Moving the control box & VFD...

[geneb]

I need to move my wall mounted control box & VFD to make room for some new conduit. Is there any practical reason why I shouldn't just mount both on a purpose-built roll around "kiosk" that would also act as the location for the computer?

tnx!

g.

[richards]

Gene,
I've been waiting for someone else to chime in first. My only concern would be the cables. By necessity, the cables going to the controller have to be fairly heavy gauge, meaning that each conductor will probably be made up of dozens of individual copper wires. Eventually, those individual copper wires will break from repeated bending, just like any other piece of metal. So, the risk to the cables would depend on how often you move things around and on the bend radius that stresses the individual wires when the cables are moved.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing, just so that I can more easily get to the controller box. I don't often have to open it, but sitting on the concrete floor and scrunching down isn't much fun.

[geneb]

Good points Mike. However, the cabling is constantly flexed by the motion of the gantry anyway, so I don't know how much of a factor that will be. I don't have my control box hard wired in - I'm using the full length of power cable(s) that were supplied and just put 3 and 4 lug plugs on them. This means that I've got a bit more range of motion than I would've had by cutting the cables hard hard-wiring them.

The computer will be on a roll-around anyway, so I'm just trying to make it a bit easier to accomplish.
By having the control box mounted to the same platform as the computer, I'll also be able to use a drastically shorter USB cable so that silly VB app doesn't blow its cookies on the floor every time a stray EM field happens by.


tnx!

g.

[myxpykalix]

Gene,
I have mine bolted to my table and my concern also was abuse to the wire leading from the box due to stepping on it, dragging material across it, ect so i found some thin cauge C channel that i put over top of the wire to act as a "tunnel" to keep it from getting damaged as I would think that even the dragging back and forth across a floor over time would also possibly damage the wire.
One thing I have done is I have my laptop and bits and tools on a neat rolling cart so that I can move the controls around the end of the bot because my arm just isn't long enough to press the keypad while trying to move the carriage to home the bit in some places. And when i want to work at the opposite end of the table I unplug the laptop and take it to the end.

[geneb]

I'm going for the same thing you're doing with regard to the tool carrier, etc. I think that if I use some of the spiral wrap I use for making wiring bundles, I should be ok on the "floor rubbing" part. My 'bot is mounted next to a wall so there's no traffic along the side that the wiring is on. Since the machine is only used for my various hobby interests, I don't think wire fatigue(sp!) is going to be an issue.

I think I'll go ahead and build it and then take pics of the resulting Medusa.

[jamesgilliam]

Gene, Instead of the spiral wrap I used 1" wire runs like they use in cars and trucks. Most auto parts places have it. My wires have been in it for six years, always getting stepped on, and have not failed me yet and no sign of ware on the run.

[gwilson]

I did the same as James, all of my wires are in automotive wire runs. I like it because instead of several wire running under my table I have it all in the run. I ran mine all the way from the control box and is part of my homemade cable carrier.

[geneb]

Are you gents referring to the black corrugated(sp) split loom material?

tnx!

g.

[gwilson]

I am

[jamesgilliam]

One and the same.

[geneb]

Ok, thanks. I'll see if my local auto parts store carries it.

g.