Hooking up your PRSstandard Gantry Tool

Powering the PRSstandard Control Box

The power to the PRSstandard control box should be wired into a fused disconnect by a licensed electrician familiar with industrial equipment. If the PRSstandard control box is on a ShopBot Buddy, the incoming power will need to be wired in, but the Zzero plate and proximity switches are already wired. ShopBot Buddy owners should use this as a reference guide to how the systems work. The 60Hz PRSstandard with Porter Cable router is the only exception to this, it comes pre-wired.

The Power Requirements for the PRSstandard control box and Router/Spindle vary according to your configuration. The table below outlines some of the power requirements for different configurations. A schematic for the power requirements for your specific configuration can be found in the door of the PRSstandard control box

Since the power requirements for a Porter Cable router and for a spindle are different, we install different components in the PRSstandard control box depending on which you will be using. This is not user configurable. Configurations were specified at the time these components were ordered.

 

ShopBot Configuration PRSstandard: US Standard, 60Hz

PRSstandard Control Box and Porter Cable Router

110V 20A circuit. This single source 110V line will supply service for both the PRSstandard control box and for the router. This will come with a 20A plug installed.

PRSstandard Control Box and 2.2-3HP Spindles (single phase)

220V 60A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and the spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

PRSstandard Control Box and 4-5HP Spindles (single phase)

220V 90A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and the spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

PRSstandard Control Box and 2.2-3HP Spindles (3 phase)

230V 40A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and the spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

PRSstandard Control Box and 4-5HP Spindles (3 phase)

230V 60A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and the spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

ShopBot Configuration PRSstandard: European Standard, 50Hz

 

PRSstandard Control Box and 2.2-3HP Spindles (single phase)

230V 60A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

PRSstandard Control Box and 4-5HP Spindles (single phase)

230V 90A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

PRSstandard Control Box and 2.2-5HP Spindles (3-phase)

380V 30A circuit for the PRSstandard control box and spindle. Specifications for full-load current of the different models of spindle are provided with the spindle. This will need to be wired by a licensed electrician.

Mount the PRSstandard Control Box

Mount the PRSstandard control box to the front side of the machine, on the right of the left most leg on ShopBot models with cutting lengths 48-120”; for ShopBot models with cutting lengths 144” or greater, mount the control box on the right side of the second leg from the left.

Included Hardware

The major components needed for the control box installation are the mounting brackets. 2 z-shaped upper control box brackets (002579) and a lower control box bracket (002579) plus T-nuts, button head screws and washers. There are a few pieces of ½” hardware included as well in this kit. The z shaped upper control box brackets will be used to mount the control box to the inside face of the table sides. The upper brackets have been designed so that they may be flipped around if need to accommodate for table cross supports that appear in the way. The lower control box bracket will secure the lower control box to the side of the leg.

 

Installation

Locate the 4 T-nut ball & spring pivot inserts (000728) and place them on the inside face of the tableside in lowest slot.

Using the 3/4” button head screws and flat washers loosely attach the upper control box bracket to the T-nuts inside the table side slot. Do this with both upper control box brackets. Be aware that their orientation may need to be flipped to keep from interfering with the existing cross supports.

Mount the lower control box bracket to the lower left tab of the control box using 2 flat washers, 1” button head screw, and nylock nut.

 

Space the upper control box brackets at the approximate distance of the tabs on the control box. Lift the control box into place and mount using the 2 flat washers, 1” button head screw, and nylock nut for each bracket. Slide the control box toward the left most leg on the machine and attach the lower control box bracket to the leg.

Using the ½”x1 ½” bolt, 2 flat washers, 2 lock washers and nut, securely mount the lower control box bracket to the side of the leg. Once the lower bracket is firmly in place tighten the button head screws fastening the upper brackets to the table sides.

 

Explore the PRSstandard Control Box

After the electrician has hooked up your PRSstandard control box and router or spindle, it’s time for you to get involved again. The electrician is not expected to know how to hook-up the tool itself to the PRSstandard control box. That process is covered in the following instructions. Disconnect electrical power to the PRSstandard Control Box. Open the side of the box with a screwdriver (quarter turn). Note that the door cannot be opened or closed unless the switch is turned off. The PRSstandard control box has an interlock for the router/spindle. This interlock allows for the power to the router/spindle to be disconnected without interrupting power to the machine. Added safety for manual tool changes during a cutting file.

The Contactors, located at the top of PRSstandard control box, are the large relays that control power to the cutting head. They are controlled by software and relays on the control board for a router, and the E-Stop (main power disconnect) for a spindle. The size of the contactor may vary with the power requirements of the device it is powering.

The Fuses in the PRSstandard control box (US 60Hz power) are dependent upon the setup:

Porter Cable router (single): 1@ 5A fuse, 1@ 15A fuse

Spindle: 1@ 5A fuse, no other fuses (spindles are protected by fused disconnect before the PRSstandard Control Box.)

Troubleshooting: Although the fused disconnect should protect the PRSstandard control box, if you lose power to everything in the PRSstandard control box, please check the fuses and replace if necessary.

Inside the PRSstandard Control Box

Your box may not be exactly the same as illustrated depending on the model.

1. Router/Spindle Interlock
2. Grounding strip
3. Main Power Disconnect
4. Fuses
5. Contactors
6. Control Board
7. USB Cable
8. Roxtec Fixture
9. Motor Cables
10. Output Switches
11. Input Switches
12. Motor drivers – 4
13. Toroidal Transformer

 

Open the Roxtec Fixture

You will be routing cables through the Roxtec Wire Management Fixture attached to the side of the PRSstandard control box. This device gives all wires a tight entry and will seal your PRSstandard control box against dust and debris. Below is the manufactures suggested installation.

 

Disassembly: Reverse the order of the above steps

• For optimum reliability, wait 24 hours or longer after installation before exposing the cables to strain or pressure
• Try to route cables perpendicularly through the frame
  

Once you have attached all of the cables inside the PRSstandard control box, you will run the cables through the modules and tighten the fixture to keep dust out of the PRSstandard control box. You may need to run more than one of the smaller cables in the same gasket. Hold off on tightening the Roctec modules completely (step 7) until all cables and wires are routed inside and out of the control box.

Connect the VFD and Spindle 

Connect the brown VFD cable to the Control Box.

The brown cable may have one of two possible wire combinations. One combination has three wires black, white, and red (red clipped back). The second combination has three wires black, green, and red (red clipped back). The white and green are interchangeable.

• Make sure the VFD is OFF before proceeding.

• The VFD has been pre-wired with the brown cable at the factory.

• Run the brown cable from the VFD to the Control Box.

• Pass the brown cable from the VFD through the cable access in the right side of the Control Box.

• Connect the black wire and the white (or green) wire from the brown cable into the VFD terminals on the Control Board labeled “SPINDLE1” (For a second spindle, use the terminals labeled “SPINDLE2”). For Spindle #1 connect the black wire to the “F1” terminal and the white (or green) wire to the “C1” terminal, and for a second spindle use connections "F2" and "C2" in the Spindle2 section. The red wire is not used and should be clipped back.

On ShopBot Control Board

Attach the Fan Connection plug to HSD spindle

• Make sure that power to the control box is disconnected.

• Locate the Fan Connection plug with attached 36ft cable.

• Attach the Fan Connection plug to the front face of the HSD spindle.

• Tighten the screw inside the Fan Connection plug. 
  

Attach the cable from the Fan to the 24V Power Supply inside the Control Box.

The PRSstandard comes with a 24v power supply already installed in the Control Box. The easiest connection is at the fuse, below the large power supply, marked "24 volts" and circled below.

• Locate the 24v fuse and terminals already in the Control Box.

• Strip back ~ ¼” of insulation from both the red and black wires at the loose end of the cable from the fan connection plug.

• Route the cable inside the control box.

• Connect the red wire to the right side of the fuse marked "24 volts" (circled above), and the black wire to any empty ground (G) connection in the blue blocks on the board.

Connect the power cable from the VFD to the spindle.

• Plug the electrical connector into the HSD spindle power plug.

• Depress the metal clip until it snaps in place.

• Re-connect and turn on the Control Box. The fan should power up and start turning when the control box is turned on.

Routing the Motor Cables to the Motors

The motor cables are pre-wired to the PRSstandard control box from ShopBot. Plug each motor cable to its color coded motor. Route all the cables from the control box to the back of the machine. The Red X2 motor cable will need to be fished through the hole in the back endplate and gantry until it comes out the front endplate.

The Blue (Y-axis) and White (Z-axis) cables need to be routed over the gantry through the Y-axis E-chain and to the Y & Z-axis motors 

 

Connecting the Motor Cables to the Motors

 

 

 The PRSstandard motors will come with the mounting plate pre-installed, pinions, and heat shrink. At this point your motors should be in their correct mounting location on the machine and you should have the corresponding color motor cable routed to the correct motor. Caution: make sure that X1 & X2 are going to the correctly marked motor since these are both red.

 

   

 Connect the mating motor cable with the motor. Make sure the connectors are securely fastened and slide the heat shrink over the connection.

Using a heat gun or hair dryer, heat up the heat shrink until it tightly envelopes the connection. This is a very important step in the system; this helps to keep out dust and debris from these connections and helps to provide added safe guards against tampering and disconnections. In other words: put your heat shrink on.

 

Connect the Cable from the Remote-Stop Switch

The PRSstandard comes with a Remote Stop Switch. Hitting this “Stop” button will immediately stop the motion of your PRSstandard tool and turns off the Output Switch that controls the router or spindle.

On the left most third of the PRSstandard control board is the location were the remote stop switch, X&Y prox switches, and the Z-zero plate will be connected, using the wiring diagram below, wire in these peripherals. Note: some of the terminal positions may share more than one wire.

 

Route the remote stop switch cable into the control box and connect the white wire to G (ground) and the black to 4/ST (input 4).

 

  

Connect the Cables from the Proximity Switch and Z-zero Plate

 

Inside the PRS Standard control box, take the Proximity Switch cable for the X-axis and place its black wire into 2/PX (Input 2) on the blue terminal block on the control board. Then take the Proximity Switch cable for the Y-axis and place its black wire into 3/PY (Input 3) on the same blue terminal block on the control board. The blue wires from both of the switches are placed in G (ground). The brown wires from both of the switches will be placed in the +24 (24V) position of the terminal block. The terminal blocks can be removed to make wire insertion easier.

 

When the PRSstandard control box is powered up, a red LED in the body of the proximity switch out on the tool will stay bright until it is triggered by coming near a target.

 

Now connect the Z-zero plate. The black wire goes in the 1/ZZ (Input 1) terminal and the green wire goes into a G (ground) terminal; any G position may be used since they are all a common ground. The red wire goes to +5 (5V), (it is only used by the Digitizing Probe).

 

There is USB cable connector for attaching the USB cable that will connect your PRSstandard control box to your computer. It is a short cable that exits on the right side of the control board. Plug the longer 10ft cable supplied with your ShopBot into this connector. Do not plug the USB cable into your computer at this point.

 

Seal the Cable Entry

    

Ground the ShopBot PRSstandard

 The Table of the ShopBot should be grounded to System Ground at the power box that supplies the PRSstandard control box. Attach the grounding wire (14-16 gauge) at a convenient bolt on the table, making sure to scratch off paint under the bolt.  

Remember that your dust collection system should also be grounded to the system ground. See alpha Dust Skirt Documentation for details on grounding the alpha dust skirt hoses to the dust collection device.

The Remote Stop Switch

The Remote Stop Switch comes with a long cable so that the switch can be mounted in a convenient location for your set up. Keep the remote stop switch away from devices that have their own power source, such as the spindle or router, or a vacuum system.  

Some ShopBotters carry the Remote Stop Switch with them as they move about their tool. Others mount it on the tool.

 

Mounting the Switch

• Decide WHERE to mount the switch. One good spot for mounting is on the front side of the X-Car, with the cable run to the back of the tool through the center of the beam. Other possible locations are on the side of the table, at your computer station, or on the wall near the ShopBot.

• Decide HOW you want to attach it. You may use mounting tape, Velcro, or screws.

 

If you use screws to mount the Remote Stop Switch:

 

• Open the box by removing the 4 screws on the front cover and insert the mounting screws into the holes in the back of the box.

In the next section, Getting Going, we'll install the ShopBot Control Software and get connected, get the tool moving, install and adjust the prox switch targets, and surface the table.