TL;DR
A burner combustion fault in one zone drops the temperature and causes glaze defects on the tile. Check the gas supply pressure and the air-gas ratio before inspecting the burner nozzle.
What you might see
- kiln temperature zone below setpoint
- burner flame detection fault alarm
- excessive CO in the kiln flue gas
- color or glazing defect on fired tiles
Likely causes
Gas supply pressure below the minimum for stable combustion in that burner
Air-gas ratio drifted from the optimal setting causing incomplete combustion
Burner nozzle contaminated with ceramic dust or deposits
Flame detection sensor fouled with soot or misaligned
Required tools
- Flue gas analyzer for CO measurement
- Gas pressure gauge
- Burner nozzle cleaning tools
- LOTO kit for burner isolation
Safety first
- Never re-ignite a burner without purging unburned gas from the kiln zone first. Gas accumulation in a hot kiln is an explosion hazard.
- Thermal radiation from kiln burner ports. Full heat-resistant PPE required.
Procedure
- 1
Read the zone temperature trend to confirm the zone is deviating. Check whether it is falling or oscillating.[1]
- 2
Check the gas supply pressure at the burner manifold. If below the minimum, investigate the gas supply upstream.[1]
- 3
Check the combustion air fan speed and air pressure for that zone.
- 4
Read the CO content in the flue gas for the deviating zone. High CO confirms incomplete combustion from incorrect air-gas ratio or burner fault.
- 5
Stop the affected burner by closing the individual gas valve. Inspect the burner nozzle for ceramic dust deposits. Clean if necessary.
Warning: Never restart a burner without confirming no unburned gas is present in the kiln zone. Purge the zone with combustion air before re-igniting. - 6
Clean or replace the flame detection sensor if it is fouled.
- 7
Re-ignite the burner following the kiln light-off procedure and confirm stable flame before closing the inspection port.
Sources
Sacmi Sacmi FMS / FMA Roller Kiln (Ceramics) general technical documentation, Sacmi
Sacmi roller kiln burner system maintenance and combustion adjustment documentation (general)
More guides for Sacmi Sacmi FMS / FMA
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A hot spot on the kiln shell means the refractory lining has cracked. Schedule a refractory repair at the next planned stop before the crack propagates and threatens the shell.
How to detect and replace broken rollers on a Sacmi FMS / FMA roller kiln
A broken kiln roller stops tile transport in that zone and risks damaging adjacent tiles. Replace broken rollers as quickly as possible using the hot roller replacement procedure to minimize production loss.
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