Supporting You Every Slice of the Way

Grote Company is committed to supporting you throughout the long life of your equipment. Whether you’ve had your Slicer/Applicator for years or are just getting started, these resources are to help you:

  • Train operators and maintenance
  • Accurately set-up your slicer
  • Troubleshoot issues
  • Run your slicer the best it can

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Slicer Set-up

Watch how to set up your Slicer/Applicator step-by-step.

Overview

Blade Guide

Blade Installation

Product Holder

Captive/Trap Key System

Operator Interface Navigation

Not Finding What You need or need assistance?

SLICER TROUBLESHOOTING

Review Slicer/Applicator issues, their potential causes, and actions to resolve them.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough product weight in the product holders Product holders must be at least 2/3 full
Product stuck in the product holder – not feeding properly
  1. Stop machine
  2. Remove all product
  3. Check product and tube size (1/8" clearance all around the product)
Blade not tracking properly
  1. Check blade guide for product residue (or anything else that may be in the slot)
  2. Check for adequate water supply & flow
  3. Retrack the blade and check for proper tracking
X-Gap not set correctly
  1. Check blade tracking
  2. Reset x-gap according to the chart in the manual
Thickness tray not level side-to-side
  1. Place a straight edge on the blade guide and thickness tray
  2. Reset the thickness tray level from front to back at ground zero

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough product weight in the product holders Product holders must be at least 2/3 full
Product stuck in the product holder – not feeding properly
  1. Stop machine
  2. Remove all product
  3. Check product and tube size (1/8" clearance all around the product)
Blade not tracking properly
  1. Check blade guide for product residue (or anything else that may be in the slot)
  2. Check for adequate water supply & flow
  3. Retrack the blade and check for proper tracking
Drive Pulley not at the proper pitch
  1. Remove blade guide
  2. Check for proper tracking on the drive pulley per the manual (blade should be straight – not bowed – between the pulleys)
X-Gap not set correctly
  1. Check blade tracking
  2. Reset x-gap according to the chart in the manual
Thickness tray not level front-to-back
  1. Place a straight edge on the blade guide and thickness tray
  2. Reset the thickness tray level from front to back at ground zero

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough water
  1. Refill water reservoir
  2. Check water applicator pad or blade guide for product residue
Blade dull or inside out Replace the blade, check blade for proper bevel position
Improper loading of product –
  • Not enough product in the holder
  • Product is jammed somewhere in the holder
  1. Stop the machine
  2. Remove all stuck product
  3. Check product/tube sizing
  4. Reload the tube
Improper slice position on shuttle Product leading edge must fall within the first three links of the shuttle belt
Shuttle roller clutches not operating properly
  1. Stop
  2. Remove shuttle from frame
  3. Rotate clutches manually – if not operating properly, replace (Ensure that the bearings are facing the proper way – the left bearing should have the printing on the end facing away from the shuttle, the right bearing’s print should be facing into the shuttle)
Improper distance from slicer to shuttle, conveyor, or target
  1. Shuttle as close as possible to conveyor or target
  2. Drop is less than half the distance of the product size
Improper stroke length Stroke 1/8" before the blade in the home position, 1/8" after the leading edge of the blade guide on fwd stroke (these clearances should be 5/8" on 613)
Product transfer fingers bent, missing or jammed Check transfer fingers for excess product build-up; clean, straighten, or replace
Improper product holder height Proper height is no less than 1/32", no more than 1/16"

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Product shaving Check thickness tray angle (shouldn’t be uphill into the blade for most products)
Not enough product in the product holders Product holders should be at least 2/3 full
Product hung up or not feeding properly
  1. Stop machine
  2. Remove all product and reload properly
  3. Check product and tube sizes
Product temperature Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
Blade not tracking properly
  1. Check blade for product residue
  2. Clean the blade guide
  3. Retrack the blade according to the manual
X-Gap not set correctly Check blade tracking and reset the blade guide according to the chart in the manual
Thickness tray not level from front to back
  1. Remove blade
  2. Relevel tray to ground zero
Blade guide worn Using proper tools, check the blade guide slot. If out of tolerance, replace the blade guide.

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Product temperature Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
Improper loading
  1. Stop
  2. Remove all product and reload properly
Improper product fit in product holders
  1. Check product size and holder size
  2. Product size plus 1/8" is normal
  3. However, different products require different sizing
Improper product holder height Proper height no less than 1/32" and no more than 1/16" from the bottom of the holder to the blade
Excessive stroke Going more than 1/8" past the leading edge of the blade guide opens the space between bottom of the tube and the tray and promotes more scrap
Dull blade or worn blade guide Replace
Thickness tray not level Place straight edge from blade guide to thickness tray and level side-to-side, front-to-back
Improper blade tracking
  1. Check machine setup on drive and idle sides
  2. Check blade and pulleys for residue
  3. Correct as needed

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough water
  1. Check reservoir
  2. Check water applicator pad for product residue
  3. Check for flow from all water ports on water-injected blade guide
  4. Check needle valves and hose connections for water injected blade guide
Excessive residue on the blade Check blade scrapers, if applicable
Product temperature Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
Blade not tracking properly
  1. Check blade & blade guide for product residue
  2. Check water reservoir
  3. Retrack blade according to the manual
X-Gap not set properly
  1. Check blade tracking
  2. Reset gap according to chart in manual
Thickness tray not set to proper range Proper range starts at ground zero and must be re-leveled at 1/4" increments according to the slice
Cluster height
  1. Set according to the manual
  2. No less than 1/32" between tube and guide
  3. No more than 1/16"
Improper blade guide The more cutback (blade exposed), the more slinging
Improper blade Check blade type for the specific application (some sling more with toothed blades, other sling more with knife edge)

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough water
  1. Check reservoir
  2. Check applicator pad for product residue
Dull blade
  1. Replace blade
  2. If blade is new, check to see if it has come in contact with the cluster or pusher
Product temperature Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
Improper loading
  1. Stop the machine
  2. Remove all product
  3. Check for proper sizing/fit
  4. Reload properly
Blade not tracking properly
  1. Check machine setup on drive and idle sides
  2. Check blade & blade guide for product residue
  3. Check water supply for blade
  4. Check water pad/water-injected blade guide for line clarity
  5. Retrack the blade
X-Gap not set properly Set x-gap at approx. 1/16" wider than the maximum slice thickness
Stroke not set properly
  1. 1/8" before the blade (5/8" for 613)
  2. 1/8" after the leading edge of the blade guide (5/8" for 613)
Improper or worn blade guide
  1. Use supplied gauge tools to check the slot
  2. Replace the guide

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Product Temperature
  1. Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
  2. Too cold – more curl
  3. Too warm – more twisting
Product fingers jammed, bent, or missing Clean, straighten, or replace
Improper blade guide Cutback and double cutback guides will reduce curling

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Product Temperature Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
Product dropping off the thickness tray before the slice is complete Check x-gap for proper setting (may be too wide)
Improper blade guide Try cutback, double cutback, 10-degree guides

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough water
  1. Check water reservoir/supply
  2. Check water pad/water-injected blade guide for line clarity
Blade dull or inside out
  1. Replace
  2. Check blade for proper bevel installation
Wrong style of blade Check blade type
Wrong style of blade guide Double cutback and 10-degree guides have a flatter angle on the underside

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Product temperature Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper slicing range
Improper blade tracking
  1. Check blade and guide for product residue
  2. Check water supply
  3. Check water pad or water-injected blade guide for line clarity
Dull blade Replace blade
Improper blade A tough outer skin may not slice well with a knife edge blade – try a modified v-tooth
Improper stroke length If stroke length is slightly too short (so that the product is not sliced completely through), the product may tear away – check stroke centering and length
Thickness tray not level from front to back
  1. Place a straight edge from the blade guide to the thickness tray
  2. Reset the thickness tray level from front to back at ground zero
Improper product holder clearance (too high) Set the clearance between the blade guide and the bottom of the product holder no higher than 1/16" and no lower than 1/32"

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Wrong voltage/No voltage
  1. Check incoming voltage for proper supply
  2. Check E-stops
  3. Check Alarm Screen (if applicable)
Overload tripped
  1. Check blade and guide for product residue
  2. Check water supply
  3. Check water pad or water-injected blade guide for line clarity
No Pressure
  1. Check for proper rotation
  2. Check line clarity
  3. Check suction and return filters

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Wrong voltage
  1. Check incoming voltage
  2. Check E-stops
Overload tripped
  1. Check for proper setting and output
  2. Monitor line current to the motor
  3. Check line polarity
Blade Frozen
  1. Check blade and guide for product residue
  2. Check water supply
  3. Check applicator pad/water-injected blade guide for line clarity
  4. Retrack or replace the blade
  5. If blade is jammed in the blade guide slot, inspect the slot for debris, depth wear

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Is blade running? Check for proper blade rotation
Hydraulic pump rotation and pressure
  1. Check pressure gauge
  2. Switch phases on the plug/power supply
Cluster pull pin
  1. Ensure it is fully installed
  2. Check for jamming on the drive arm
Clutch/Clutch coil
  1. If drive motor is running, but clutch doesn’t engage:
  2. Inspect tyhe clutch coil for possible failure (burnt appearance, smell, etc.)
  3. Check that the coil voltage has proper supply
  4. Check the supply from the TDR, PLC, or remote input
Shuttle, shuttle linkage, or pusher jammed
  1. Check for mechanical jam
  2. Check for pusher bar or shuttle at an angle

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Not enough water
  1. Check water supply
  2. Check applicator pad/water-injected blade guide for line clarity
Improper blade tracking
  1. Check machine setup for proper tracking on the drive and idle side
  2. Check blade and guide for product residue
  3. Retrack the blade
Blade too far out of the blade guide Set the guide so that there is .001 – 0.010" clearance between the back of the blade and the bottom of the blade guide slot
Blade pulleys Check for excessive wear on the crown (the blade should not be moving back and forth on the pulley during slicing)
Blade tension spring worn, rusty, or broken Replace the spring
Idle side bearing block not moving correctly
  1. Block must move freely with one hand
  2. Clean slide surfaces
  3. Replace delrin slide pieces if worn, cracked, or warped

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Possible Cause Corrective Action
Check Prox Switch
  1. Window should light up when ferrous metal is near the switch head
  2. Check that the switch is not loose
Counter Input Check for voltage from the prox switch
Clutch
  1. Attempt to run in bulk mode to check that the clutch is working
  2. Check the springs and the solenoid core for grease, dirt, or anything else that may hinder easy movement
Control output Check for signal from PLC, TDR, remote signal
Cluster drive Check for any loose parts that might allow some side to side movement of the flag or other part that the switch must read to count

Still having issues? Contact technical service for immediate phone or virtual support.

Slicer Resources

Download these tools to help you run and optimize your Slicer/Applicator.

PDF

Installing Your AccuBand® Blades Correctly

PDF

Determining the Correct Product Holder Size

PDF

Inspecting Pulley & Blade Guide Wear

ADDITIONAL SLICER SUPPORT

Order a Replacement part or blade

Have your equipment serial number & part number handy to submit your order request.

Order Parts

Request an equipment manual

Have your equipment serial number & part number handy to request a manual.

Request Manual

Have a general question?

Call our global Customer Service teams & reach a real-life person to answer your questions.

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