I have a need to extend the VFD connections by about 3 feet in my setup. I have the 2.2kw Spindle with ATC installed on a Onefinity Foreman. The extension cables sold on the website must connect to the spindle side and those connectors wouldn’t fit in my drag chain. I hope there is a simple answer or something I’m overlooking. Is there a technical issue with adding extensions at the VFD side? Are there extensions available for the VFD side of the connections? If someone has a solution, please post a reply.
As far as the spindle extension cord (I think the atc motor extension cord is the same length, and the website has an error), it is designed to fit in the gap between the Y and X Axis on the foreman, so it doesn’t need to go in your drag chain.
In a word yes, there is technical issues with adding extensions on the VFD side, and that’s the inability to find a mating cable side connector that will fit the ws16b connector on the VFD. It was hard enough to find the cable side mating H20 connector, and we only found it when the ATC Manufacturer put it on, and we said “we need some of those”
We don’t have the proper connectors to extend the VFD side of the spindle cable. That said we could hack one together by putting the WS16 Male Cable side on one end and the WS16 Female Panel side on the other. The panel side is the part that won’t look wonderful and will have heat shrink enclosing the connector. It’s not a proper cable connector which is why it’s discouraged… but it can certainly be made.
I just googled ws16 connector and got immediate responses.
How many pins are there in your connector is needed to be know as I don’t have your hardware.
My rig used a 4 pin connector for a Chinese spindle and wire screw terminal strips on the VFD
I’m sure you can Google the other connector as well.
We use a 4pin WS16B connector to be specific. This B is important as it allows the connector to handle the full 15 amps needed by either a 220v or 110v spindle.
We have a female panel-side connector and a male cable-side connector… what we’re missing is a female cable-side.
Cable-side includes a cone-shaped part that protects the soldered wires from mechanical interference that could damage the connections.
We could use a female panel-side connector and use extra heat shrink to “simulate” the cone-shaped part. Only issue is because its a panel-side connector, it’ll include a flange all around.
I really appreciate the comments shared. I plan to order the proper link cable that will leave the connections joints outside the drag chain in the gap between the left side Y rail and X axis. Seems the obvious answer that I didn’t realize until he posted the suggestion. That will give me plenty of additional cable to move the VFD to the desired location. Appreciate the support as always. I need to measure, most likely somewhere around 6 feet, but I need to double check it.