Automatic Direct-Cooling Block Ice Machine (for purified low-temperature food plants, aquatic and slaughterhouse use; compared with flake ice / traditional brine block ice)
I. Working Principle
Aluminum alloy integrated ice mold (evaporator). Refrigerant R404A/R507 directly evaporates and absorbs heat in the interlayer of the aluminum mold to freeze ice, without heat transfer through brine.
1. PLC fully automatic water supply → water is stored in a sealed ice tank; refrigerant at about -15°C freezes ice from the outer wall inward.
2. After the ice is formed, hot gas defrosting releases the ice: high-temperature refrigerant is passed into the mold interlayer, and the whole ice block automatically falls off. No manual lifting of ice, no thawing tank throughout the process.
3. The ice block falls onto the discharge platform and goes directly into the ice storage room. Ice-making cycle: 8–12 h per full mold.
II. Two Cooling Types (Air-Cooled / Water-Cooled, adaptable to plant chilled water system)
1. Air-cooled direct-cooling block ice (daily output 0.5T–5T, for small and medium purified workshops)
Built-in finned condenser; no cooling tower or cooling water required. Just connect power and water on site. Suitable for small and medium central kitchens, small aquatic processing plants, and scattered ice users.
2. Water-cooled direct-cooling block ice (daily output 5T–100T, for large food industrial parks)
Condenser cooling water circulates; can share the plant's water-cooled screw chiller + cooling tower. Stable capacity in high-temperature environments, saves 15%+ electricity. Standard for slaughterhouses and large cold-chain storage.
III. Main Specifications (24h daily ice output + weight per block)
- Small: 0.5T, 1T, 2T, block weight 5kg/10kg (commonly used in food workshops)
- Medium: 3T, 5T, 8T, 10T, block weight 20kg
- Large: 15T/20T/30T/50T, block weight 25kg/50kg, mainly water-cooled
Power consumption reference: direct-cooling consumes approx. 55–65 kWh per ton of ice; traditional brine block ice approx. 75–85 kWh/ton. Obvious electricity cost advantage for year-round production.
IV. Block Ice Characteristics (key differences from flake ice)
Ice temperature -7°C to -9°C, dense and hard, large volume, small surface area, low melting loss during long-distance storage and transport. Storage loss <10% for 3–7 days (flake ice can only be stored for 1–2 days).
No contact with brine; aluminum alloy ice mold is food-grade. The ice is clean and can directly contact fresh produce and ingredients, meeting purified workshop food acceptance standards.
Large blocks can be crushed into crushed ice, so one machine handles both whole ice and crushed ice.
V. Comparison with Traditional Brine Block Ice Machine (key advantages, why food plants prefer it)
1. Saves civil construction: no brine tank, overhead crane, or thawing pool; footprint reduced by 60%; lower plant investment.
2. Saves labor: fully automatic hot-gas defrosting, only 1 operator required; brine machines need 3–4 workers for crane ice retrieval and brine replacement.
3. Longer service life: no brine corrosion on aluminum molds, evaporator less prone to rust; machine life 12–15 years; brine ice buckets corrode and fail in 3–5 years.
4. Hygiene compliance: no salt residue contamination on ice; compliant for cooked food and fresh produce processing; brine ice contains trace salt and cannot be used for direct food preservation.
VI. Application Scenarios in Purified/Low-Temperature Workshops (with chiller and flake ice machine solutions)
1. Meat slaughter and cutting workshop: large block ice stored in bulk, crushed as needed, maintaining 0–4°C for long-distance cold chain of fresh meat.
2. Aquatic purification processing: live fish and seafood temporary holding and preservation, dock-side aquatic storage and transport.
3. Fruit and vegetable cold chain processing plant: pre-cooling of produce, long-distance distribution preservation.
4. Plant combination solutions
- Small plant: air-cooled block ice + air-cooled screw chiller + air-cooled flake ice, no water system.
- Large plant: water-cooled block ice + water-cooled screw chiller sharing cooling tower; one cooling water system supplies workshop air conditioning, flake ice machine, and block ice machine simultaneously, offering better overall energy efficiency.
VII. Optional Features
1. Containerized integrated direct-cooling block ice: complete unit pre-installed in a container; for construction sites or temporary processing plants, connect power and water on arrival, no machine room construction needed.
2. PLC group control: multiple units automatically start/stop based on daily ice consumption, intelligent water replenishment and temperature control.
3. Crushed ice accessory: crusher installed at the discharge outlet to produce crushed ice directly, replacing temporary flake ice supply.
