As a key piece of equipment in the material sorting field, the air separator achieves efficient separation of light and heavy materials based on the principle of airflow separation, and is widely used in industries such as mining, building materials, and environmental protection. Its installation accuracy and commissioning quality directly determine the sorting efficiency, separation purity, and equipment operational stability. If there are installation deviations, inadequate sealing, or unreasonable commissioning parameters, problems such as air leakage, uneven sorting, and increased energy consumption can easily occur. This article, combining the structural characteristics of air separators and practical experience, systematically outlines a practical operating guide from pre-installation preparation, core installation procedures, phased commissioning, and safety regulations, helping practitioners to accurately control each step and ensure the equipment is quickly put into use and achieves optimal performance.

I. Pre-installation Preparation: Building a Solid Foundation

1. Site and Foundation Preparation The installation site must meet the equipment's operational requirements. The ground must be flat and hard, with a bearing capacity of not less than 1.2 times the total weight of the equipment (for large air separators, a foundation bearing capacity of ≥150kN/m² is recommended). Construct the concrete foundation according to the equipment foundation drawing, reserving anchor bolt holes. The hole depth and diameter must meet the design requirements (usually the hole depth is 1.5-2 times the bolt length). The foundation curing period should be no less than 28 days to ensure the strength meets the standards. Simultaneously, plan the equipment layout, reserving infeed and discharge channels and maintenance space (at least 1.2m operating distance around the perimeter), ensuring smooth ventilation, preventing dust accumulation, and constructing a rain and sun shelter to prevent the equipment from being affected by severe weather.

2. Equipment and Tool Inspection: Unpack and inspect the equipment to ensure all parts are complete and intact. Verify the model and quantity of key components such as the main unit, fan, duct, sorting box, motor, and transmission device. Check for any deformation or damage caused during transportation. Pay special attention to the integrity of the impeller and screen, checking for any bumps or knocks on the fan impeller, ensuring the blade angles are consistent, and verifying the bearing seals are in good condition, ensuring there are no cracks or rust. Prepare necessary installation tools, such as a crane (with a lifting capacity greater than 1.2 times the weight of the largest component of the equipment), a level, torque wrench, a spirit level, and a measuring tape. Also prepare auxiliary materials such as anchor bolts, nuts, washers, lubricating oil, and sealant.

II. Core Installation Process: Precise Operation and Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Main Unit Installation: Use a crane to hoist the main unit onto the foundation. Adjust the main unit's position to align the inlet and outlet with the process flow. Use a level and spirit level to correct the main unit's horizontal and vertical alignment. The horizontal error of the frame should be ≤0.2mm/m, and the vertical error ≤0.3mm/m. Place the anchor bolts into the pre-drilled holes and pour secondary grout (using high-strength, non-shrink grout). After the grout reaches the design strength (usually after 7 days of curing), tighten the anchor bolts to the specified torque using a torque wrench (the tightening torque must meet the requirements of the equipment manual, generally 200-400 N·m), ensuring the main unit is firmly fixed and not loose. 1. **Separation of the Sorting Box:** Ensure the sorting box is tightly connected to the main unit and properly sealed to prevent air leakage that could affect the sorting effect.

2. Transmission System Installation:** Install the motor and transmission device. If a coupling drive is used, adjust the motor base to be level, ensuring the coaxiality error between the motor shaft and the main unit's transmission shaft is ≤0.1mm, and the parallelism error of the two end faces of the coupling is ≤0.2mm. If a belt drive is used, adjust the motor position to align the pulleys and ensure the belt tension is moderate (pressing the middle of the belt should result in a deflection of 8-12mm), preventing belt slippage or wear during operation. Install the transmission protective cover to ensure adequate protection of the transmission components and prevent accidents. Check the impeller installation; the impeller connection to the shaft must be secure, the impeller clearance must be uniform, and the clearance between the impeller and the inner wall of the casing should be controlled at 5-10mm to prevent friction during operation.

3. Ventilation System Installation

Install ductwork, fans, and dust collection equipment. Duct connections must be tightly sealed. When using flange connections, use high-temperature resistant, leak-proof gaskets. Tighten bolts evenly to ensure no air leakage. Minimize bends in the ductwork installation; bend angles should not be less than 90° to avoid excessive airflow resistance. The duct slope must meet design requirements to prevent material accumulation. Install the fan; the fan base must be securely fixed, the fan inlet and outlet must connect smoothly to the ductwork, and the fan rotation direction must be correct (according to the arrow direction on the equipment label). Connect the dust collection equipment, ensuring the dust collection pipeline is unobstructed and the dust collection efficiency meets environmental protection requirements to avoid dust pollution.

4. Electrical and Auxiliary System Installation

Install the electrical control system, connecting motors, sensors, control cabinets, etc. Check that wiring connections are correct, grounding is reliable, and insulation performance meets standards. Install level gauges, pressure sensors, and other detection devices to ensure accurate signal transmission and facilitate real-time monitoring of equipment operation. Connect the lubrication system, check the lubrication lines for blockages, and add appropriate lubricating oil (usually No. 32 or No. 46 machine oil). The oil level must be within the range specified on the oil level indicator. Install the feeding and discharging devices to ensure uniform feeding and smooth discharge. A regulating valve can be installed at the feeding inlet to control the feed rate.

III. Phased Commissioning: Gradual Improvement for Enhanced Efficiency

1. No-Load Commissioning: Before no-load commissioning, recheck the installation of all components to ensure bolts are tight, lubrication is sufficient, seals are good, and protection is in place. Connect the power supply and start the equipment for no-load operation for 2-3 hours. Observe the equipment's operating status: the impeller rotates smoothly without significant vibration (vibration speed ≤ 4.0 mm/s); the bearing temperature is normal, and after 1 hour of operation, the temperature ≤ 70℃ with no abnormal temperature rise; the motor current is stable with no overload; there are no air or oil leaks at any sealing points, and airflow in the duct is smooth. 1. **Survey and Inspection:** If excessive vibration or abnormal noise occurs, immediately stop the machine for inspection, adjust the impeller balance, or tighten components. If air leakage is found, reinforce the seal promptly.

2. Load Testing:** After successful no-load testing, conduct load testing, gradually increasing the feed rate (starting from 30% of rated capacity, increasing by 10% every 30 minutes until full load), and run continuously for 4-6 hours. Key monitoring points: Whether the sorting efficiency meets requirements (sorting purity typically needs to be ≥95%, depending on material characteristics); whether light and heavy materials are completely separated; whether the motor current is stable at 80%-90% of the rated current, without frequent overload; whether the fan pressure and air volume are normal, and whether there is material blockage in the duct; and whether the material flow at the outlet is uniform without accumulation. During this period, regularly check the temperature, vibration, and tightness of each component. If insufficient sorting purity is found, adjust the fan speed, impeller angle, or feed rate. If material blockage occurs, clean the duct and sorting box promptly.

3. Debugging and Optimization

Optimize parameters based on load debugging results: If too much heavy material is mixed with light material, appropriately increase the fan speed or increase the air intake; if too much light material is mixed with heavy material, decrease the fan speed or decrease the air intake; if material separation is uneven, adjust the feeding device to ensure uniform feeding, or adjust the angle of the guide plate inside the sorting box. Record the sorting effect under different parameters during debugging, such as fan speed, feed rate, and sorting purity, to determine the optimal operating parameters and provide a reference for subsequent stable operation.

4. Installation and Debugging Precautions

Strictly follow the installation principle of "fixing before connecting, main unit before auxiliary units" to avoid rework due to incorrect installation sequence. Ensure the duct installation is tightly sealed with an air leakage rate ≤5%.

All connecting bolts must be tightened to the specified torque. Anti-loosening measures must be taken for critical parts (such as impeller and motor base) to prevent loosening and falling off during operation.

During commissioning, operators must stay away from rotating parts and duct inlets/outlets. Opening the maintenance door or touching transmission parts while the equipment is running is strictly prohibited. A dedicated person must monitor the process, and the emergency stop button must be pressed immediately if any abnormality is detected.

The entire installation and commissioning process must be meticulously documented, including foundation dimensions, installation deviations, commissioning parameters, and equipment operating status, to facilitate subsequent maintenance and troubleshooting.

After successful commissioning, operators must be trained to familiarize themselves with the equipment operating procedures, parameter adjustment methods, and safety precautions to prevent improper operation from affecting equipment efficiency.

For air separators handling flammable, explosive, or corrosive materials, additional explosion-proof and corrosion-proof treatments are required to ensure safe operation.

The installation and commissioning of the air separator are crucial for ensuring long-term stable operation and achieving optimal separation efficiency. From thorough site preparation and precise control of component installation to gradual no-load and load commissioning, every step must strictly adhere to technical specifications and meticulous attention to detail. By ensuring accurate equipment positioning, secure connections, and good sealing through standardized installation, and by optimizing operating parameters through scientific debugging, coupled with full-process safety management and record traceability, the equipment failure rate can be effectively reduced, giving full play to its advantages of high sorting efficiency and excellent separation purity, thus laying a solid foundation for subsequent production operations.