Materials.

304 stainless-steel: Food-industry mainstream grade, resistant to weak-acid fruit-vegetable media and water-vapor corrosion.

Plate thickness generally 0–3.0mm for welded construction; aeration tubes or strips adopt 304 stainless-steel. 316L stainless-steel: Applied for high-salt and high-organic-acid materials (tomatoes.

Berries etc.) with enhanced pitting-corrosion resistance. Plastic type (PP/PVC): Low-cost, mainly for small-scale simple equipment.

Not resistant to high-temperature and strong acid-alkali; seldom used long-term in large-scale food processing plants.

Aeration elements: Microporous-type uses food-grade EPDM rubber microporous membrane; orifice-open type uses stainless-steel perforated tubes.

Categories By structural form. Drilled aeration-tube type (tubular bubble generator): Numerous small orifices are drilled on steel-pipe sidewalls.

Compressed air jets from orifices produce bubbles. Simple construction, good anti-clogging performance; most common for immersion-drum washing machines.

Microporous aeration strips or discs: Manufactured from EPDM microporous rubber generating fine bubbles for strong water-agitation.

Drawback: easily clogged by sludge, sand and residues. Rotary shear-type bubble generator: Internal flow-guide channels shear rotating airflow for more uniform bubbles.

Usually supplied as standalone units and seldom deployed to fill entire water tanks. By mounting method. Bottom-mounted fixed type: Welded or bolted to water tank bottom.

Standard OEM configuration. Detachable suspended type: Suspended installation, allowing hoisting out from the water tank for cleaning and maintenance.

Preferred for large-size equipment. Uses

1. Massive bubble generation: Compressed air is released through the generator to produce dense upward-surge bubbles.

Water agitation & dirt removal: Rising and bursting bubbles create impact and turbulence loosening and removing sludge.

Insect eggs and residual pesticide on material surfaces while mechanical-friction-caused material damage. Water tank water circulation: Air bubbles drive upward-downward water flow and stop silt-sand accumulation at tank-bottom dead zones.

Auxiliary soaking: Improves contact efficiency between water and materials for enhanced soaking-softening effect.

Cooperating with drum screw conveyors to raise washing efficiency. Partial auxiliary flotation: Slight gravity separation.

Certain light impurities are floated for overflow discharge. Problems and Causes of Damage Faults. Uneven air output, local zero-air zones.

Blocked air orifices; weld-joint air leakage; deformed aeration tubes; damaged or detached microporous membranes.

Corroded-broken generator supports. Causes of Damage

1. Clogging (most common): Fruit-vegetable debris and silt enter pores or micropores and accumulate to block air outlets.

This issue is particularly severe for microporous-rubber variants.

Corrosion: Long-term immersion in fruit-vegetable organic acid or salt water produces pitting corrosion on weld seams.

Plastic components age and crack faster under high-temperature or detergent exposure. Airflow-induced fatigue: Pulsating blower air pressure repeatedly impacts weld seams and triggers weld cracking and air leakage.

Physical impact: Hard deposits at tank bottom or mechanical impact during cleaning-maintenance deform tubes and tear orifices.

Abnormal pressure: Excessive blower pressure ruptures microporous membranes; insufficient pressure yields inadequate bubble volume.

Backflow contamination: After equipment shutdown, tank water flows backward into aeration tubes; residues accumulate inside and increase clogging risk upon restart.

Routine Maintenance

1. Per-shift inspection: Check bubble uniformity after startup; listen for abnormal noise and air leakage.

Verify normal blower pressure.

Per-shift cleaning: Drain water tank and rinse aeration-tube surfaces to remove fruit-vegetable residues; flush air orifices periodically using high-pressure water.

Anti-backflow measure: Close air-inlet valve before stopping the blower to stop sewage backflow into bubble generator and air duct.

A check valve may be fitted. Periodic disassembly inspection: For tubular generators, disassemble and inspect internal sludge accumulation every 1 to 3 months.

For microporous generators, regularly inspect diaphragms for damage or detachment and replace as needed. Weld-and-support inspection: Visually check weld seams for pitting and air leakage.

Inspect fixed supports for rust and looseness; repair welding and tightening timely. Air-source cleanliness control: Fit an air filter at blower inlet to reduce dust ingress and slow clogging.

Long-term shutdown maintenance: Drain residual water inside pipes, rinse thoroughly and keep dry. reduce prolonged immersion of microporous-rubber parts in residual acid-alkali wastewater.

Additional For immersion-drum washing machines, 304 perforated tubular aerators are preferred. They deliver superior anti-clogging performance and simpler maintenance compared with microporous-type products.

Microporous aeration provides better washing performance but demands higher-frequency maintenance and suits raw materials with low sediment content.

If the bubble generator itself shows no rotation failure malfunctions mostly originate from clogging or weld-joint leakage.

Which directly degrade washing effectiveness.