Private workshop upgrades machine tools with REO

Mark Groves wanted to upgrade the machine tools in his small, privately-owned vintage car parts workshop located near Chichester in the South Downs. He had already purchased two machines from a local supplier and also wished to move towards Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) operations. However, there were issues with the power supply.

Firstly, there was no three-phase electric power supply to the building. Being located in a small village in the heart of the rural South Downs - a range of hills across the south-eastern coastal counties of England - meant that getting this installed would entail substantial overhead line work and significant costs. The workshop would instead have to rely on a normal, domestic single-phase supply.

“I’d been running equipment for years on a simple phase convertor,” explained Mark Groves. “But the tech guys at my local machine tools supplier were not happy with the raw output of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) converter. The solution was to fit a sinusoidal filter after the convertor and run the new equipment from that.  

“I found REO through an internet search. Their website included all the information I needed, including detailed downloadable datasheets, which helped identify the CNW933 as the correct model for my requirements.

“It was a very simple installation and the whole process was completed during a morning. The filter is of the bare frame type but was easily installed in a wall mounted transformer type steel enclosure. The tech team at REO gave assistance and recommendations for this type of enclosure installation and the requirements.”

The CNW933 sinusoidal (or sine wave) filter can eliminate the high frequency harmonics produced by PWM phase convertors. With a field frequency of 0-60Hz, the CNW933 generates sine wave currents to decrease electrical noise and heat losses, and allows the customer to run his new equipment exactly to the local machine tools supplier’s specifications.

“When Mark phoned our technical sales team, they were quickly able to confirm the best solution for his application requirements,” explained Steve Hughes, Managing Director of REO UK. “The CNW933 is a robust and reliable solution to overcome risks of damage to the motors and delicate control circuits of his new machines.

“At REO, we deal mainly with equipment manufacturers and electrical installers. On this occasion, it was a pleasure to deal directly with an end-use customer and receive positive feedback, plus a follow-up order.”

Groves has since also installed REO’s CNW103 low leakage ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) filter: “As my workshop essentially runs from a domestic supply, I was having issues with low trip Residual Current Devices (RCDs) tripping while running machines. The problem has gone away after I replaced the previously installed high leakage filters with the CNW103.”

He added: “REO’s technical team has been very helpful and knowledgeable throughout these projects. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them and their products.”