Common Faults of Plastic Shredders: Quick Solutions for Material Jamming, Excessive Dust, and Blade Overheating

1. Material Jamming: Identify Causes and Handle Precisely

1. Emergency Handling: Stop Feeding First, Then Dismantle
    
   When material jamming is detected, immediately close the feed inlet and cut off the shredder's power supply (trigger the emergency stop button directly if available) to prevent motor burnout due to overload. After the equipment stops completely, open the machine cavity inspection door and clean the plastic residues stuck between the blades and the screen. If the residues are hard (such as solidified ABS sprue materials), use a dedicated crowbar to gently peel them off; do not strike the blades with brute force to avoid edge chipping.
2. Root Cause Inspection: Confirm One by One from Feeding to Equipment

• Feeding Issues: If the feeding speed is too fast (e.g., pouring too much at once during manual feeding) or the size of plastic blocks exceeds the equipment's rated feed port diameter (e.g., putting 10cm×10cm PP waste parts into a shredder only suitable for materials under 5cm), material accumulation and jamming are likely to occur. Adjust the feeding rhythm or cut large plastic blocks into suitable sizes in advance.
• Equipment Adaptability: Improper selection of screen mesh aperture can also cause jamming. For example, using a 2mm fine screen to shred tough PE materials will easily block the screen holes with crushed particles, preventing subsequent materials from being discharged and causing jamming. Replace the screen with a corresponding aperture according to the plastic material and particle requirements (e.g., 5-8mm screen is recommended for PE materials, and 3-5mm screen can be used for ABS materials).
• Component Aging: Severe blade wear (dull edges, gaps) or loose drive belts will reduce shredding efficiency, causing materials to accumulate and jam as they cannot be crushed in time. Regularly check the sharpness of the blades (it is recommended to grind them every 200 hours; replace them if wear exceeds 1mm) and adjust the belt tension (the belt should sink 1-2cm when pressed).

3. Preventive Measures: Establish Feeding Specifications
    
   Formulate a "layered feeding" system: classify and process plastics of different hardness and sizes, such as shredding soft PE films and hard PC blocks separately; for production lines equipped with automatic feeders, set a feeding speed matching the shredder's capacity (e.g., a shredder with a capacity of 100kg/h should have a feeding speed controlled at 80-90kg/h) to avoid overloaded feeding.

2. Excessive Dust: From "Source Suppression" to "End Collection"

1. Source Control: Optimize Shredding Parameters and Equipment Structure

• Adjust Blade Gap: If the blade gap is too large (e.g., exceeding 0.5mm), plastics are easily "torn" rather than "cut", generating a large amount of fine dust. Adjust the gap according to the plastic thickness: control the gap at 0.1-0.2mm for thin materials (such as plastic films) and 0.3-0.4mm for thick materials (such as plastic plates) to ensure precise shredding of materials and reduce dust generation.
• Install Sealing Devices: If there are gaps at the connections between the machine cavity and the feed inlet/outlet, dust generated during shredding will leak out. Install high-temperature-resistant silicone sealing rings at the connections, or set a "buffer hopper" (with a built-in dust-proof curtain) at the feed inlet to block dust overflow.

2. End Collection: Match High-Efficiency Dust Removal Equipment

• Small Shredders (Capacity ≤50kg/h): Can be matched with a single-machine pulse dust collector, which uses high-pressure airflow for reverse dust cleaning to increase the dust collection rate to over 95%. It is small in size and suitable for workshops with limited space.
• Large Production Lines (Capacity ≥200kg/h): It is recommended to use a central dust removal system to collect dust from multiple shredders centrally into a cyclone separator, then filter it through filter bags for up-to-standard discharge. At the same time, fine dust can be recycled for reuse to reduce raw material waste.

3. Daily Maintenance: Regularly Clean Dust Removal Components
    
   Check the blockage of the dust collector's filter bags (or filter cartridges) every week; if the dust accumulation on the surface is too thick (exceeding 3mm), use compressed air to blow and clean them; check the dust-proof lining inside the machine cavity every month and replace it in time if it is damaged to prevent dust from seeping into the equipment through the lining gaps.

3. Blade Overheating: Cool in Time to Avoid Irreversible Damage

1. Emergency Cooling: Stop Operation for Heat Dissipation + Physical Cooling
    
   If the outer wall of the machine cavity feels hot to the touch (temperature exceeding 60℃) or melted and agglomerated plastic particles are observed after shredding, stop the machine immediately and open the machine cavity door to allow the blades to cool naturally (for about 15-20 minutes). If quick resumption of production is needed, use a high-pressure cold air gun to cool the blades (note: avoid direct cold air blowing on the bearings to prevent component damage due to excessive temperature difference).
2. Cause Analysis: Inspect One by One from Friction to Heat Dissipation

• Friction Overload: When shredding high-hardness plastics (such as PA66, PC), friction between the blades and materials intensifies, easily generating a large amount of heat. Replace with special cemented carbide blades (hardness ≥HRC60) instead of ordinary high-speed steel blades; at the same time, reduce the feeding speed to avoid long-term overloaded operation of the blades.
• Inadequate Heat Dissipation: Malfunctions of the equipment's heat dissipation fan (such as broken fan blades, motor jamming) or blockage of the machine cavity's air vents by dust will prevent heat from being discharged. Regularly clean the dust from the air vents (once a week) and check the operation status of the heat dissipation fan (once a month); if the fan speed decreases, replace the motor bearings or the entire fan assembly in time.
• Improper Blade Installation: Misalignment of the blades during installation (e.g., the edges of two blades are not on the same plane) or loose fastening screws will cause the blades to rub against the inner wall of the machine cavity extra during operation, generating heat. Re-calibrate the blade position and fasten the screws with a torque wrench according to the rated torque (usually 25-30N·m).

3. Long-Term Prevention: Optimize Heat Dissipation and Usage Habits
    
   For production lines that need to operate continuously for more than 8 hours, it is recommended to choose a shredder with "automatic temperature control" function - when the blade temperature exceeds 55℃, the equipment automatically reduces the speed and starts the auxiliary heat dissipation fan; at the same time, avoid long-term full-load operation when shredding temperature-sensitive plastics (such as PVC, which has a low melting point and is easy to stick to the blades), and adopt an intermittent mode of "operating for 1 hour and stopping for 10 minutes".