Surge protection

[steam oil]

Hi
During the recent thunder storms I began to think about surge protection on my mill (sieg X3), although I was not using the mill at the time. I haven’t a clue about the mills electronics all my other machines are belt drive.
Any advice?

Brian

 

[Rayanth]

surge protectors are nice and all, but if possible, always unplug anything with sensitive electronics during a lightning storm. even surge protectors have electrical components close enough that a true lightning strike can jump or fuse the breaker and fry everything anyway. Unless the house is truly properly grounded, but for anything more than a month's pay in cost, I'm not willing to take my chances ;D

- Ryan

 

[Ken I]

Surge protectors protect against overvolt transients in a number of different ways and are all good and well.

But as the prior post mentioned will generaly not help in the event of a genuine lightning strike.

Lightning struck my neighbours house (actually blew a hole in his roof - wet tiles - steam - bang) my phone line and anything on it was fragged and the surge protectors were by and large blown to pieces.

My neighbour lost most of what was plugged in.

Ken

 

[mu38&Bg#]

I was reading about surge and lightning protection just yesterday. It's a complicated topic. My machines get unplugged when not in use mainly because I wired my VFD's with plugs.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/cnc-machining/lightening-cncs-248481/index2.html#post1833667

The linked manuals have all the information you need for the US.

Greg

 

[Tin Falcon]

I haven’t a clue about the mills electronics all my other machines are belt drive.
Any advice?

The x-3 electronics I expect are very similar to the X-2 and the c-3 .
I had a lightning strike few years ago and it fried several items in my shop and surrounding area. Mosly several cf light bulbs but also the mini lathe and mill control boards. but like others have said the best thing to do is unplug tools when not in use.
That should protect against l lighting well as incursions from women children and small domestic animal . At least the untrained ones LOL
Tin

 

[tornitore45]

Surges can sure fry the control board; but the life of anything electronic is severely shortened by heat.

My first use of the mill was to trepan a 4" hole in the back panel and install a fan, spliced in after the switch.

I have been designing power supplies for 47 years. For the first 30 in industrial application and for the last 17 years in consumer (cheap).
My shock was on realizing how close to the rating all components are run in the consumer environment as opposed to the use of generous derating factors in the industrial environment.

Moral, most consumer elecronic is cheapend up to last until the warranty lapse.