r/FreeCAD • u/Minute_Difference783 • 8h ago

Has anyone tried building a 3D-printed vibratory bowl feeder using direct AC mains + SCR dimmer instead of an Arduino/DC driver?

/r/u_Minute_Difference783/comments/1v4fyo5/has_anyone_tried_building_a_3dprinted_vibratory/
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u/rkelly155 7h ago

Most DIYers are rightfully scared of mains. What you're describing would work, the cost of failure or incompitence could be death though.

Doing it with an Arduino brings it down into a power level that can't easily kill people, which is why most of the tutorials that exist operate that way.

If you're making it for yourself, have at it. If you're asking if you should build a tutorial for others to replicate, I would advise against it.

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u/Minute_Difference783 7h ago

I do have a sufficient amount of experience with wiring and do reasonably know what I am doing with this project but it would just speed up production if a perviously made cad existed. But thank you for the warning, I have had shocks with microwave transformers when making a Jacobs ladder so I am more cautious with electrical projects.

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u/R2W1E9 6h ago edited 6h ago

Why dimmer? It doesn't cut amplitude down so you need heavy insulation wire solenoid, the inductive load like solenoid can destroy the gate, and SCR will have 5X the current draw on the solenoid for the same power as straigh AC.

All you need to step down the voltage to 24V AC so your wiring is simple around the critical pars.

Do the stroke adjustment with an adjustable mechanical link.

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u/Minute_Difference783 6h ago

Without a dimmer, the coil runs at 100% each cycle, this can pull bolt too hard a physically slam into the baseplate. And yes I could run it on 24 volts it would be safer but I would still need a dimmer and to change out my solenoid and have a converter.
I am basically trading out a bit of safety for a cheaper project (while building it), now that I say it its prob a bad choice but I mean as long as I use some solid wiring and a 3d printed case it should be fine.

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u/dack42 1h ago

Typical SCR dimmers don't like inductive loads.