Chapter 5: Maintenance 28 of 41
NOTE: It is recommended that the knife bolts be replaced with each new set of
knives. This will reduce the risk of bolt failure due to overstretching. Always use
the specified replacement bolts.
10. Tighten the bolts that hold just the bed knife enough to keep the knife in place at
the same time allowing the adjusting screws to move the knife forward.
11. Adjust the knife gaps with the rotor knives following steps 8-12 in “Inspection
and Adjustment of Knives.”
12. Replace the shields in position above the bed knives. The shield on the front
(downstroke) bed knife should be positioned so that the inside edge is set back
approximately 1/32" from the cutting edge below it. Replace the remaining bolts
and torque.
13. Close the machine while following steps 12-14 in “Inspection and Adjustment of
Knives.”
Removal and Replacement of Rotating Blades
NOTE: Only a qualified operator or maintenance engineer should perform this operation.
Protective gloves MUST be worn to avoid injury when handling the cutting knives.
To remove and replace rotor knives, complete the following procedure:
1. Open the granulator following the steps in “Removal and Replacement of the
Screen.”
2. Open the rear-closing panel by releasing the locking latch.
3. Pivot the in-feed hopper completely back to gain clear access to the cutting
chamber; clear any process material or foreign objects from between the knives.
4. Rotate the rotor so that the knife bolts are in a convenient position to remove the
bolts with the appropriate wrench. Using a wooden block, block the rotor to
prevent it from rotating while removing knives or after a knife as been removed.
5. Loosen and remove the knife bolts and lift the knife off the knife seat removing it
from the cutting chamber.
6. Perform the above steps until all the rotor knives are removed.
NOTE: Before replacing the rotor knife with new or sharpened knives, wipe the
knife seats on the rotor making sure to clean off all process material. The tapped
holes in the rotor (used for holding the knives in place) should be clear of any dirt,
oil, or process material.
7. Loosen the bed knife bolts and adjusting screws and pull back the bed knife so
the rotor knives will collide as they are installed and rotated.