Can this be used for the VFD/Spindle cable?

[RikR]

I picked up a spindle/VFD kit. The 18 gauge cable they provided for the control circuit is unshielded. Before buying a replacement, I looked through the cable I have and wondered if the following will work. I understand it is not specifically made for drag chains, but with just under 1000’ at my disposal, I can swap it out as needed.

[Aiph5u (Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))]

Hey RikR,

what do you mean with cable “for the control circuit”? The cable between CNC controller and VFD? Or the cable between VFD and spindle?

Generally for both the spindle power cable as well as for the signal cables, I would strongly advise against using unshielded cables.

See your VFD manual, there should be everything described about which cables you need (if it’s a good VFD manual)

But you need at max. only 5 m usually, not 300 m.

• How many wires are inside this cable?

For a VFD to spindle cable, you need four wires (3+PE), plus shield.

Could you show the cross-cut?

[RikR]

Hello. From the VFD to the spindle. They provided 18 gauge unshielded cables which I will replace with a shielded cables. The cable I have has 3 conductors so I would run two from the VFD to the spindle.

[Aiph5u (Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))]

Hey RikR,

seriously, you need only 5 m, why not buy a real spindle cable. Using two conductors where you need one is nothing serious.

Also this cable is not made for any sort of motion. And seriously, is it really a solution to have it break all the time just because you have 300 m of replacement?

A spindle cable usually looks this way:

@Aiph5u

I use LAPP ÖLFLEX® CLASSIC FD 810 CY , in the strength 4 x 2.5 mm² (LAPP #0026271) for the 2.2 kW spindle or 4 x 1.5 mm² (LAPP #0026251) for a 1.5 kW spindle (=shielded 3+PE ).

@Aiph5u

• On the output of the VFD, i.e. the spindle cable, you should use shielded 3+PE for the three-phase spindle, like shown here:

Image 1: A typical spindle cable for use in a power chain (LAPP ÖLFLEX® CLASSIC FD 810 CY )

See this thread for more information.

This is best industry quality, and the price was 5.87 € per meter (incl. 19% VAT), so 29.35 € in total (LAPP No. 0026271 ÖLFLEX FD CLASSIC 810 CY 4G2,5 for a 2.2 kW spindle).

Further information:

What you need to wire and install a spindle is described

• here,
• here,
• here, and of course also
• here.

[Aiph5u (Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))]

@RikR

They provided 18 gauge unshielded cables which I will replace with a shielded cables.

With such a thin cable, it is a rather small spindle, about 0.7 kW?

Or is it the infamous kits with “aviation connector”, where the problem is that their strain relief clamp usually will not allow cables of more than 7.8 mm wire diameter, which limits these “aviation connectors” to cables that are underdimensioned for the spindle’s current? If so, I always recommend to → consider this ← (to buy Daniel Moran’s @PwnCNC ready-to-use spindle cable here)

[RikR]

@Aiph5u

Daniel Moran’s @PwnCNC ready-to-use spindle cable

I will buy Daniel Moran’s @PwnCNC ready-to-use spindle cable

[RikR]

I decided to go with this cable from Amazon.

16AWG 1.5mm² Shielded Chain CNC Wire (15FT) UL2464 Tinned Copper Core Extreme

[AndyP (Badger)]

I printed a strain relief setup for my spindle,18 months on, no issues at all:.

Spindle Cable Strain Relief - F360 & 3d Print

I use a 4-core shielded power cable between my VFD and Spindle. I have found that even with supporting booms, the cable gets strained where it meets the spindle resulting in one instance of a soldered connection working loose (could be my poor soldering). I also thought that the four tiny screws holding the included cable strain relief looked vulnerable. So I knocked together a rough, possibly over the top, strain relief thingy. It clamps to the spindle, bolts to the 80mm spindle mount and i…