Common Failures and Maintenance Suggestions of Canna Starch Production Equipment

With the development of the canna starch industry, equipment frequently suffers from various faults in actual production due to improper operation, insufficient maintenance or environmental factors, which impair production efficiency and product quality.

This paper systematically sorts out common problems occurring during the operation of canna starch‑processing equipment and puts forward corresponding maintenance suggestions.

1. Blockage in Washing and Crushing Section

The rhizomes of canna feature rough epidermis with large amounts of sediment attached. Incomplete pre‑washing easily causes blockage of crusher screens or conveying pipelines. Besides, oversized rhizomes or materials with high fibre content may result in jamming of crusher blades or motor overload.

2. Reduced Efficiency of Sieving Equipment

Fine fibres and impurities contained in starch slurry tend to form scale on the screens of hydrocyclones, vibrating screens or centrifugal screens after long‑time operation. This lowers sieving efficiency and may even block screen holes, thus compromising starch purity.

3. Severe Wear of Dewatering Equipment

When filter plate‑and‑frame filter presses, vacuum drum filters or centrifugal dewaterers continuously handle high‑concentration starch slurry, filter cloths are prone to ageing and damage. Inner walls of drums and centrifugal baskets also suffer friction‑induced wear. Consequently, dewatering performance deteriorates and the moisture content of finished products remains high.

4. High Energy Consumption and Low Thermal Efficiency of Drying System

If dust deposits are not removed regularly from pneumatic dryers or drum dryers, starch dust will accumulate on the surface of heat exchangers and weaken heat transfer efficiency. Meanwhile, improperly adjusted fans or heating systems will lead to energy waste. Local overheating may even occur and cause starch coking.

5. Failures of Electrical Control System

In humid working conditions, electrical components such as control cabinets, sensors and wiring terminals are susceptible to moisture and oxidation. This may trigger signal failure, mis‑operation of motors or unexpected automatic shutdown, disrupting continuous production.