3-phase power design. WHY?
[LEFT][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana]Hello all,
[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana] At our shop we have a benchtop size piece of mixing equipment that uses a 3 phase motor (Machine 1). The equipment's power entry is 220V single phase, but inside the machine (from what I've been told) there is a Variable frequency drive that converts this single phase power into 3-phase power for the motor.
[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana] We have another very similar machine (Machine 2) that performs the same function and also has a 3-phase motor. The difference is that Machine 2 requires a 3-phase supply directly from the outlet. Machine 2 is a much higher quality, German engineered, and overall better machine compared to the Chinese built Machine 1.[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana]It seems to me like the much nicer option is to have a VFD inside of the of the machine to convert from single phase into 3-phase power, than to need an outlet for 3-phase power which requires an electrician to install and is costly to the consumer. So my question is:
[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana]Why does Machine 2 require a 3 phase outlet connection instead of converting the power internally like Machine 1 does? Can anyone tell me the benefits to this design? It seems like there is a big disadvantage for the consumer to have to hire an electrician to use this type of equipment, and therefore would be limiting to sales.
[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana]Thanks[/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]