Can an electric press be converted from single to three phase?

[TCT]

my 3 phase panel main breaker is 100 amp.

Are you saying you have 100 Amps for your whole shop?

[Shanarchy]

my 3 phase panel main breaker is 100 amp.

Are you saying you have 100 Amps for your whole shop?

I have two separate panels, one is single phase 120, the other panel is three phase with a main breaker of 100.

I'm not sure what is feeding it and if the main breaker can be swapped out or if I need to have new wiring ran to increase the amperage to my shop. I'm in an old mill building, so there is definitely plenty of power to the building. It's just a question of getting it to my shop. I know that this will be a question for the electrician when he comes back to finish, but when I noticed this today it was enough to raise a red flag for me.

[TCT]

Can you see what gauge wire feeds the main breaker?

[Shanarchy]

I peaked today and I think their was three wires each labeled 600V on them going into the three phase panel. Don't quote me on that though, I may be remembering that wrong. It was a long day today.

[cbjamel]

If its printed on the wire from factory that is the max limit of the wire. Code may require that size or bigger if you increase to a 200 amp service. Usually the 3 phase feeds the single phase panel box for the single phase item like plugs, etc. Just remember that that is amps not volts which is more important in my mind than volts per say. Usually 100/200 amp 208 or 220 volt pretty std, maybe 480 volt. Sometimes 400 amp is required. In Colorado and you go over the set 3 phase then you hit demand and ouch!!!! Aprox $3.22 per kilowatt. compared to $.036 per kilow plus  fees. Big difference.
Shane

[Binkspot]

Shane, the way your building is with the knob and tube other then the cost of goods it shouldn't be to expensive to upgrade to a larger service if needed.

[Sbrem]

When we moved into our present space a number of years ago, we had to bring in 300 amp service so we could run our 3 dryers; I don't recall it being expensive, and you need what you need, so one has to do it. Fortunately, in the large mill building we're in there was one in the building that could be relocated by the power company.

Steve

[Shanarchy]

Thanks guys. I'll see what the electrician tells me when he comes back. I know we can make it work, I just hope it is cheap.

[ZooCity]

So yes, you can do this.  Just need to swap a contactor and 4 breakers, about $250 direct from M&R parts store.  Thank you once again M&R.

Doing this on the press I'm talking about saves us 16a of fairly continuous draw on our panel and might mean we don't need to pull another 100a in from the neighboring space for the moment, so that's a few thou saved right there.

[ebscreen]

Why would I think that you'd have to change all of the motors to three phase? Good thing I'm not an electrician and only
a lowly shirt printer...

[ZooCity]

Why would I think that you'd have to change all of the motors to three phase? Good thing I'm not an electrician and only
a lowly shirt printer...

That's exactly what I thought and I figured it would be way too costly.   My guess is they spec one type of motor on all models for more efficient production and qty buying of the components.  The main panel on the press is going to control what goes out to each AC motor, servo, etc. and I reckon that is built similarly so that producing the press in 1ph or 3ph is a simple matter of using a few different breakers and contacts and setting it accordingly. 

[Binkspot]

Inverters on the print heads most likely 220 single phase, they change the power to three phase that gets sent to the drive motors.

[ZooCity]

Inverters on the print heads most likely 220 single phase, they change the power to three phase that gets sent to the drive motors.

So you would still see the benefits of running the motor on 3ph, not just to the press' panel?

[Mr Tees!!]

...so what would be involved if it were the other way around? I see many good deals on presses in the used market, but we only have single-phase power in this area.

[Binkspot]

The print head motors are three phase for control (easier to dial in speed with more poles), direction (single phase a PIA to change rotation) and power (from a dead stop to moving cold white ink, single phase you would need large capiciators to get it moving, again more poles). If you order the machine single phase the motors are still 3. Same with the servo amp. Some machines I have worked on all of them come single phase, to make them 3 just pull the jumper. L1 & L2 power the heads and servo, a jumper between L2 & L3 powers L3, L3 is used for the power supplies for the low voltage controls like boards and simple computers. I do not know if the M&R machines are like this without seeing a schematic or the machine itself.