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Introduction: The hidden impact of paint colorant dispenser failure on production efficiency
In the coatings production, the operational stability of the paint dispenser is crucial, as it directly impacts both product delivery timelines and quality control. Industry data reveals that equipment downtime caused by failures in paint mixing machines can be as high as 60%. What’s more, 75% of these failures are attributed to insufficient daily maintenance or improper operation.
This article comprehensively analyzes the quick troubleshooting solutions for typical faults of paint coloring machines. And integrate into the trend of intelligent maintenance to help enterprises reduce costs and increase efficiency, and build a sustainable production operation and maintenance system.
Fault scenario: After the power is turned on, the color mixer motor does not respond, or the running sound is abnormal.
In-depth investigation:
Power supply and fuse inspection:
Use a multimeter to measure the voltage stability (220V ± 10%), focusing on the oxidation of the line joints.
If the output fuse (5A) is blown. It is necessary to replace the fuse of the same specification and check whether the motor load is too heavy (recommended load rate ≤ 85%).
Motor component inspection:
When the motor capacitor is damaged, it is necessary to replace the capacitor with the same model.
When the motor winding is short-circuited or open, measure the insulation resistance with a megohmmeter. If it is lower than 0.5 MΩ, it needs to be baked (100 ℃/8 hours) or rewound.
Maintenance case: A paint factory was shut down due to the aging of the motor capacitor. By replacing the capacitor and adjusting the load rate, the troubleshooting time only took 45 minutes.
Fault scenario: The connection between the color mix machine and the computer fails, or it is not in the original position after powering on.
Solution:
Port and settings check:
Verify that the connection port between the device and the computer is the same.
Check the port settings in the software to make sure they match the actual connection.
Initialize action:
If the device is not in the original position when turned on, it needs to be manually returned, and the initialization procedure is executed.
Avoid interrupting the power supply when online; otherwise, you need to reinitialize.
Fault scenario: During the paint tinting process, the output of color paste is intermittent, or there is no output at all.
In-depth investigation:
Valve body and pipe inspection:
When there are bubbles in the valve body, open the exhaust valve and pull the piston rod up and down 3-5 times to exhaust the air.
When the paint nozzle is blocked due to color paste precipitation, the valve body component needs to be disassembled and cleaned with warm water (water temperature ≤ 60 ℃).
Verification of Operational Specification:
Make sure that the wrench has been pulled to the bottom paint discharge position to avoid incomplete opening of the valve due to improper position.
Innovative technology: A company adopts a self-cleaning valve body design, which automatically cleans after each pulp discharge through a built-in brush, reducing the clogging rate of color paste by 90%.
Fault scenario: The nozzle outlet is blocked, or color contamination occurs between different color pastes.
Solution:
Nozzle cleaning and replacement:
When the iron color paste is dry and solid, remove the nozzle and soak it in warm water, and dredge it with a thin iron wire if necessary (it is forbidden to scratch it with hard objects).
When the nozzle endothelial pad is lost, it is necessary to replace the skin pad of the same specification (thickness 2mm, solvent-resistant).
Cleaning Process Optimization:
Use a wet towel to wipe the dispensing valve every day. Change the towel area of the different color paste tanks to avoid cross-contamination.
Disassemble the cleaning device every week, focusing on cleaning the brush (device a) and cleaning cotton (device b) to ensure that no colored paste remains.
Fault scenario: The color paste tank cannot accurately move to the specified position, resulting in an error in pulp extraction.
In-depth investigation:
Sensor and electromagnet inspection:
When the gap between the sensor and the induction sheet is too large, adjust it to 1-2mm (use a feeler gauge to verify).
When the contact surface between the braking electromagnet and the turntable is not parallel, the position of the electromagnet should be adjusted to ensure a uniform braking force.
Parameter settings validation:
When the turntable rotation speed is set too fast, reduce the speed through the control panel (≤ 30 rpm recommended).
Maintenance case: A printing factory caused positioning deviation due to excessive sensor gap, and the pulp extraction accuracy was improved by 95% after adjustment.
Fault scenario: A large amount of color paste adheres to the surface of the piston rod, affecting the measurement accuracy.
Solution:
Piston disc replacement:
When the piston plate is worn or damaged, replace the piston rod assembly of the same specification (it is recommended to change it every 5000 operations).
Cleaning and maintenance:
Pull the handle up and down 3 times a day to keep the color paste in the measuring cylinder flowing and avoid drying.
Disassemble the color paste bucket every week, and clean the inner wall and stirring blades with warm water to ensure that there is no residue.
Fault scenario: The equipment is suddenly powered off, and the fusing tube (2A) is fused.
In-depth investigation:
Circuit component inspection:
When the primary winding of the transformer is short-circuited between turns, it is necessary to replace the transformer of the same specification.
When the zener diode on the PCB breaks down, replace the diode with the same parameter.
Load and voltage verification:
Use a power quality analyzer to check the input voltage stability. When the fluctuation exceeds ± 10%, a voltage regulator needs to be installed.
Fault scenario: The turntable fails to brake steadily, or makes abnormal noise during operation.
Solution:
Electromagnet and bearing inspection:
When the brake electromagnet is open, replace the electromagnet of the same specification (such as DC24V/2A type).
When the turntable support bearings lack oil or are damaged, add grease or replace the bearings.
Parameters and settings adjustment:
Check the brake parameters in the “machtune.bat” file to make sure they match the device model.
Color paste management:
Pull the handle up and down 3 times to keep the color paste in the measuring cylinder flowing.
Clean the paint nozzle of the color paste bucket to avoid dry knots.
Equipment Inspection:
Pull the valve wrench 5 times to ensure the valve is flexible.
Check the liquid level of the color slurry barrel, and replenish the slurry in time when it is lower than the feed port.
Color paste bucket and ruler:
Check whether the color paste bucket is loose and tighten the base screws.
Clean the scale of the scale to avoid reading errors caused by color paste contamination.
Fixing seat and stirring system:
Check whether the fixing seat is loose, and adjust the set screw to screw in symmetrically the same number of turns.
Open the lid of the color paste bucket and verify that the stirring blade rotates normally.
Cleaning of color paste barrel and measuring cylinder:
Disassemble the color paste bucket assembly, and thoroughly clean the inner wall and piston rod with warm water.
Use special cleaning solution to circulate and rinse the measuring cylinder to remove the adherent color paste.
Performance Calibration:
Metering calibration by standard color paste to ensure output accuracy ≤ ± 1%.
Core features:
Vibration and temperature monitoring: real-time monitoring of spindle vibration value (threshold ≤ 8 mm/s) and shaft end temperature (≤ 60 ℃) through sensors.
Color paste consumption forecast: Establish a consumption model based on historical data to warn of the shortage of color paste in advance.
Practical case: After an enterprise deploys an Internet of Things system, unplanned downtime is reduced by 70% and maintenance costs are reduced by 40%.
6.2 Application Of Artificial Intelligence In Color Mixing Machine
Troubleshooting:
Identify failure modes (e.g. valve motor offset, color paste pump cavitation) by machine learning algorithms.
The accuracy rate reaches 95%, far exceeding the efficiency of manual diagnosis.
Automatic parameter optimization:
The AI algorithm automatically adjusts the spraying pressure and speed according to environmental parameters (temperature, humidity), and the yield rate is increased by 20%.
By adopting an integrated management model that combines preventive maintenance, intelligent monitoring, and rapid response, coating companies can achieve a substantial increase in equipment utilization rates. Furthermore, with the ongoing adoption of digital twin technology, fault diagnosis in color mixing machines is poised to enter a new era of predictive maintenance. This evolution will provide fresh momentum for high-quality development across the industry.
