1. My steam injection doesn’t seem to work.
2. My airflow isn’t what it used to be.
3. What is the brown stuff forming on the walls of my finisher?
4. What is the typical maintenance needed on my finisher?
5. What maintenance should be performed on my Transporter® Conveyor?
6. What should my steam injection pressure be set at?
7. What temperature should I run my finisher at?
8. When should we clean the lint screen(s)?
9. Why is blue smoke coming out of the finisher?
10. Why is my counter not counting?
11. Why is water coming out of my steam tubes?

My steam injection doesn’t seem to work.

The steam injection system operates as follows:

• A hanger must pass the fiber optic assembly on the conveyor.
• This will generate a signal to the photoelectric switch on top of the finisher.
• The photoelectric switch in turn sends a signal to the steam timer in the control panel.
• When the steam timer receives the signal from the photoelectric switch (verify steam timer settings and refer to owners manual), it in turn allows 110vac to travel to the coil on the steam injection solenoid.
• At that point the solenoid should open and the steam injection process should start.

My airflow isn’t what it used to be.

• Verify cleanliness of the blower. Even the finest layer of lint could dramatically reduce the amount of airflow the fan can produce. In the worst cases, operators have found garments actually sucked into the blower.

• Verify cleanliness of all lint screens and air plenums.

• Verify that re-deposition (brown stuff) hasn’t attached to the fins of the blower wheel. This will also reduce efficiency.

• Verify proper blower rotation.

• Verify belts are not slipping and are tightened sufficiently.

• Verify proper voltage to the motor and amperage level. The nameplate on the motor shows that information.

What is the brown stuff forming on the walls of my finisher?

This is a common challenge when changing your finishing process from dry-to-dry to extracted-to-dry.

• The brown stuff is a result of oils, grease, and dirt that did not get properly evacuated in the wash cycle.
• Unfortunately these impurities did not get held in suspension in the detergent during the wash cycle and were re-deposited on the garment and then through vaporization on the interior of the finisher (re-deposition).
• The finisher, unlike a dryer, is extremely visible in the plant. When you were finishing dry-to-dry, you did not see the problem because it was in your dryer. 
• Checking the wash formulas should be the first step.

What is the typical maintenance needed on my finisher?

Cleanliness is one of the most important things in operating and prolonging the life of the finisher. Lint, water, boiler carryover, re-deposition; these are the major enemies of the finisher.

Steam heated machines:

• Keep the lint filters clean
• Inspect at least weekly and clean if necessary the blower wheel(s)
• Inspect at least weekly and clean if necessary the bottom side of the steam coil(s)
• Clean the interior of the steam section and hot air finishing section as needed
• Clean the top of the finisher as well as airflow motors weekly

Gas heated machines:

• Keep the lint filters clean – both main airflow and combustion air

• Inspect at least weekly and clean if necessary the blower wheel(s)
• Clean the interior of the steam section and hot air finishing section as needed

• Clean the top of the finisher periodically as needed
• Inspect air plenums periodically as needed
• If your flame is yellow and you are creating block soot, it may be time to remove the ductwork going from the combustion blower to the bottom of the burner. Remove the ductwork, vacuum out the combustion blower and the baffles on the bottom of the burner. Also, inspect and clean the ductwork itself. Inspect and verify all components are free of defects. This process should be done yearly.

What maintenance should be performed on my Transporter® Conveyor?

MONTHLY

1.      Inspect the conveyor chain at the drive unit.

1. Inspect for excessive wear (bearings, joints)
2. Inspect for the presence of grease
3. Inspect conveyor tubing and curves for excessive wear
4. Verify proper take up tension on conveyor chain
5. Verify proper oil level in gear box

BI-ANNUALLY

1. Change drive unit gearbox oil every 2500 hours of service or 6 months. If severe operating conditions exist, change oil every 1 to 3 months. Use AGMA #7 or 7EP when ambient temperature does not exceed 90 degrees F. Use AGMA #8 or 8EP if ambient temperatures are normally between 80-125 degrees F.

ANNUALLY

1.      Inspect conveyor chain for presence of grease and cleanliness.

1. If chain is visibly contaminated with other materials than grease, the chain should be removed from the system, completely cleaned and re-greased.
2. The conveyor tubing should also be inspected and thoroughly cleaned.

What should my steam injection pressure be set at?

Regardless of what type of finisher you have, the steam injection system is set in the same fashion. Industrial launderer’s have a typical setting of 15-30psi whereas retail cleaners typically have a setting of 5-15psi.

• When setting the steam injection, first look at the steam pressure gauge with the steam injection off. It should show full steam line pressure.
• Now initiate the steam injection process. The steam gauge pressure should drop.
• Throttling the ½” ball valve on the steam injection line on top of the finisher will adjust your pressure accordingly.
• Closing the valve will reduce the pressure, opening the valve will increase the pressure.

What temperature should I run my finisher at?

When finishing industrial products (65/35 work uniforms) there are several things to consider when dealing with temperature. Keep in mind that all finishers have four things that will impact your garments appearance, STEAM, HEAT, AIRFLOW, and TIME.

• Fabric temperature is just what it says; the actual temperature the fabric reaches, not necessarily the temperature setting on the finisher.
• Heat tape must be used to acquire fabric temperature or some type of heat tracking system. It is important to tape several different areas on the garment to acquire accurate information
• Poly-cotton blended garments have a fabric temperature range of 260-280 degrees F. To obtain optimal appearance, this range should not be exceeded in either direction.

When dealing with the steam injection pressure, airflow and production rates, please contact a factory representative for proper specifications.

When should we clean the lint screen(s)?

• Take your busiest day and check the screens every hour.
• When a light film of lint has accumulated, it is time to clean the filter. Then follow that guideline.
• Your particular process and volume will determine how often you need to clean the filters.

*NEVER clean the lint screens with the machine in operation

• On gas heated machines, inspect the combustion blower lint screen located on the exterior of the machine at the same time and clean accordingly.

Why is blue smoke coming out of the finisher?

This is a common challenge when changing your finishing process from dry-to-dry to extracted-to-dry.

• The blue smoke is due to vaporized oils, grease, and dirt that did not get properly evacuated in the wash cycle.
• Unfortunately these impurities did not get held in suspension in the detergent during the wash cycle and were re-deposited on the garment and then the interior of the finisher (re-deposition).
• The finisher, unlike a dryer, is extremely visible in the plant. When you were finishing dry-to-dry, you did not see the problem because it was in your dryer. 
• Checking the wash formulas should be the first step.

Why is my counter not counting?

A count is initiated when a hanger passes the fiber optic assembly on the conveyor. If this is not consistent or does not function at all, take these steps:

• Inspect the fiber optic cables for nicks, cuts, abrasions, burns or any other defects.
• Verify that the optic eye is also free from defects.
• If the photoelectric switch is receiving a signal from the fiber optic cables, the red light on the photoelectric switch will blink as a hanger passes.
• Make sure that the fiber optic cables are inserted properly into the photoelectric switch. When installing the fiber optic cables into the photoelectric switch on top of the finisher, remove the cone shaped nuts; insert cables through the nuts and into the receivers on the photoelectric switch itself.
• DO NOT strip the cables. A 90-degree cut with a razor blade is recommended.
• When inserting the cables into the photoelectric switch, the cables will seem to bottom out, push the cables another 3/16” or so until they are fully seated.
• Install the nuts and try the process again.
• There is a sensitivity adjustment screw on the photoelectric switch. This may need adjustment as well.
• Verify wiring to the counter is in good shape.

Why is water coming out of my steam tubes?

There could be several different possibilities.

1. Your finisher has been supplied with steam traps and check valves. If one of these is not operating properly, there is the potential to back flow condensation through the steam tubes. Here are a couple of very quick ways to tell if the traps are operating properly on the finisher. First test the boil-off tube in the bottom steam pan; if this is hot, the trap most likely is not clogged. Also, in steam-heated machines, if you are maintaining your typical set temperature (over 212 degrees F) most likely the traps for the steam coils are not clogged.

2. Improper steam system piping could lead to potential water problems in the system. No traps should be in line with our finisher. All supply and return connections should be made off of the top of the steam supply header.

3. Traps within your steam system supplying other machinery could backflow condensation. You will definitely want to check those traps and check valves as well.

4. Excessive backpressure on the return line coupled with a faulty end of the line steam trap or check valve could result in this challenge.

5. Siphoning of the boiler is another possibility. Typically this shows up as an intermittent problem throughout the day.  This happens when the boiler steam demand is too great for the system to supply. You may need to check the peak demand of all of your equipment to make sure you have a sufficient steam source.