Industrial Flake Ice Machine (suitable for purified low-temperature food workshops, slaughterhouses, and aquatic product processing plants)
I. Working Principle (Mainstream Vertical Cylindrical Evaporator Structure)
1. The cold water pump sprays water onto the inner wall of the 304/316 stainless steel vertical evaporator. The refrigerant in the evaporator jacket evaporates and cools to about -18°C, rapidly freezing the water film into thin ice.
2. The main shaft drives the spiral ice scraper to rotate at a constant speed, scraping off 1.5-2.5mm thin ice flakes, which fall by gravity into the ice storage bin below.
3. Unfrozen residual water returns to the water tank for recycling. The whole machine is PLC fully automatic: automatic shutdown protection for water shortage, ice full, and high/low pressure faults.
Flake ice parameters: ice temperature -5°C to -7°C, irregular scale-like thin flakes, no sharp corners, dry and not easy to clump. The surface area per unit weight is 3-5 times that of block ice, providing extremely fast heat absorption and cooling.
II. Two Main Cooling Types (Air-Cooled / Water-Cooled, with Chiller Selection)
1. Air-Cooled Flake Ice Machine (for small to medium workshops: daily output 0.3-5 tons)
- Condenser with finned air-cooled heat dissipation, no cooling tower or cooling water required. Can be installed outdoors or on the workshop floor; just connect water and electricity.
- Suitable for: cooked food, pastry, and small aquatic product purification workshops within 1,000㎡; refrigerant R404A/R507A environmentally friendly.
2. Water-Cooled Flake Ice Machine (for large and medium factories: daily output 5-60 tons)
- Condenser connected to circulating cooling water, requires a water-cooled screw chiller + cooling tower. Stable heat dissipation, reduced capacity loss in hot summer, and lower energy consumption per unit of ice produced.
- Suitable for: large slaughterhouses, deep aquatic product processing, and central kitchen low-temperature purification workshops, with 24-hour continuous ice production.
III. Capacity Specifications (24-Hour Daily Ice Production)
- Small: 300kg, 500kg, 1T, 2T (mostly air-cooled, 220V/380V)
- Medium: 3T, 5T, 8T (air-cooled or water-cooled optional)
- Large: 10T, 15T, 20T, 30T (all water-cooled, with centralized cooling water system for the plant)
IV. Applications in Food Purification Workshops (in Combination with Low-Temperature/Clean Workshops)
1. Meat slaughtering and cutting: Fresh meat is quickly cooled to 0-4°C with ice, inhibiting microbial growth and complying with food hygiene production standards.
2. Deep aquatic product processing: Fish fillets and shrimp are cooled with ice water during rinsing, and semi-finished products are preserved.
3. Bakery and pastry workshops: Ice is added during dough mixing to control temperature and prevent premature fermentation.
4. Ingredient/sauce purification area: Raw materials are cooled during mixing with water cooling, replacing traditional ice water tanks for more stable temperature control.
V. Key Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
1. Flake ice has strong gap penetration, closely contacting materials for cooling, with a cooling speed far exceeding that of block ice.
2. The whole machine has a stainless steel body, meeting food hygiene acceptance standards and being standard for clean workshops.
3. Continuous ice output, automated ice storage, and can be equipped with a screw ice conveyor for automatic feeding.
Disadvantages
1. The ice flakes are thin, and storage loss is greater than block ice, making them unsuitable for long-term ice storage.
2. The water-cooled model must be equipped with a water system, requiring higher initial auxiliary material investment.
VI. Matching Solutions (Linked with Previous Chiller Units)
1. Small workshops: Air-cooled flake ice machine + air-cooled screw chiller, no cooling water system required, easy installation.
2. Large purification plants: Water-cooled flake ice machine shares the plant's water-cooled screw chiller + cooling tower. One water system supplies both the workshop air conditioning and the flake ice machine, providing better overall energy efficiency.
VII. Routine Maintenance
1. Air-cooled models: Clean the condenser fin dust monthly to avoid high-temperature shutdown.
2. Food factories: Clean the evaporator and water tank weekly to prevent scale and bacterial growth.
3. For long-term shutdown, drain the water tank to prevent freezing and cracking.
