Hi, my new project is to convert an automatic washing machine to manual with timers since the original board burned out. I figured out almost everything but the actuator mechanism that switch the gear from washing to spin cycles. It turns out that the actuator works with a small ac motor and a dc microswitch which is independent from the motor. This means the motor will keep running non stop no matter the microswitch is in low or high state as long as ac voltage is applied to motor. Anyway on the washing cycle the actuator lever is up and the microswitch is in low or off state. On the spin cycle the lever is down and the microswitch is in high state or activated. What I was thinking is to install two buttons along with relays to control this behavior. Button 1 will Activate or pass ac current to motor until microswitch low state is reached then turn off to keep that position. Button 2 will Activate or pass ac current to motor until high state is reached on microswitch then turn off to keep the new position. If someone have some ideas could you share it to me. Thanks
My idea is to find out if you know what happens when the washer spin cycle has a load that is off-center and cause the tub to really bounce around? The microswitch is there to detect this and tell the machine to stop!
I likeyourclearandconcisedescriptionandexplanation.
Ifyoycanaddsomepauses,breathsandpunctuationitwilllhelpotuerstounderstsndwhatyouredescribing.
Maybephotosordiagramswillhelp,butasfarasIcantell,youwanttobreakanalreadybrokenwashingmachinesequencer.
Right but I'm converting my washer from automatic to manual which means I will control every cycle of the washer manually using some mechanic timers. I have another old washer that is manual and when I notice its bouncing I turn it off right away and rearrange cloths in order to turn it on again. I'm so used to it. So back to subject, the only electronic components my washer will have is the actuador controller. Everything else will be mechanic. About the microswitch as far as I know the microswitch is there to tell the washer the actuador position at anytime not to monitor off center load. The only thing I need is to find out how to controll the actuador using 2 buttons (One for washing cycle and the other to spin). I have I rough idea of how to get this done as I explained before. I just wanted to know if someone have a different or better idea to share with me.
Thanks
What voltage, current, how many wires, does it reverse?
So does this involve an Arduino in any way, or are you going to implement the entire logic in relays?
Hi this actuator (50sm21-1-221b) is 120Ac V CW and not reverse. It has 6 pins 2 for logic signal to the control board which I'll eliminate, 2 for the microswitch, and 2 for the 120 ac v. Basically I'll just using 4 pins, 2 for the microswitch and 2 to power the motor. The microswitch is very simple. When the lever is up (washing cycle), the microswitch is deactivated. When the switch is down (spin cycle)
, the microswitch is activated. Keep in mind that the microswitch itself can not activate/deactivate de motor in either cycle. The motor will keep running passing from state to state non stop as long as there is 120v going to the motor. This is exactly what I need to control.
Hello pizzabola
Show a blockdiagram containing all relevant componets.
A picture is worth more than 1000 words.
Hi, Ideally I'd want to implement a simple arduino logic using maybe an arduino nano controller for the sake of simplicity. But if there is a simplier way to do it using only relays, I'll be all ears.
Hi, I'll definitely do it tomorrow. Keep you posted
Control of the motor would be fairly simple. When your button is pressed, apply power to the motor until the microswitch changes to the appropriate state. You would be looking for the transition from open to closed, or closed to open, depending on which position you want the actuator in.
The two pins for the logic signal look to be for a tachometer sensor (basic IR break sensor). You could use that to control the spin cycle.
How are you going to control the agitation motor? Modern washers appear to reverse the motor instead of using a mechanical transmission for the back and forth motion.
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