When using an air screen cleaner to clean flax seeds, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of flax seeds, such as small particles, light bulk density, easy breakage, and special impurities (such as broken stems, soil, shriveled grains, weed seeds, etc.). Focus on equipment commissioning, operating specifications, quality control and safety maintenance to ensure the cleaning effect (cleanliness, purity) and reduce seed material loss.
1. Pre-cleaning Pretreatment
Raw Material Pretreatment: Control initial impurities and moisture content.
Manually remove large impurities (such as whole flax stems, stones, plastic, and metal fragments) in advance to prevent clogging of the screen, fan inlet, or damage to the equipment.
If the raw material contains a large amount of light impurities (such as broken stems and fluff), pre-air separation can be used to initially remove some of these impurities to reduce the load on the air screen cleaner.
Equipment Inspection: Ensure trouble-free operation.
Inspect the screen: Confirm that the screen is not damaged or deformed, and that the screen frame is securely fastened (to prevent uneven cleaning caused by screen vibration during operation). The screen aperture must be compatible with the flax seed particles (see the “Equipment Commissioning” section).
Inspect the airflow system: Ensure that the fan blades are free of wear and foreign matter, and that the air ducts (inlet, outlet, and settling chamber) are not blocked or leaking (leaks can cause unstable air speeds and affect light impurity separation). Check the transmission and conveying components: the belt tension of the feed roller, conveyor belt, and vibration motor is appropriate, and the bearings are well lubricated to avoid jamming or abnormal vibration during operation.
2、The core of the air screen cleaner is the coordination of “screening (removing heavy impurities and grading)” and “air separation (removing light impurities and empty grains)”. The following key parameters need to be adjusted according to the characteristics of flax seeds: screen selection and installation, air separation parameter adjustment, and feeding speed control.
3. Operating Procedures During Operation
Startup and Shutdown Sequence: Avoid blockage and waste
Real-time Monitoring: Promptly address any anomalies
Observe the screen surface: If seed material “piles” (piles), reduce the feed rate or fine-tune the screen surface inclination. If the seed material flow rate is too high, reduce the inclination angle or lower the vibration motor frequency.
Observe the air separation effect: If there is still a large amount of light impurities at the outlet, increase the air speed appropriately (by 0.2 m/s at a time, avoiding sudden adjustments). If plump seeds are discharged from the outlet along with light impurities (this can be checked by placing a receiving tray at the outlet), immediately reduce the air speed.
Check the discharge quality: Take samples every 10-15 minutes to check the purity (requires ≥98%) and breakage rate (breakage rate ≤1%) of the cleaned flax seeds. If the breakage rate is high, reduce the vibration motor amplitude or slow the feed rate (to prevent the seeds from violently impacting the screen surface).
4. Post-cleaning Finishing and Maintenance
Thoroughly clean the equipment.
Remove the screen and clean any remaining debris (such as dirt and broken seeds) from the screen surface. Rinse the screen with clean water (if there is oil or sticky material, add a neutral detergent and allow to dry before reinstalling).
Purge the air duct and fan: Use compressed air from the air inlet to the air outlet to remove light debris and dust from the air duct to prevent long-term accumulation that affects air speed.
Clean the hopper and conveyor belt: Scrape any adhering seeds from the hopper wall and wipe the conveyor belt surface to prevent residual seeds from becoming moldy.
Regular Maintenance: Extend Equipment Life
Lubrication: Grease transmission components such as the vibration motor bearings and feed roller bearings (replenish every 50 hours of operation with a low-temperature, wear-resistant lithium-based grease). Replacement of wearing parts: Screen (recommended to inspect every 50 tons of flax seed cleaned, and replace any damaged parts promptly), fan blades (replace if wear causes uneven air speed), conveyor belt (check for cracks or deviation, and adjust tension or replace promptly).
Storage: When not in use for extended periods, store the equipment in a dry and well-ventilated area. Remove the screen and store it separately to prevent deformation from pressure. Cover the equipment with a dustproof cloth.
Through the above standardized operations, it can be ensured that the air screen cleaner can clean the flax seeds to the processing requirements (such as the purity of food-grade flax seeds ≥99%), while the seed loss rate is controlled within 1%, laying a foundation for high-quality raw materials for subsequent flax seed oil extraction, grinding or deep processing.
Post time: Sep-12-2025
