I. Pre-operation Preparation

1. Check whether bolts on all parts of the forming machine are loose and fasten them if necessary.
2. Verify all spray nozzles are in normal condition; ensure cooling water inlet and outlet pipes are tightly connected and water supply & return pipelines are ready for service.
3. Confirm proper tension of chains and steel belt.
4. Fill lubricating oil to all lubrication points as required.
5. Inspect that supports of the distributor are securely installed without looseness; ensure all adjusting components operate flexibly. Check unobstructed circulation of thermal oil, normal temperature rise and accurate temperature indication.
6. Verify safe and reliable electrical connections. Inspect proper earthing of the electrical control cabinet; the cabinet’s earthing wire shall be firmly connected to the earthing conductor of equipment electrical components.
7. Check unobstructed flow and normal temperature rise of thermal oil tracing pipelines on machine guards.

II. Startup Procedures

1. Start the cooling water pump to establish cooling water circulation.
2. Adjust inlet valves for the first and second cooling sections to maintain a water flow rate no less than 15 m³/h. Control the water temperature of Section 1 at 5–10°C and Section 2 at approximately 20°C.
3. Open the inlet and outlet valves of thermal oil tracing for the rotary pelletizer (distributor), then set the temperature to the normal operating level (determined by material properties).
4. Switch on the PLC electrical control cabinet.
5. Turn the Manual/Auto selector switch on the control box to the Auto position.
6. Press the Control Enable button, then press the Alarm Silence button. After the Control Enable indicator lights up, press the Cooling Belt Start button. Once the Cooling Belt Running indicator is on, press the Cooling Belt Speed Up button to ramp up speed from low speed to normal operating speed (frequency adjusted within 30–40).
7. After the cooling belt runs stably, press the Forming Machine Start button. When the Forming Machine Running indicator illuminates, press the Forming Machine Speed Up button to accelerate from low speed to normal speed. Adjust the rotational speed of the distributor to match the linear speed of the cooling belt according to material characteristics.
8. Wait until the steel belt cooling temperature reaches the rated value and the temperature distribution across the entire steel belt remains uniform.
9. Open the product feed valve.
10. Start the product feed pump for feeding, ensuring the material falls uniformly onto the steel belt.
11. Monitor even feeding of material. If equipment malfunctions occur during startup or normal operation, press the Emergency Stop button immediately.

III. Shutdown Procedures

1. Stop the product feed pump.
2. Purge residual material inside pipelines and the distributor using compressed air or nitrogen.
3. Close the product feed valve.
4. Press the Forming Machine Slow Down button to reduce speed to the preset minimum speed, then press the Forming Machine Stop button.
5. Wait until all residual material is completely discharged from the steel belt with no leftover materials remaining. Press the Cooling Belt Slow Down button to lower speed to the preset minimum value, then activate the Cooling Belt Stop button.
6. After the Cooling Belt Running indicator turns off and the belt stops completely, press the Control Disable button.
7. Switch off the PLC electrical control cabinet.
8. Shut down the cooling water system.
9. Close the inlet and outlet valves of thermal oil tracing.
10. Clean the steel belt thoroughly.
11. Dismantle and clean the distributor if the equipment will be shut down for more than three days.

IV. Emergency Stop Operation

1. Press the Emergency Stop button or pull the limit switch in case of emergencies.
2. Shut down the feed pump and close the feed valve immediately.
3. Cut off all power supplies to the equipment.

V. Daily Inspection, Maintenance and Servicing

1. Check pre-tightening force of disc spring assemblies.
2. Clean the filter installed at the product feed connection.
3. Inspect wear condition of sliding blocks.
4. Check the scraper for residual material recovery.
5. Examine steel belt wear conditions, including burrs on edges, edge waving, bulges, deformation, concave areas and microcracks on the belt surface.
6. Monitor abnormal operating conditions such as steel belt deviation.
7. Inspect lubrication status of chains and bearings:
   • Hub bearings: replenish general-purpose grease once per month;
   • Head bearings: replenish high-temperature resistant grease once per week.
8. Check wear degree of water scraping blades.
9. Monitor cooling water temperature, especially the temperature of the first cooling section.
10. Verify normal operation of the thermal tracing system.
11. Inspect working condition of cooling water spray nozzles.
12. Check the condition of cooling medium scrapers.
13. Inspect drum scrapers.
14. Verify functionality of steel belt drive protection devices.
15. Inspect drum support blocks.
16. Confirm uniform material feeding at the discharging station.
17. Inspect and replace sealing O-rings in a timely manner.

VI. Safety Precautions

1. Residual material on the steel belt may retain high temperature for around one hour after system shutdown. Protective gloves must be worn during contact.
2. Feeding is prohibited without the installed feed filter.
3. Hard foreign objects (granules, nuts, washers, hand tools and other sundries) are strictly forbidden from entering the inner surface of the steel belt.
4. While the equipment is running, personnel must not make direct or indirect contact with rotating components including the distributor, steel belt and chains to avoid severe personal injury or fatal accidents.
5. All maintenance and inspection work shall be carried out in strict accordance with the safety operation manual.
6. Fire hazards may occur if processing temperature rises excessively or equipment overheats for certain materials. Fire prevention operations shall comply with relevant local fire safety regulations.

VII. Emergency Incident Handling

A. Cooling Water Interruption

1. Interlock protection will automatically stop the forming machine once cooling water supply fails.
2. Immediately shut down the feed pump and close the feed valve upon detecting water cut-off and machine halt.
3. Disconnect all power supplies.
4. Purge residual material inside pipelines and the distributor with compressed air or nitrogen if long-term shutdown is required.

B. Power Failure

1. Immediately stop the feed pump and close the feed valve when power fails.
2. Turn off all electrical switches.
3. Purge residual material inside pipelines and the distributor with compressed air or nitrogen for prolonged shutdown.

C. Unplanned Automatic Shutdown

1. Close the feed pump and feed valve right away after unexpected shutdown.
2. Cut off the main power supply.
3. Identify the root cause of the fault; restart the equipment only after troubleshooting is completed and verified safe.
4. Restart the forming machine following the standard startup procedures.

VIII. Common Faults and Troubleshooting

1. Uneven solidification of material across the width of the steel belt

   Check cooling water temperature and spray nozzles; clean or replace clogged nozzles if needed; clean the cooling water filter as required.
2. Incomplete stripping of finished product from the steel belt

   Adjust the discharge scraper position and clearance.
3. Material leakage from the upper part of coupling bushings

   Replace worn sealing components.
4. Material accumulation on the belt

   Install or replace the scraper; adjust the position of the material recirculation rod; raise the operating temperature of the distributor.
5. Steel belt running off-track

   Stop material feeding and wait for all material to be stripped off the belt. Inspect rubber guide rails and steel belt pneumatic tensioning devices.