Would an inverter welder be a suitable power supply for high amp stepper motors

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the suitability of using an inverter welder as a power supply for high amp stepper motors, particularly in the context of building a CNC mill. Participants explore the compatibility of inverter output with brushless motors and the specific power requirements for such applications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their setup involving a high amp brushless motor and questions whether a 220 volt inverter stepping down to 56 volt DC would be suitable for powering brushless motors.
  • Another participant seeks clarification on the specifications of the motor, particularly regarding the voltage and the use of an inverter.
  • A participant points out the challenges of using a welder for this purpose, suggesting that a dedicated DC motor controller would be more appropriate for managing the power requirements of the motor.
  • Further discussion highlights the need for a power supply that mimics the characteristics of a DC battery, indicating that the inverter welder may not meet these needs.
  • Concerns are raised about the cost and complexity of achieving the necessary power levels, questioning the initial choice of using a welder as a power source.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of using an inverter welder for powering stepper motors, with some advocating for dedicated motor controllers instead. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to meet the power requirements.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the need for specific characteristics in the power supply, such as those found in DC batteries, and highlight the potential issues with using a welder for this application. There is no consensus on the best solution or approach.

toojaded
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Good day people. I am new here and discovered the forum while trying to answer this question. I have a large variety of brushless and stepper motors collected all for the purpose of putting together my CNC mill. The router will be 80 amp 5500KV Kevlar bandaged brushless motor capable of 100,000 rpm. My problem is I am running out of money and still need substantial power requirements. My first max nc mill I doubled the volts and tripled the resistors to make it do a lot more work faster. All to my electrical engineers surprise. But I digress. The issue I raise here is would 220 volt inverter stepping down to 56 volt DC be suitable current for Brushless motors. There is a controller that converts the current to three phase for the motor. Any advise would be much appreciated
 
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Ar you saying the motor was bandaged with 5500KV Kevlar material- or did you mistype the actual motor's voltage?

I am at a loss for what you are using an inverter at 220 if you need 56 VDC - can you post a schematic and perhaps more details about the motor?
 
Thanx for reply. After re-reading I have mis worded. The steppers are not Kevlar bandaged but will handle 56 volts DC. the router motor is Kevlar bandaged so the winding's don't separate at 100,000 rpm. I do not have a schematic. I am interested in the principal type of current delivered from an inverter welder being compatible with brushless motors.Cheers
 
OK - so 56 V and 80A - ~ 5KW Motor - at 100K RPM --- this is not a trivial case. A welder wants to weld - if you want to use the welder controls to regulate what is going on - I smell smoke.
There are DC motor controllers that I would look to first - look for a DC Motor controller development board - they make good platforms for one offs - somthing like THIS

It is not quite to the power level of your motor -
 
I looked at the link. They are brushless controller boards. Similar in purpose to chopper drives plus cnc software. I still need power supply that has similar characteristics to DC battery. Cheers
 
In general the DC bus power supply for this is not too big of a problem or difficult, however for the full power 5KW it can add up to a few $ - which then has me asking why were you wanting to use a welder to start with?

Oh - just found this - worth a read... http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/devicedoc/41233a.pdf
 
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