1) make sure that the rollers are correctly adjusted: the minimum distance from the die must be 0.2-0.3 mm. The wrong setting of the rollers can cause the contact between the rollers and the die. This may cause 'roll over' of the holes in the die - deformation and partial closing of the holes

2) a new die requires a running-in period. Start new dies in a progressive way, at least for the first 20-40 minutes, so as to warm them up slowly. If problems are experienced during start up, operate the die for 20-40 minutes with a mix of bran, oil (2%) and abrasive powder (2%). When production is finished, stop the die after running on oats or maize.

3) When changing dies, carefully assess the condition of the die seating surfaces and of the fixing systems (collar, clamp or wear ring). Careful: if the die is not properly fixed it can break.

4) If "roll over" of the die on the front area of the holes is observed, check that the wear ring (or the clamping ring) of the die holder assembly have not gained excessive allowance. In this case, actually, the rollers might get in touch with the working surface of the die thus damaging it, that is laminating its surface and deforming the entrance of the holes (roll over).

5) The die clamping rings should be checked every time a new die is put on the machine, especially for those dies designed with big flanges. From experience, in the majority of cases where a die has broken the cause has been due to a worn out or defective clamping ring. Dies running with a defective clamping ring can give rise to strong vibrations, die breakage and reduced die life.

Carefully examine the die to:

1. make sure that the material is evenly distributed across the whole working area
2. make sure that all the holes work to the same extent (by opening the clogged/closed holes if necessary)
3. make sure that the inlets to the holes are not damaged as a result of the contact with the rollers or as a result of tramp metal. Restore the countersink of the holes if necessary.