Brushless motor controller help

[Gareth Jones 11Participant @garethjones11]

Hi All,

I’m about to start fitting an 800w brushless motor and controller to my WM180.

The kit arrived with no instructions at all. I’ve asked the seller (on AliExpress) if they have any documentation but they haven’t replied.

Does anyone have instructions for setting up the controller? I think you can set all sorts of parameters for max/min speeds and acceleration ramps etc.

I suspect it’s very much like the kits sold for sewing machines and I know that plenty of people have fitted those to small lathes.

Any help would be great. Thanks in advance. Pic below.

Gareth

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Not unusual for Aliexpress to have no documentation, however from the pictures the motor and controller look very similar to the motors and controllers sold for industrial sewing machines but with speed potentiometer instead of a Hall sensor with operating lever.

Does your unit have DIP switches or are the parameters set using buttons in conjunction with the display?

I presume it is all pre-wired so only needs connecting to the mains but I would offer cautionary note.

I would be very surprised if this complies with current UK safety regulations so use it at your own risk.

Ian P

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I see it is also offered on Amazon U.K.

MichaelG.

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

Hmm…. looks rather different to the traditionally supplied sewing machine motor, more useful as you don’t have to bypass the hall effect springy foot thingy to set up the speed control.

Useful that is, if you can find the set up sheet! try this one below for the old style sewing machine motor

https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/82769-4-button-servo-controller-instructions/

The  parameters of concern are 1 ,2, 5, 6, for the standard PRC junk sewing machine units.

BEWARE- your unit may be completely different

How to set parameters? ‘fraid unless you find a crib sheet, that will be trial and error on  a wet Sunday afternoon, try the yellow buttons? Once you find the parameter menu, go through all of them and write them down first. Then change your chosen one and see what happens!

Quite often with these knock off units, a lot of the more interesting parameters are disabled anyway but you should get max speed set, ramp, rev/normal start, braking  and start speed. Needle position and synch not much use for lathe motors.

Looks quite good value, might get one myself to try out. Bound to be some information somewhere. Try chat-GBT (Wahahahahah!)

Let us know how you get on.

[Andre ROUSSEAUParticipant @andrerousseau66124]

See my post a little earlier. It links to a comprehensive technical description of Chinese mini-lathe motor-controllers. It may give you the answers you seek.

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

I think the OPs concern is with the brushless type DC motor.

BTW, where you can find any specs, it is interesting to look at the maximum torque vs the stated wattage for the motors. Of course they don’t tell you how it was measured but on paper typically quoted as 2.8 Nm for 750w vs about 5 Nm for similar wattage AC induction motor.

The specimen of sewing  machine motor (BLDC 550W)I investigated didn’t seem to lack torque especially at low RPM, but I had no means of measuring it scientifically (perhaps someone could research this subject to fill the pages of ME instead of the history of stationary engines).

But the nagging thought I have is that these motor systems are designed for sewing machines, not notably high torque devices.

[Martin of Wick]

On Martin of Wick Said:

I think the OPs concern is with the brushless type DC motor.

[…]

But the nagging thought I have is that these motor systems are designed for sewing machines, not notably high torque devices.

Albeit Industrial Sewing Machines … the ones that power the sweatshops of the world.

MichaelG.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

The lower torque is because of the higher speed for the same power.

I Echo Ians comment.

These units almost certainly don’t meet UK / EU safety requirements.

The one pictured and described by the OP certainly does not because markings in market language and proper instructions are a requirement of CE / UKCA compliance. That is not a direct safety risk, (but is indirect because you may be using it incorrectly). The electrical design and construction often does not meet requirements and neither do emissions and EMC. Again this may not seem like an issue but EMC isn’t just interfering with the radio. It also involves things like a machine with a VFD, brushless motor or other electronic control starting unexpectedly or changing speed direction.
This is not theretical. I’ve recently been involved professionally with a system where a electronically controlled motorised part started to move uncommanded when a totally separate DC brushed motor was started.

To be blunt, if you have to ask questions, you should not be using this type of equipment.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

The Technical description to which Andre refers will be no help as it decribes the operation of the components of how a particular circuit works. It is very  interesting but irelavent here. Good Luck. Noel.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

If you squirrel about on youtube etc you should find useful snippets

These things should come plug and play, all wired up, the adverts don’t always provide details but they usually do

If you’re sticking old motors or import motors into your workshop then you really should use an RCD unit

Don’t get a 9.99 one, get a nice lifetime use one that looks the business, then you can run all your extensions off it

[Gareth Jones 11Participant @garethjones11]

Thanks all.

The link to the leatherworker page looks good. I’ll have a play after work.

@robertatkinson2 –

“To be blunt, if you have to ask questions, you should not be using this type of equipment”

Isn’t asking questions sort of the point of a forum like this?

I’m more than competent to work on this equipment. I’ve worked as an electrical, mechanical and control engineer for 35+ years. My workshop is RCD protected. I’m well aware that lots of cheapo PRC stuff isn’t up to UK/EU standards and am happy to mitigate for this. I will certainly be improving earthing arrangements.

However, without a crib sheet, I don’t know what parameter does what, or how to change them.

Gareth

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

again, not specifically for your unit, but may be something useful here

https://github.com/ChristianBrandtner/BrushlessSewingMotor_Extension/tree/main/doc/basics

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Hi Gareth,

Poorly worded by me, it was meant as a generic comment, not a personal one. While it sounds like you are more than competent to address any electrical issues many, if not most of the buyers of this kit are not.

Sorry it came across wrong. I’ve a bit of a cold and feeling grumpy, no excuse though, I should stop posting…..

Robert.

[Gareth Jones 11Participant @garethjones11]

Hi Robert,

No problem at all.

I’m also suffering from a bout of man-flu and was just regretting how unnecessarily grumpy I’m being.

Cheers

Gareth

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