Thermal Dynamics Arc Pak 5XR

[TTT]

Picked this up cheap on the basis that a transformer based device would be easy-ish to work on if something was broken. First thing.. wiring the plug. It's the three phase model and the wiring is confusing me. There are four wires: yellow/green, red, blue and black. I understand that usually when a 3phase device has four wires that means there is no neutral, but I also thought that the live wires were either red, yellow and blue or brown, black and grey.

So my question is how would you wire this into a 3phase plug.


This is the generator I hope to run it on



Thanks

 

[tlovatt]

Assuming you have checked that the unit is 400V then the wiring will probably be the old European colours.

Old Europe = Old UK
brown = red
black = yellow
blue = blue

 

[julianthegypsy]

Good piece of kit, enjoy!

 

[Richard.]

Yeah if it's 3phase it will be 3 phase and earth. The worst that will happen if the phases are wired wrong the fan will run backwards and on some machines it make no difference. If this is the case just swap two phases round. Check the plate to make sure you put the right size plug on (16A ,32 A etc)

 

[Richard.]

Most commonly L1 brown L2 black L3 grey in your case assuming it's 400 v red, black, blue.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Picked this up cheap on the basis that a transformer based device would be easy-ish to work on if something was broken. First thing.. wiring the plug. It's the three phase model and the wiring is confusing me. There are four wires: yellow/green, red, blue and black. I understand that usually when a 3phase device has four wires that means there is no neutral, but I also thought that the live wires were either red, yellow and blue or brown, black and grey.

So my question is how would you wire this into a 3phase plug.
View attachment 46591

This is the generator I hope to run it on

View attachment 46592

Thanks

Let us know how you get on with running it from the generator.

 

[TTT]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I had wired it with the red black and blue as live in no particular order but it didn't switch on, so I was hoping that it was wired incorrectly. I will try L1 red, L2 black, L2 blue and see if it works. If not I suppose the next thing to do is get a new fuse and hope that works. From reading the manual it also seems that I will have to change it from high voltage to low voltage by re-wiring some contactors inside since my generator puts out less than 390v. If none of that works I will be at a bit of a loss as to how to get it working. As you might be able to tell I'm not the most electrically inclined.

The plug is the one that came with the generator. It was previously wired to a larger red 400v plug, so I have a pretty good idea that it's a 400v machine. From reading I think they only came in 415v and 230v models, and it isn't 230.. right?

 

[Richard.]

My expertise on electrics stops at putting on the plug. I'm sorry if this advise is pretty useless but if it dose not work after the plug is fitted get a sparky to look in to it rather than second guessing with high voltage.

 

[TTT]

My expertise on electrics stops at putting on the plug. I'm sorry if this advise is pretty useless but if it dose not work after the plug is fitted get a sparky to look in to it rather than second guessing with high voltage.

Haha, it's not useless advice at all. I won't be messing with anything I can't get good information on.

 

[dannyp]

i think you'll find that genoratr falls flat on it's face as soon as the plasma trys to turn on.

how meany HP is the engine ?

 

[ukracer]

How much did you pay for it may I ask??

 

[TTT]

£250, seemed like a decent deal, nothing amazing but not bad if it works.. I think you're right about the generator, getting this going might be a bit more of a project than I thought.

 

[ukracer]

£250, seemed like a decent deal, nothing amazing but not bad if it works.. I think you're right about the generator, getting this going might be a bit more of a project than I thought.

Is that cheap then lol I was hoping to look around and pick a three phase one up if they were cheap but more than I wish to spend just now

 

[TTT]

I don't know. I think £250 is probably a fair price, neither super cheap nor bad. Thermal Dynamics has a good name, and the fact that it's a big transformer means it shouldn't just break for no reason like an inverter might. Supposedly you can increase its cutting capacity a lot by fitting it with a more modern torch, but that alone would probably be nearly £200! I think the only way to get a cutter for much less would be to get a really good deal or roll the dice on a Chinese Cut50.

 

[dannyp]

i have cheep inverter one, tbh it's quite a usefull bit of kit altho quite limited.

a proper 3 phase machne will allways have much better cutting ablity but tranformer machenes are quite power hungery