Best Practices for Maintaining a Disc Pelletizer

Disc granulators, also known as disc pelletizers, are the preferred mixing and pelletizing (wet granulation) equipment for soil conditioner producers, mineral processors, and chemical manufacturers, and are favored for their high yields, product adjustability, and high quality rounded grains. 

Although this versatile equipment is relatively low maintenance, it still requires some routine maintenance and periodic inspections as part of a preventive maintenance program.

Why do disc pelletizers need maintenance?

• Extend equipment life: Just as a car needs maintenance, a disk granulator needs regular inspection and maintenance to minimize wear and tear and extend its life.
• Improve production efficiency: Regular maintenance can identify and solve potential problems in time, avoiding downtime due to malfunction, thus improving production efficiency.
• Ensure product quality: a well-maintained granulator can produce uniform particle size and stable quality products.
• Reduce maintenance costs: timely maintenance can prevent the occurrence of major failures, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

The following are some key aspects of disk granulator maintenance.

Safety Precautions

Before performing any maintenance work, keep the following safety precautions in mind.

• Be alert for excessive wear, damage or malfunction of the equipment. This may include unusual odors, noises, or other irregularities.
• Perform maintenance only in accordance with the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) instructions.
• Document all maintenance-related procedures, including dates, supplies, condition of parts, and personnel performing work or inspections.
• Shut down, lock out, tag out, and test (LOTOTO) all machine controls before performing any maintenance work.

Disc Pelletizer Basic Maintenance

To ensure efficient and stable operation of the disc pelletizer, regular maintenance is essential. The following maintenance points can be used as a reference:

Periodic Inspection

Appearance Inspection: Regularly inspect the equipment for wear, cracks, loose parts and other abnormalities.

Auditory inspection: Pay attention to whether there is any abnormal noise when the equipment is running, such as sharp metal friction sound, abnormal vibration.

Lubrication Maintenance

Strictly follow OEM guidelines: Lubrication requirements vary from model to model, and the lubrication intervals and lubricant types provided by the equipment manufacturer must be strictly followed.

Key parts: Bearings, reducers, motors and other parts are the focus of lubrication.

Reducer Maintenance: Regularly check the reducer oil level, keep the vents clean, and change the reducer oil as required.

Spray system maintenance

Nozzle cleaning: regularly clean the nozzle to ensure uniform spray to avoid clogging the effect of granulation.

Pipeline inspection: Check whether there is leakage or blockage in the spray pipeline.

Squeegee Maintenance

• Timely Replacement: Regularly check the scraper wear, timely replacement of badly worn scraper.
• Maintain leveling: Make sure all the scrapers are installed levelly to avoid uneven disk surface, which will affect the granulation quality.
• Spare parts preparation: Prepare enough scraper and other wear parts for timely replacement.

Cleaning and maintenance

Prevent accumulation: Regularly clean up the accumulation of materials in the discharge chute, feed chute and other parts to ensure the smooth flow of materials.

Expanded metal inspection: For the equipment using expanded metal lining, pay close attention to the lining wear and replace it in time.

Spare parts management

Spare parts list: Establish a detailed spare parts list and check the inventory regularly.

Priority Spare Parts: Prioritize the preparation of wearing parts, such as nozzles and scrapers.

Maintenance Program

To ensure the long term reliable operation of the disk granulator, it is recommended to follow the following maintenance schedule.

• Weekly:Check the lubrication of transmission parts and lubricate if necessary.
• Every two weeks: Check for abnormal wear. If so, identify and correct the cause.
• Monthly: Check component cleanliness; remove any accumulated material or foreign objects.
• Every six months: Perform the above checks, check lubricant condition, send samples for third-party testing, and drain and re-grease as necessary.

Annual OEM Inspection

It is recommended that an in-depth inspection be performed annually by the OEM to evaluate the mechanical condition of the machine base, frame, trays, superstructure, plows, discharge chutes, drive components, etc.

Consider a Pelletizing Process Audit

If a plant is experiencing production instability, product quality issues, changing operating conditions or inefficiencies, a process audit may be considered.

Operator Training

Ensuring that pelletizers are operated and maintained by trained personnel is critical to improving productivity, increasing yield and reducing downtime.

Maintenance Essentials

• Perform the necessary safety checks before performing maintenance.
• Regularly check all parts for wear and tear.
• Reduce material buildup.
• Regularly check for clean nozzles.
• Follow manufacturer’s maintenance and lubrication guidelines.
• Keep reducer vents clean and oil level proper.
• Keep spare parts available.
• Consider a process audit.
• Ensure personnel are properly trained.

By following these best practices, a plant can ensure the long-term reliable operation of its disk granulators, increasing productivity and ensuring product quality. Regular maintenance and inspections are key to extending equipment life and avoiding unplanned downtime.

Conclusions 

As a manufacturer in the field of customized disc pelletizer, TONGLI not only provides high quality equipment, but also offers full after-sales support to our customers. Our services include.

• Professional installation support
• Original spare parts supply
• Regular maintenance guidance
• Equipment inspection service
• Operator training

These services are designed to ensure that your disc pelletizer is always running at its best, increasing productivity and extending equipment life .

Our team of professionals is on standby to answer any questions you may have about disc pelletizer maintenance. For more information or to schedule a service appointment, please contact us today.TONGLI is committed to be your reliable long-term partner, providing strong technical support for your production.