Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company

Production Departement

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES CHECKS TO BE MADE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

1. Knives to far from die plate. Low amps on pelletizer motor. Adjust pelleter cuter shaft pressure slowly.

2. Knives are worn. - Reduced amps on the pelleter motor. Replaced knives if totally worn.
- Visual inspection of knives.

3. Misalignment knives. Maintenance check (dial indicator or feeler Re-align knives.

gauge).

4. Knives are chipped. Visual inspection. Replace knives and check for wire in die plate
that may have caused the chips.

5. Wire in die plate holes. Visual inspection (looks for chipped knives Extract wire, plug hole or clean/change die
pattern and match to holes to look for wire plate.
TAILS piece).
(Always caused by
problem with cutting). 6. Knife holder warped (bent). Maintenance check. Replaced knife holder and re-align.

7. Die plate warped or curved. Maintenance checks (straight edge). Replaced die plate.

8. Chipped or crack hole on die plate Visual inspection. Plug holes or clean/change die plate.

9. Very soft resin. - Resin MFI (Lab result). - Lower the melt temperature (open mixer
- Pellet water temperature. gate valve).
- Reduce melt pump suction pressure.
- Reduce pellet water temperature.

10. Very low rates. - Production rate - Increase production speed.

- Pelleter speed. - Increase pelleter speed.
 Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company
Production Departement

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES CHECKS TO BE MADE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

1. Low pelleter speed. Pelletizer RPM. Increase pelleter speed.
ALL LONG / OVERS
2. High production rate. Rate check. Reduce production rate (not a desirable
solution).
1. High pelletizer speed. Pelletizer RPM. Reduce pelleter speed.
ALL SHORT / UNDERS
2. Low production rate. Rate check. Increase production rate.
LONG + NORMAL
(Few long pellet
1. Broken knives. Visual inspection. Replaced knives and re-align.
amongst many normal
pellets).
1. Die plate partially frozen. - Check die housing pressure trend on - Check steam pressure/supply and steam
DCS traps to die plate.
- Visual inspection. - Check that isolation valve to condensate
system is open.
- Increase pellet water temperature.
- Purge die plate/flushing.
- Increase polymer temperature by closing
FINES + NORMAL
mixer gate valve.
(Lots of fines amongst
normal and variable - Check die housing pressure trend on - Change die plate.
length pellets). 2. Die plate plugged or blocked (most DCS over long period for trend increase. - Can reduce pelletizer speed to make
common problem with fines). - Check pelletizer speed for that longer pellet and reduce fines (this will not
production rate (will be very high at low solve the problem but can buy some time if
production rate). Lab passes pellet cut).
- Visual inspection.
 Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company
Production Departement

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES CHECKS TO BE MADE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

1. Resin stuck to knives (usually Visual inspection. Clean knives and re-adjust.
happens on start up and with soft
grade).

2. Knife holder damage. Visual inspection. Reduce production rate (not a desirable
solution).
3. High pellet water temperature. Pellet water temperature indicator. Reduce pellet water temperature (to reduce
sticking).

CLUSTERS (Group or 4. Float in pelletizer rotating group/hub. Maintenance to check. Replace/fix rotating group assembly.
bunch sticky pellet).
5. Large misalignment of knives. Maintenance to check. Re-alignment knives.

6. Knives to far from die plate. - Low amps on pelletizer motor. Adjust pelleter cuter shaft pressure slowly.
- Appearance of tails also.

7. Low pellet water flow. Pellet water flow trend. - Switch pumps.
- Remove restrictions.

1. Incomplete cutting because of very - Check pelletizer amps. - Adjust pelleter cuter shaft pressure.
large clearance between knives and - Polymer or pellet on knife face producing - Clean knives.
die plate (long strands with wavy gap (even though amps showing high).
surface).

2. Poor cut due to chipped knife edge Visual inspection. - Replace knives.
PELLET STREAMERS (short strands normal pellet joined by - Found and eliminate source of chipping for
(Always caused by poor thin polymer string knives (usually metal piece in die hole).
cutting).
3. Critical speed of pelleter exceeded Vibration or chatter at pelletizer. - Reduce pelletizer speed (you will also
(varies depending on the polymer need to reduce production rate to maintain
being cut usually on high rate product). good pellet geometry).
- Use more knives (say 24 knife assembly
instead of standard 20 knife assembly).
 Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company
Production Departement

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES CHECKS TO BE MADE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

1. Transfer lines coated with polymer - No streamers in rotary feeder after - Remove transfer piping and sandblast.
(usually on soft grade). classifier.
RIBBON STREAMERS - Visual inspection of transfer lines
(Usually caused by
polymer friction against 2. Worn rotating cage in the spin dryer - Check streamers before and after the - Replace worn rotating cage.
metal surfaces). (grinding pellets to form streamers very dryer to determine location.
uncommon).

1. Excess air leak in rotary feeder. - Gap in the rotary feeder downstream of - Replace rotary feeder.
the classifier (check pellet at classifier
and after rotary feeder).

2. Spin dyer damage (will cause - Check pellet at classifier. - Repair damage.
crushed pellets like toe nails). - Checks spin dryer lifter.
TOE NAILS
(Usually caused 3. Pellet catching in sample valve. - Check pellet sampling valve. - Open, clean/repair or replace sample valve.
downstream of die
plate). 4. Excessive pelletizer vibration when - Vibration or chatter at pelletizer. - Reduce pelletizer speed (you will also need
critical speed is reached (varies - Very high pelleter speed. to reduce production rate to maintain good
depending on grade, usually occurs on pellet geometry).
soft grade/high rate grade). - Use more knives (say 24 knife assembly
instead of standard 20 knife assembly).

1. Non uniform shrinkage when - Cut pellet in half to check. - Increase pelleter speed to make smaller
polymer/pellet is cooled/quenched. - Check the extruder for high melt pellet (will quench more evenly due to
temperature. lower volume per pellet).
VOIDS
- Check pellet water for low temperature. - Lower the melt temperature (open mixer
(Hole in the center of the
gate valve).
pellet).
- Increase pellet water temperature (to
reduce quenching effect).
 Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company
Production Departement

PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES CHECKS TO BE MADE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

1. Gas trapped in the resin and - Moisture in the additives or products. - Remove moisture source.
expanded upon depressurization. - Reduce heat of polymer in extruder.
- Increase pellet water temperature (this will
allow more uniform pellet swell instead of
ballooning).

2. Steam leak on extruder side of die - Hydro test when die plate is removed. - Repair leaks.
BALLOONS
plate (steam in the polymer under - Blocked die plate channels with polymer.
(Puffed up pellet usually
pressure).
in film grades).
- Hydro test extruder during extended - Repair/replace extruder barrel.
3. Cracked extruder barrel. shutdown.
- Blocked cooling water channels and
pipes with polymer.

1. Running very high rate (main - Do rate check. - Reduce rates.

variable). - -
UNMELT 2. Not enough shear in the mixing - Look at extruder KW (poor mixing at low - Increase melt pump section pressure.
(Popcorn pellets) section of the extruder. KW). - Increase polymer temperature by closing
mixer gate valve.
1. Very high production rate. - Do rate check. - Reduce feed rate.
MELT FRACTURE
2. Very high melt temperature. - Check extruder conditions. - Lower melt temperature.
(wavy pattern on pellet
like fish scales). 3. Plugged die plate. (Forcing resin - Check head pressure trend. - Change die plate out.
flow to exceed critical velocity through - Check pelleter speed.
open die holes). - Check sample for fines.