Why Does My Sonobond Ultrasonic Welder Display an ERROR FREQUENCY?

[calpark]

Hi everyone, I recently purchased a Sonobond Ultrasonic Welder for Plastics (MP3512 w/ Generator SL35-900).

After setting it up with the compressed air system and a voltage converter (I'm in the US), I turned the generator on. On the display, I got an "ERROR FREQUENCY."

I thought it was because I hadn't connected the horn yet, but even with the horn on, I still got the error. (I was told that I was using the correct horn, too). I made sure the RF cable was plugged in and that there were no visible cracks on the horn, booster, and transducer/converter.

After I got "error frequency," I pressed CLR and proceeded to press the dual safety switch. The actuator came down like it was supposed to and I heard a sound, but the machine still said error frequency and my two plastic pieces were nowhere near welded.

Can anyone tell me why I'm getting error frequency and how I should fix it? I'm debating if I should replace my horn, booster, or converter since there might be defects that I can't see.

Thank you! Any help is appreciated!

 

[mfb]

In addition to the different voltage, the US also uses a different frequency (60 Hz instead of 50 Hz). Could that be an issue?

 

[calpark]

The manual said "Connected loads: 230 V 50-60 Hz" I wasn't sure if that meant that it could run on both frequencies..

 

[TechFan]

I suspect the line freq. (50Hz-60Hz) should not be an issue and the "freq. error" should refer in some way to the Ultrasonic freq. somehow. I'd try to contact the manufacturer tech support to solve the problem or look in the manual for the meaning of that error.

 

[256bits]

The error messages in the manual, Section 11.3, states the following:
http://www.rincoultrasonics.com/global/upload/documents/doc/39_main.pdf

state «FREQUENCY»
Vibration system out of frequency range of generator
– faulty horn or horn incorrectly tuned
– faulty booster
– faulty converter
– faulty RF cable or RF cable not connected
– faulty generator
– frequency change due to coupling with the fixture

 

[litup]

You need to use a frequency counter and measure the frequency of the generator and make sure it is what it says in the manual for frequency, the ones we used were in the 40 kilohertz area, high audio frequency basically. The generator uses tuned frequency parts that need to be running in the design band and if not the efficiency of the generator will go way down and what you get at the head will not be enough power to do the job. You can use an oscilloscope if you don't have a frequency counter, just tag on a power transistor, the power would be several hundred watts so just getting the scope probe near it probably will be enough to just make a quick frequency measurement. Just put up some sweep time, for instance, if the frequency is supposed to be 50 kilohertz then the time for one cycle would by 20 microseconds so you would use a sweep time of 10 or so microseconds. If it was 50 kilohertz, then 20 microseconds would go across 2 vertical divisions. So you can do a down and dirty frequency measurement that way, it should tell you if the frequency is way out of whack.

The next job would be to find a way to adjust the frequency and that would have to come from the manual or talking to a tech support team at the company that makes the device.

Good luck!

Looking at their website, it looks like your unit is 35 kilohertz and 900 watts. That is a time period of 28.57 microseconds so if you used an oscilloscope at a ten microsecond setting a full wave would go almost across 3 vertical lines, a bit less.

The only thing I don't know, which should be in the manual, is the window of the frequency limit it takes to trigger a frequency error.

My guess is it should be within 10 percent but that is just a guess.

If you can see it is fairly close using a scope, you would then have to get a more accurate reading from a frequency counter to find out the exact frequency and see exactly how far away from 35 khz it actually is.