High volume compact freezer on R449A
10th August 2024
UK: A UK-designed and built moving-belt cycle/blast freezer operating on refrigerant R449A enables food producers to increase production in space-restricted sites.
Cambridgeshire-based David Thirtle AirCon and Refrigeration Ltd went back to the drawing board to overcome the problems associated with traditional bulky industrial freezers, that can be difficult to accommodate and service.
“Historically, the industry has relied on large imported industrial freezers, which, while being high quality, have tended to be unsuitable for end users with smaller processing machines,” explained designer David Thirtle. “They can also be expensive to maintain due to the need to source spares from the original manufacturer,” he added.
The resulting BBF500 cycle freezer uses innovative cycle crust freezing technology to ensure rapid, uniform freezing or crusting, preserving product quality and extending shelf life. It can be used with a wide range of food products, including seafood, meat, cheese and bakery products.
All components are sourced in the UK where possible, and assembled in Cambridgeshire and Tredegar, Wales, so spare parts are readily available from local suppliers. The compressors are Bitzer Ecolines, sourced from Bitzer UK.
The first units to roll-off the production line have been installed at a leading meat processor in Wales, which supplies national UK supermarkets.
With a capacity of up to 500kg per hour, the BBF500 is designed for high-volume production, integrating with industry-standard TVI GSA 400 slicer and similar food preparation machines, ensuring a seamless production line.
Product and process temperatures can be set between -25ºC and -42ºC, enabling quality to be optimised across a wide range of applications. A Siemens controller also allows belt speed to be finely tuned to suit the product.
The compact stainless-steel unit measures 2.41m high x2.4m long x 2.2m wide and has a 900mm wide moving belt.
The company is now developing two higher capacity cycle crust freezers, the BBF800 and BBF1200, with outputs of 780kg and 1200kg per hour respectively.
It is also collaborating with Bitzer UK on a CO2-based version, which is expected to be available by the end of the year.
A retrofit solution to convert HFC/HFO-based freezers to operate on CO2 is also under development.
