Extruder Maintenance Schedule: What to Check and When

Plastic Expert engineers have compiled a maintenance schedule for an extrusion line: which tasks to perform every day, week, month, quarter and year. Below are the tasks by period and the engineers' tips; the full table can be downloaded as a PDF and printed.

Download the extruder maintenance schedule (PDF, one A4 page, 112 KB)

How to read the schedule

Each subsequent type of maintenance includes the tasks of the previous one. Weekly maintenance covers everything done daily plus its own items; yearly maintenance covers the entire list.

Daily

• Check the temperature in each extruder zone and record the readings in the shift log.
• Monitor the pressure in the die head.
• Monitor the cooling system (air, liquid).
• Check the condition of the rollers and the tension and condition of the belts.
• Clean the screw and hopper of residual material.

Weekly

In addition to the daily tasks:

• Check the tightness of connections.
• Inspect the wiring and sensors.
• Check the lubricant level in the gearbox.
• Test the emergency stop switches and protection systems.

Monthly

In addition to the weekly tasks:

• Remove and clean the fine filters.
• Check the condition of the heating elements and thermocouples.
• Assess wear of the screw and barrel (based on sensor data).
• Check the operation of the automatic film thickness control system, if included in the configuration.
• Perform diagnostics of the drive and gearbox.

Quarterly

In addition to the monthly tasks:

• Full check of the hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
• Measure vibration and noise level.
• Check the accuracy of temperature control in each zone.
• Tighten bolted connections.

Yearly

In addition to the quarterly tasks:

• Disassemble and inspect the screw and barrel for defects.
• Replace worn parts (bearings, seals, shafts).
• Calibrate the control system.
• Full diagnostics of the automation.

Tips from Plastic Expert engineers

• Always carry out maintenance and keep a log recording operating parameters and wear: this helps track changes in raw material parameters, monitor wear and plan spare parts purchases.
• Use only original components, quality lubricants and raw materials.
• Do not postpone minor routine repairs: even a small fault can lead to serious downtime.
• Schedule repair work for periods of low production load.

What to read next

• How to determine screw wear.
• Film Extruders: Design, Parameters and How to Choose.
• Screws and screw-and-barrel sets in the spare parts section.
• Training and service.

For questions about maintenance and spare parts, contact a Plastic Expert manager: 8 (800) 700-49-01.