Cleaning and Maintaining your Pearl Mini
Recommended Cleaning and Maintenance
Daily Cleaning
The Pearl Mini cleans itself automatically using a setting you control in the dust cleaning menu. It works like a windscreen wiper, keeping the glass clear so the cameras can see the beans. We recommend setting it to clean for 5 seconds every 7 minutes.
At the end of each day, clear the dust out of the sorting chamber with either a vacuum or the air gun. If you use the air gun up the chute, take care: the Teflon fins (the flexible strips lining the chute) are easily damaged. Once you're finished, make sure the fins sit flat against the chute.
Never use chemicals or liquids inside the sorting chamber.
Lifts & Hopper
Above the hopper you'll find an access panel on the cyclone (the cone-shaped dust separator). Remove it to clean inside the hopper: undo the 5 screws with a 2mm Allen key, then clear it out with a vacuum or compressed air.
Depending on your lift setup, you'll also have either a vacuum or a pump box that needs regular cleaning.
Standard vacuums work much like a home vacuum: twist off the bottom and empty the bag.
The SOVDA Vacuum Box has a filter and a cyclone inside, similar to the one on your roaster. To empty it, undo the tri-clamp (the circular clamp that seals the container) and discard what's inside. To clean the filter on top, undo the clamps and remove it. Wearing a dust mask, blow it clean with compressed air in a well-ventilated area, ideally outside.
How often you clean depends on how much coffee you run through. Start with once a week and adjust from there. You can clean the Vacuum Box filter whenever you notice the machine moving coffee less effectively.
Tool Cabinet
There's a small tool cabinet on the back of the machine, on the left-hand side, with what you need to maintain it. Inside you'll usually find replacement fuses, replacement wipers, cable ties, the cabinet key, and any other tools that came in your blue envelope on delivery.
Air Filters & Teflon Fins
After 5,000 operating hours, your machine will alert you that the air filters need changing. You can order a replacement set through SOVDA Service. The filters must go back in the correct order, so follow these steps carefully.
First, shut off the air supply using the red shut-off valve. If there's still air in the system, use the air gun to release it.
Undo the filter housing by slowly twisting it to the left. Once it's off, squeeze the metal clip holding the filter and pull the filter out. Make a note on both the housing and the top of each filter of which one it is. There are 3 types, labelled AX, AA and AO from left to right. Check that each filter goes back in the right order and that it matches its housing.
Place each filter in its housing, insert the clip, and slowly screw it back on. There's a small rubber O-ring inside the assembly, so be careful: if you damage it, the filter will leak.
We recommend replacing your Teflon fins at the same time as the air filters. Remove the plate at an angle, then unscrew the sheet between the two metal plates. Fit the new fins, resetting each end into the slots on either side of the chute.
Recalibration
Over time, the cameras can shift and parts wear out. That's why we recommend recommissioning your Pearl Mini every 2 to 3 years, or every 200 tonnes, whichever comes first. This lets us check the machine over, make sure it's still sorting accurately, and keep your team well trained. To arrange a recalibration, contact your Technical Brand Ambassador or the Service Department.