What are the precautions for operating a self-cooking rice cake machine

As an automated device that directly processes rice slurry or rice flour into rice cakes, the self-cooking rice cake machine must strictly follow safety regulations and process flows during operation. The following is an explanation from four aspects: preparation before operation, monitoring during operation, maintenance after shutdown, and safety taboos

I. Preparations Before Operation

Equipment inspection

Component integrity: Check whether the screw propeller, mold, discharge port, heating tube and other components are firmly installed without any looseness or cracks.

Cleanliness: Ensure that there is no residual rice slurry or rice cake debris inside the equipment to prevent blockage or contamination.

Lubrication maintenance: Apply food-grade lubricating oil to transmission chains, bearings and other parts to reduce friction losses.

Raw material preparation

Rice slurry concentration: Prepare the rice slurry as required by the equipment (such as a water-to-rice ratio of 1:1.2 to 1.5). If it is too thin, it may cause the rice cake to fail to take shape; if it is too thick, it will increase the load on the motor.

Pre-treatment: If dry rice flour is used, it should be soaked in advance until there is no hard core (about 4 to 6 hours) to ensure uniform water absorption.

Impurity filtration: Filter the rice milk through a fine sieve to remove impurities such as stones and rice husks, preventing damage to the equipment.

Power Supply and Safety

Grounding protection: Ensure the reliable connection of the grounding wire of the equipment to prevent leakage.

Voltage stability: Use an independent socket and avoid sharing it with other high-power electrical appliances to prevent voltage fluctuations from damaging the motor.

Protective device: Check whether the protective cover at the discharge port is installed properly to prevent scalding or getting entangled in clothes during operation.

Ii. Monitoring During Operation

Temperature and pressure control

Heating temperature: Adjust the heating temperature according to the type of rice (usually 120 to 150℃). If the temperature is too low, the rice cake will be undercooked; if it is too high, it is prone to burning.

Pressure adjustment: Observe the pressure gauge to ensure that the pressure of the screw conveyor is stable (0.2 to 0.4MPa). Insufficient pressure will affect the density of the rice cake.

Discharge status

The appearance of rice cakes: Normal rice cakes should have a smooth surface, no bubbles and uniform color. If breakage or roughness occurs, the concentration of the rice slurry or the heating temperature needs to be adjusted.

Continuity: The discharge should be uniform and continuous. If there is a flow interruption or blockage, stop the machine immediately for cleaning to prevent motor overload.

Operating Specifications

Uniform feeding: Use a quantitative spoon or conveyor belt to continuously feed to avoid clogging caused by pouring in too much rice slurry at one time.

Do not touch: During operation, it is strictly prohibited to touch the heating zone, screw propeller and other high-temperature or rotating parts with hands or tools.

Iii. Shutdown and Maintenance

Shutdown process

Pre-shutdown material cut-off: Stop feeding materials 5 to 10 minutes before the machine stops, empty the residual rice slurry in the equipment to prevent coking.

Cooling and cleaning: After the equipment has naturally cooled to below 50℃, disassemble the mold and the discharge port, rinse with clean water and brush off any residues.

Rust prevention treatment: After cleaning, dry the equipment and apply edible oil to the metal parts for rust prevention.

Long-term storage

Dry environment: Store in a dry and well-ventilated place to avoid moisture causing short circuits or rusting of components.

Regular inspection: Power on and run the motor once a month (for 10 minutes) to prevent the motor from getting damp or the transmission components from getting stuck.

Replacement of vulnerable parts

Screw propeller: Check the wear condition every 3 to 6 months. If obvious grooves appear, replace it.

Sealing ring: Replace it every six months to prevent the rice slurry from leaking and damaging the motor.

Iv. Safety Taboos and Emergency Response

Prohibited behavior

No-load operation: It is strictly prohibited to run the equipment without rice slurry, as this may cause the screw propeller to overheat and deform.

Unauthorized modification: Do not alter the circuit or heating system without authorization to prevent fire or electric shock.

Child operation: Children are strictly prohibited from touching the equipment to prevent accidental contact with high-temperature components or rotating mechanisms.

Exception handling

Abnormal phenomena, possible causes and solutions

If the heating temperature of the burnt rice cake is too high or the amount of ingredients added is insufficient, reduce the temperature and increase the amount of ingredients added

If the motor makes abnormal noise, the screw propeller is stuck or the bearing is damaged, stop the machine immediately, clear the blockage or replace the bearing

If there is a leakage trip, the power line is damaged or poorly grounded, check the circuit and re-ground it