Contactors

[deadwood_dup1]

Hey guys, got an intresting one here. While roaming the shop last night I found a box that I had put away and forgot about. It had a bunch of contactors in it for chassies. I took one out and since I hadnt re-wired a contactor before I decided to try one out. I took a spare out from the shop and took one of the brand spankin new Vantage contacts out of its package. I have to admit, the wiring diagram was simple to read and follow but I have one problem with them. As you may or may not know Vantage sells contacts made from "GE" Great beefy contactor except that in the case of an interlock, Witht he Seimens contacts there is a way to easily clear an interlock, but with the beefy GE ones you have to grab a flathead to push the contact down. I do like the quietness of the GE contact compared to the Seimens ones. I would suggest that if you are going to install these guys that you do both and not just one. Ive seen some where just the S contact was switched out. I did the T and the space is cut down 50% between the contactors themselves, but what a contact! I definantly will deal with the trouble of clearing the interlock if i can get some piece and quiet hehehehe.

deadwood

[knuckles]

Re: Contactors

deadwood, I bought two from vantage three years ago. I installed both of them in the same chassis. About a month later the sweep contactor stopped working. I never did find any mecanical or other electrical problem in the chassis or machine to cause it. Didn't buy anymore.

thats my three cents worth.

your call. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

knuckles [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

[TheGMan143]

Re: Contactors

Most of my contactors are Allen-Bradleys...and I usually just get the parts from Grainger or the local electrical supply.

If I remember right, we did get a couple units from Vantage a while back (just the replacement contact packs, not the whole unit), and they failed after a while. We found that the rivet that holds the contact basket and spring down would come loose, and allow the contacts to rotate slightly out of alignment, after which they wouldn't seat on the contact pads properly, and would cause drop-outs in the power to the motors, usually causing an interlock. I used to fix them by taking a small punch and flattening out the rivet head to make it tighter... after that, they worked OK.

[Mr. 800-R]

Re: Contactors

The only contactors to use are from Bowltronics. The solid state units make NO noise.

Reliability is no problem either.

Rich

[vinson]

Re: Contactors

If you are brave enough,check the solonoid coil before you install them (contactors) from Vantage, I had 2 brand new ones in which the coil wasn't packed tight enough so when it was engaged the wires in them were cut after a couple of days making them useless.Also had them burn out after 2 years.

If it has tits,tires,or says AMF chances are your going to have trouble with it!

[mechanic8230]

Re: Contactors

You are actually worried about a "click" coming from a contactor???? Does it bother your concentration or have you decided to start sleeping on the catwalks? Give me a break. Nice way to choose the best contactor....NOISE.

[Mr. 800-R]

Re: Contactors

The reason it is a better contactor is because there are no points to wear off and no hardware to come loose.

It is also a much easier visual to inexperienced pinchaser to see that the contactor light is on and to know to look elsewhere for the motor to run.

All replacement contact sets today are junk. They do not last as the original Allen Bradley units.

Rich

[TheGMan143]

Re: Contactors

Originally posted by Richard Cranium:
All replacement contact sets today are junk. They do not last as the original Allen Bradley units.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'll agree there... the true OEM replacements from Allen-Bradley give me no trouble at all. I put them on and pretty much forget about them until it comes time to replace them again, which is usually a long time... they wear like iron.

I don't care for solid state contactors or starting units... as far as I'm concerned, those fragile little triacs or SCR's they use to switch the power just don't hold up as well against starting amperage load as a good, heavy set of contacts do.

[Coors]

Re: Contactors

i have several of those as well as the seimens. like them both. i prefer seimens tho simply because ive used them since 90'ish &amp; never had a problem.

my round of vantage allen bradley contactors i installed in sept are flyin out of their little brackets blowin capacitors up. 3 in the last 2 or 3 months. the little bracket doesnt seem to be screwed down tight enough. i replaced a set in dec, and it flew out last month. im afraid to put the rest of the allen bradley contacts in so im just gonna cut my losses &amp; convert to seimens. maybe a few bowltronics.

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: Contactors

I dont know about you but aren't any of you afraid of a pinchaser or porter comming in the back and pressing down on the contact instead of pushing up? A year back I saw a desk guy come into the back round lane 27. He was clearing an interlock without calling it back to me. He was wearing a magnetic nametag and all i heard after i saw him climb on the machine was a loud thud! He got a huge jolt of the good ol 120. Thrown off and etc. I have never had a problem with the new contactors and will continue to install the vantage and seimens ones. I personally do not like 19th century technology [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

deadwood

[TheGMan143]

Re: Contactors

Originally posted by Coors:
i have several of those as well as the seimens. like them both. i prefer seimens tho simply because ive used them since 90'ish &amp; never had a problem.

my round of vantage allen bradley contactors i installed in sept are flyin out of their little brackets blowin capacitors up. 3 in the last 2 or 3 months. the little bracket doesnt seem to be screwed down tight enough. i replaced a set in dec, and it flew out last month. im afraid to put the rest of the allen bradley contacts in so im just gonna cut my losses &amp; convert to seimens. maybe a few bowltronics.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yep.. same thing I posted above.

Find a good electrical supply in your area... most of them carry allen-brad parts, and a lot of times they're less expensive than you can order them. Grainger might even have them...I never checked.

Let me know if you're going to get rid of any of your AB stuff... I may be interested.

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: Contactors

G: The previous Head mechanic had tons of them. The new improved style AB upper contacts from vantage. I even have an ol A M &amp; F upper [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img] I think ill keep that as a souvenier. If I decide to part with them I will tell ya.

deadwood

[Dutch]

Re: Contactors

JCP has dependable contact replacements for original Allen-Bradley relays &amp; Chad told me last week that “V” is finally doing something about the problem with theirs.

I've used lots of super glue on the “V” contacts. If you glue them when they're new, you won't have a problem with them.

[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/usflag.jpg[/img]

[Dutch]

Re: Contactors

Originally posted by TheGMan143:
[QB]Most of my contactors are Allen-Bradleys...and I usually just get the parts from Grainger or the local electrical supply.[QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

Originally posted by TheGMan143:
[QB]Find a good electrical supply in your area... most of them carry allen-brad parts. Grainger might even have them...I never checked.[QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ok G-man,
Which is it? Does Grainger have A/B replacement parts or not? [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img] OEM or enclosed?

[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/usflag.jpg[/img]

[TheGMan143]

Re: Contactors

Sorry... I had about 22 hours of work in before I posted that...

To clear it up, much of my electrical supplies come from Grainger (switches, return motors, etc...), but the contactor parts I get from a local electrical supply who gives me near-cost pricing on them...

Hehe...sorry 'bout that... [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img]