hz damage the transformer. A

1.5kva transformer eventually overheats and trips the thermal fuse. Id really like to get it converted to 240v as a 5kva transformer is a beast to haul around. Does anyone know if its possible and the likely cost? Found a schematic on the web that shows a 220v armature. Similar 4inch sanders seem around =A3150-=A3200 but this one is very well balanced and weighty so I don't really want to buy a new one.

Dave.

[Andy Dingley]

Not a UK site transformer - that's already designed for 50Hz.

The motor may get unhappy about extra heat from the increased magnetic losses at 50Hz, as it's otherwise trying to draw the same current. The

110V mill motor I mentioned above was happier run from a variac at about 90V than it was at 110V.

[Tabby]

Britain is not 230v, its 240v. This is a very common mistake to make, as our 240v with asymmetric tolerances is officially called 230v, and people tend to assume it therefore actually is 230v Its a bit complex, but in short you can expect 240 at the socket.

If the machine is 220v 50Hz, your need to lose that extra 20v. an 18v transformer's the easiest safest option. You dont want a 220v transformer - another common misunderstanding. If its 1.2 kVA at 220v the transformer would need to be 1200/220=3D 5.5A or 5.5x18=3D 99VA so a

100VA tranformer would do it.

Some of the figures and concepts in here may seem strange, I've not explained it all by any means, but its all explained I hope tolerably well in

?title=3DElectricity_BasicsPS the situation with 220v in brazil is not the same as with france.

NT

[cpvh]

Going by the subject,line I assumed it was some sort of heavy duty epilator :=))