Overhead machinery power feed

[RichieP_MechE]

Acquired a lathe recently. The lathe is 5 hp single phase, so I'll be direct wiring it (no plug/receptacle). Based on where it is located, I'd like to bring the power in from overhead, as shown in my crude diagram below. Red square will be a 4" sq x 2 1/8" deep box mounted to the the ceiling joist, fed by 3/4 emt from the panel, with the blue line being the connection to the machine.

My question is what should the blue line be? I was thinking FMC, but this lathe also has a coolant system, so maybe LFMC is more appropriate? I can also get some 10/4 SOOW cable for free from my day job, but not sure if that is permitted for this application (we're on 2017 code cycle locally). What do the GJ experts think?



I'll duplicate whatever I do on the lathe to the mill as well, but right now I'm still months away from finishing the CNC controller swap on that one.

 

[Norcal]

Rigid or IMC conduit, due to support requirements.

 

[BillK]

I would use a drop cable from a box. SO cable is on all of the machines at my business. I prefer a little flexibility rather than a rigid drop. They have been like that for over 20 years and never had an issue. I have strain reliefs at the top at the boxes. https://www.platt.com/p/0387340/lev...e-straight-1-2-aluminum/078477973790/levl7709

 

[86turbodsl]

Our machines at work are all supplied with SOOW or junior depending on voltage. It works fine. I guess you could install liquid tite conduit if you're that worried about coolant, but with the cost of it, are you not going to take measures for containment?

 

[nadogail]

SO cable and a Kelums (sp?) grip come to mind.

 

[RichieP_MechE]

Yeah, SO cord with strain relief is what they have in our machine shop at work so that's why I was initially thinking of flexible solutions. However, I decided to use what I had on hand which was a bunch of EMT. I believe I have satisfied the support requirements of 358.30(A). Though this will probably never actually get inspected as my municipality isn't too strict on code enforcement.

I'm less concerned about coolant causing problems after tearing into this thing to convert it to single phase (just finished the motor swap), there's some factory wiring internally that is more exposed that the conduit would ever be. I am probably going to just put a drip cover over the junction box area.



Currently testing the new motor, hence removed covers.