Computerized blast gates?

[Jim Murphy]

Amazon.com: EcoGate EG001B Automatic Dust Collection System: Tools & Hardware

Anybody know of anyone with one of these rigs? I'm mightily tempted. Two good reviews on Amazon...

 

[michaelgarner]

I have looked at those for a while now, but the price always made me turn away. I did however order and recived yesterday this 220V Long Ranger Multi Switch Set: Penn State Industries

I ordered the 220 unit and 6 micro switches to make the blast gates myself. All you have to do is open the blast gate and switch turns on the collector. A step below the Echo gate, but if you can swing the money for the echogate pull the trigger, all you have to do is turn the machine on and the motor sensor opens the gate and starts the dust collector, cant get much sweeter than that.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I have looked at and thought about the EcoGate and other methods for automating my blast gates and DC for quite awhile. I have come to the conclusion there is no good way to do it, at least that fits my way of working. All of the commercial systems and DIY ways are either too expensive or too complicated.

Here are some things to think about:

1. It is very hard on the DC blower motor to be turned on and off repeatedly in a short period of time. I believe you can set the EcoGate controls for a delay to turn off your DC, but that may still be too short. But you need to think about the way you work.

2. It is also hard on the blower motor to run it with no blast gates open- RPM and current go up (just like when you block the hose on your shopvac). I don't know whether the EcoGate system can be programmed to always leave one gate open

3. I often jump back and forth between my jointer and tablesaw- often leaving both machines running, with both blast gates open (since I have a 3 hp DC), but at other times, like when I'll be producing a lot of dust and want maximum suction at one tool or my filters are starting to get clogged, I alternate the blast gates.

4. The EcoGate system uses vibration sensor switches that you mount on each machine that are then wired to the control module (I don't think they have gone with a wireless system yet) to tell the system that a machine is on so it will start the DC and open the right blast gate.

I think it would just be too complicated to have a system work the way I want it to. Right now my DC is controlled by a low voltage relay circuit that uses momentary contact start/stop buttons, daisy chained around the shop so I can turn the DC on and off from any location, even turn it on at one location and off at another. The one exception is that I don't control buttons in the middle by my tablesaw/jointer.

Right now I have to lean down to manually actuate my (homemade) blast gates. I am modifying them so they will be cable actuated (piano wire inside nylon tubing) from for convenient locations.

 

[Jim Murphy]

Great points, Alan.

I Right now my DC is controlled by a low voltage relay circuit that uses momentary contact start/stop buttons, daisy chained around the shop so I can turn the DC on and off from any location, even turn it on at one location and off at another.

That's where I was heading when Google found the Eco-stuff. I was thinking 24VAC through a series of 3-way and 4-way switches, so there's a switch at each machine. I was looking for blast gates that were electrically actuated, so as I manually hit a DPST switch, the DC motor started and the gate opened.

The one exception is that I don't control buttons in the middle by my tablesaw/jointer.

I'm not sure what you're saying here.

--------

It appears that the EcoGates are available as separate units, and operate on 24VDC. See here: EnergyEcon :: Products :: Blast Gates

I was thinking 24 VAC since that's a simple doorbell transformer, but I'm certainly not opposed to using DC. Are you running AC or DC on your system? If DC, were the transformer and 220V relay readily available? What's the amp rating on the Dust Collector side of your relay?

 

[Tarhead]

"2. It is also hard on the blower motor to run it with no blast gates open- RPM and current go up (just like when you block the hose on your shopvac). I don't know whether the EcoGate system can be programmed to always leave one gate open"

My informal edumacation in electrical thangs may be faulty and if I'm wrong somebody jump in here, but my understanding of this situation is different. For larger dust collector systems it is much worse for the motor to run the system totaly open vs running closed down. The motors are performing much less work if they are not moving air, do not increase RPM and do not depend on the airflow coming through the dust collector to cool them vs most shop-vac motors which rely on the air pulled through the canister to cool. Running the larger dust collector style motors without choking down the airflow allows a much higher current draw (ie; more work) and potential negative impact on the motor.

Mark
(who did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night )

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Great points, Alan.


I'm not sure what you're saying here.

--------

It appears that the EcoGates are available as separate units, and operate on 24VDC. See here: EnergyEcon :: Products :: Blast Gates

I was thinking 24 VAC since that's a simple doorbell transformer, but I'm certainly not opposed to using DC. Are you running AC or DC on your system? If DC, were the transformer and 220V relay readily available? What's the amp rating on the Dust Collector side of your relay?

I don't have on/off buttons near the TS/jointer.

My control works just like the Delta LVC- 24V transformer with multiple buttons powering a 220V 3-pole contactor (one set of contacts for the 24v latching circuit) that turns the DC motor on. That is the key to being able to turn the system on or off from any location.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

"2. It is also hard on the blower motor to run it with no blast gates open- RPM and current go up (just like when you block the hose on your shopvac). I don't know whether the EcoGate system can be programmed to always leave one gate open"

My informal edumacation in electrical thangs may be faulty and if I'm wrong somebody jump in here, but my understanding of this situation is different. For larger dust collector systems it is much worse for the motor to run the system totaly open vs running closed down. The motors are performing much less work if they are not moving air, do not increase RPM and do not depend on the airflow coming through the dust collector to cool them vs most shop-vac motors which rely on the air pulled through the canister to cool. Running the larger dust collector style motors without choking down the airflow allows a much higher current draw (ie; more work) and potential negative impact on the motor.

Mark
(who did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night )

I believe you are correct. I got it reversed. :BangHead: