Thread: Remote for 3 Phase Dust Collector

I'll hand ball this to NCarcher but it is this idea of using switching on ROCKING blast gates that set Tony thinking about things that became auto blast gates. He advised me to use switches on each blast gate to the VFD so it can be done. I'll guarantee you this though, if you try an automatic blast gate you won't want to revert to manual with switches. I might still have the switches somewhere as they never got used.

Hi Chris - I had not planned to automate blast gates in my own home workshop purely due to cost constraints. As you know, I'm a great fan of the auto gates and have the last batch in the back of my car to complete the installation of 16 auto gates at the Men's Shed. But for my own home workshop, auto blast gates for 10 WW machines at $300+ each makes investment of $3,000+ a bit out of budget. I'm using manual blast gates at each machine and happy that is workable for me at the moment.

But remote on/off for the 3-phase 5hp LEDA dusty is a must-have as it is not practical to go out of the workshop to the mower shed to turn the dusty on and off each time I want to use a machine.

Sorry Chris - I forgot to mention that I don't currently use a VFD as I have 3 phase supply already installed in my workshop and the shed where the dusty is located.

Originally Posted by emgeecay

Sorry Chris - I forgot to mention that I don't currently use a VFD as I have 3 phase supply already installed in my workshop and the shed where the dusty is located.

Getting your sparky to move the switch for the DE is most probably the easiest way. My apologies for not connecting your user name to RMS.

Tks Chris for the suggestion re moving the switch. If I did that and used a long lead out to the mower shed where the dusty is, I could leave the dusty switch on and activate from the workshop by turning the wall switch on and off. That would be better than walking back and forth between sheds each time but what I really want to achieve is to have a remote in my pocket to turn dusty on and off wherever I am in the workshop. Even better would be to have voice control via Amazon Alexa as I currently use Alexa for many other functions/amusements in the workshop and elsewhere eg music, radio, weather, reminders, timers, lights, news, motorised blinds, retractable roof etc etc.

I'm a lazy sod and having to walk across the workshop to the wall switch every time will inevitably result in the dust collector not being turned on many times when it should be.

What you need sounds like something like this.
RF remote VFD control

Not only On/Off but speed control as well.

From memory total cost of parts was about $20.

$20 for VFD including remote or just remote?? (I dont currently have a VFD).

Just the remote. Sorry I thought you already had a VFD as this thread is about vfds. Circuit could easily be adapted to switch a 3P contactor although I’m not offering

Hi BobL - tks for clarifying. I've used a VFD at the Robertson Men's Shed supplied by AutoBlastGates as pat of a ClearvueMax installation. From memory the top middle section of the front panel of the VFD pops out and can be carried around and used as a remote.

If my memory is correct, if I installed a VFD then I would have remote control of dusty on/off. I dont need any of the other functions of the VFD as I already have 3 phase supply and I dont particularly need speed control by cranking hertz up or down. The soft start from the VFD is not absolutely necessary either but has benefits nonetheless.

Given that the only functionality of the VFD required is the remote on/off of the 3 phase 415v supply, what would be the simplest (ie cheapest) VFD to do the job?

Originally Posted by emgeecay

Hi BobL - tks for clarifying. I've used a VFD at the Robertson Men's Shed supplied by AutoBlastGates as pat of a ClearvueMax installation. From memory the top middle section of the front panel of the VFD pops out and can be carried around and used as a remote.

Many VFDs have pop out control panels but I have not seen one with a cordless remote. If there is one I'd like to know about it.

Given that the only functionality of the VFD required is the remote on/off of the 3 phase 415v supply, what would be the simplest (ie cheapest) VFD to do the job?

I wouldn't get a cheap VFD to run a DC as DC motors run close to full load most of their working time so the VFD is also at close to full load. I haven't bought a VFD for about 2 years so I've lost touch a bit with what's available.

Like I said, you don't really need a VFD.
I thought the Autoblast gates were working on a Non VFD remote for use with a 3P contactor but maybe that was just a rumour.
They would probably have to sell it with a specially doctored contactor which means it would not be cheap.
I'd make one except I'm not a licensed sparky so don't do mains stuff for others.

You could get a sparky to replace the DOL starter with a new contactor with a 12 or 24V DC coil and get them to break out the coil contacts so you can hook up any remote push button system you wanted, including Alexa control. Put 12/24V DC onto the coil, the contactor pulls in and dusty runs. Put any emergency stops in series and you would have a perfect remote system. Any 433Mhz remote or Sonoff/ESPHome/Tasmota relay & RF remote could be made to work.
Alexa might not be able to hear you when you ask her to turn it off while the dusty is running though.

Edit: You said you have other Alexa compatible devices - What ecosystem are you using? Zigbee or simliar?

Tks again Bob for your helpful input. I'll check back on the PowTran VFD to see if the section actually pops out and can be used as a remote. I thought I saw it do exactly that in Fletty's shed and as we have installed the same/similar VFD at the Robertson Men's Shed I can check it out in person as soon as the shed opens up again after the holiday break next week. The AutoBlastGates setup does also have a control box mounted next to the VFD and has its own remote. But that is a fairly standard remote which just looks like a car keyless remote.

The bit that I am referring to is the the keyboard section of the VFD (top, centre of the box), which I'm sure pops out. I just looked at the online manual for the PowTran PI500A and it refers to Local and Remote communication control on the keyboard. So maybe some models do have a keyboard that can operate remotely. If so, as long as these models are not super expensive, this could be my solution.

Thank you for your kind suggestion. I'm not a sparky so much of what you have suggested is way over my head. However you've convinced me that you know what you're talking about so I will look into your suggestion to understand better. It may prove to be a simpler/more cost effective solution than buying a VFD just to achieve remote on/off.

Noise - The benefit of dusty in a garden shed separated from the workshop by an external walkway is that noise in the main workshop is very low. Therefore Alexa should be able to hear me ok.

EcoSystem - I've settled on Zigbee as the main platform based on a gut belief that it has/will have greater compatibility/extendability/futureproofing than some of the alternatives. WiFi rather than Bluetooth, ability to connect direct rather than through bridges/hubs etc all went into the decision.

PS - Im still working on "Alexa, take out the bins" and "Alexa, clean the gutters out". My wife has given up on "Darling, take out the bins" etc. She says that ecosytem is very unreliable.

Originally Posted by emgeecay

Tks again Bob for your helpful input. I'll check back on the PowTran VFD to see if the section actually pops out and can be used as a remote. I thought I saw it do exactly that in Fletty's shed and as we have installed the same/similar VFD at the Robertson Men's Shed I can check it out in person as soon as the shed opens up again after the holiday break next week. The AutoBlastGates setup does also have a control box mounted next to the VFD and has its own remote. But that is a fairly standard remote which just looks like a car keyless remote.

The bit that I am referring to is the the keyboard section of the VFD (top, centre of the box), which I'm sure pops out. I just looked at the online manual for the PowTran PI500A and it refers to Local and Remote communication control on the keyboard. So maybe some models do have a keyboard that can operate remotely. If so, as long as these models are not super expensive, this could be my solution.

Powtran VFDs (I have 6 of them) use "tethered remotes" so the VFD and keyboards can be connected using Cat 5/6 cable enabling the VFD to be located well out of the way but have the VFD keyboard close to machines.
I've done this on a couple of VFDs in my shed.

These keyboards may also be replaced with a computer or microprocessor connected to the VFD by Cat 5/6 cable - and that's also referred to as remote operation.

The more upmarket 9000 series Powtrans removable keypads also have memory capability so that VFD parameters can be stored inside them. Keyboard can then be inserted into another 9100 series VFDs and the stored parameters transferred from the keyboard to other VFDs. This is a quick way of programming a bunch of parameters.