Spiral Freezer Energy Savings With Advanced Monitoring and Controls

Spiral freezers are an efficient means of freezing food in a relatively small space. The dynamic cooling process is germ-free and provides a thorough freezing. This helps retain the essence, original texture, and freshness of the food. Additionally, the rapid freezing cycle enables faster turnaround.

Despite the small footprint of spiral freezers, they are significant energy users. Through our work with food professionals utilizing this type of equipment, Veregy has identified many opportunities for energy savings that can be made with advanced monitoring and controls.

Food processors need to have the ability to control operating parameters in order to meet their operational needs and requirements. This includes optimizing belt speed, temperature set points, and fan speeds. Depending on product geometry and weight, the freezer might need to operate at a higher or lower air flow rate. This will affect the target product temperatures at the freezer outlet.

When a new product is introduced, the target temperature of the spiral freezer might need to be adjusted. If this is not done, products might exit the freezer at a warm temperature, which could result in lost product and poor quality for end use. In response, the belt speed might be increased and the temperature set point lowered. This will increase the production rate but can significantly impact the energy use of the system.

An automated temperature monitoring and control solution can help to resolve these issues. By integrating with the main refrigeration and process controls, these spiral freezers can automatically adjust to accommodate changes in product specifications, without requiring manual intervention from plant personnel. This helps eliminate errors and reduces downtime due to product changeovers. It also frees up labor resources that can be better spent on other plant responsibilities.

In addition to improving product quality, this technology can help reduce energy costs. The automation of product monitoring and the integration with freezer controls can save valuable energy that would otherwise be wasted by the system.

Another way to improve efficiency is by automating the cleaning and sanitizing of the spiral freezer. Using JBT's Clean-in-Place (CIP) technology on your spiral freezers can cut down the time and effort needed to clean and sanitize these important pieces of equipment. This allows you to save time and money on labor and utilities while ensuring your freezers are always ready for production.

The best way to find the right spiral freezer for your business is to do your research and talk to a variety of providers. Ask them about their pricing, features and benefits. After that, you should be able to find the perfect solution for your needs. Moreover, it is also helpful to consider the amount of space you need for your freezer. After all, you don't want to end up with a machine that is too large or too small for your facility. This will ultimately affect the cost and operation of the unit. You can even ask for advice from experts on how to choose the right freezer for your company.