Last year, Food Process Solutions (FPS) opened its fourth plant and new R&D Department in Richmond, BC, Canada. One of the first products developed at the new 73,000 sq. ft. facility was the 72-inch (1.8m) wide belt spiral freezer – the widest spiral freezer ever constructed.
This spiral freezer, designed in partnership with Intralox, features a newly developed 72-inch wide plastic acetal belt with Intralox’s DirectDriveTM Technology. The conveyor system span is 38 ft. (11.6m) wide from the outside belt edge to belt edge. This extra-wide system will have capacities upwards of 10,000 kg/hour of product freezing. The first system built will be shipped out in Fall 2020.
“Currently there are only belts of 60” width in the market, the introduction of a 72” is a significant jump and sets FPS apart. When designing this wider spiral, we wanted the freezer line to match higher capacity upstream equipment which are already up to 6 feet wide – thereby greatly improving overall processing efficiency,” says Jeffrey Chang, FPS president.
The 72” Spiral will also provide the following benefits:
- Elimination of spreading shakers and/or merging conveyors upstream to accommodate narrower spiral belts
- Minimization of transfer points—less product loss
- Less product movement—less product damage
- Product alignment
his new freezer is ideal for customers with height limitations in their facilities and wider ovens and fryers upstream. It is suitable for a wide range of products such as chopped and formed vegetable and potato products, and bakery lines.
Currently, FPS is also rolling out the Spiral Immersion System – a freezing technology that uses fluid instead of air to freeze products 20-80% faster.