The new equipment features a dual-purpose spiral freezer/chiller with a 24-inch-wide stainless steel product belt and 30 tiers around a single rotating drum. The system can process up to 2,000kg of uncooked sausages an hour. A computerised control system gives the client the flexibility to freeze and chill raw sausages of varying sizes and weights.
Starfrost md Neil Winney says: "Raw sausages have delicate skins that are notoriously difficult to freeze, being prone to dryness and cracking. Our Glacier spiral system features accurate temperature control and a unique airflow designed for delicate products. This will enhance product quality more than a conventional spiral system."
Located externally within a weatherproof housing, the sausage manufacturer's Glacier refrigeration package has a 215kW capacity and operates with low-volume natural refrigerant ammonia. Starfrost says this results in zero environmental impact in terms of ozone depletion and global warming.
Winney adds: "Not only does the refrigeration plant run with a low charge of ammonia, the operating principle is simpler and easier to maintain than conventional pumped systems."
As a spiral system, Glacier is suitable for freezing or chilling pizza, ready meals, poultry, meat and fish, pastry products and desserts.
Glacier features a range of spiral systems and associated refrigeration packages, with cooling capacities from 75kW to 450kW. Available with a range of belt sizes and tier heights, Starfrost says that Glacier can be designed to process from 500kg/h, to over 6,000kg/h.