Innovations in freezing technologies keep transforming the food sector, as these developments not only shorten manufacturing times and increase energy efficiency but also enhance the quality of frozen goods. The capacity to freeze food has also created new opportunities for the year-round availability of perishable and seasonal goods.
Investing in the latest technology is imperative for frozen food manufacturers as it directly contributes to enhanced efficiency, improved product quality, and increased sustainability. The food industry is dynamic, with consumer preferences evolving, and technological advancements play a crucial role in meeting these changing demands. Upgrading to the latest freezing technologies enables manufacturers to streamline their processes, reducing manufacturing times and optimizing energy consumption.
For instance, innovations like quick freezing and cryogenic freezing not only preserve the taste and texture of frozen goods but also allow for faster production cycles, enabling manufacturers to meet high market demands. By embracing cutting-edge technology, frozen food manufacturers can ensure that their production lines are agile and adaptable to market trends, ultimately leading to increased competitiveness. Moreover, investing in the latest technology helps manufacturers address sustainability concerns and reduce their environmental impact. Modern freezing technologies often come with energy-efficient features, allowing manufacturers to minimize their carbon footprint.
The implementation of advanced freezing methods, such as individually quick frozen (IQF) technology, not only preserves the nutritional content of food but also minimizes food waste both at the manufacturing level and among consumers. Additionally, incorporating smart technologies for data collection and analysis, as seen in systems like JBT’s OmniBlu platform, enables manufacturers to optimize their operations, reduce downtime, and make informed decisions for continuous improvement. As the food industry faces increasing scrutiny regarding sustainability practices, staying at the forefront of technological advancements is essential for frozen food manufacturers to align with evolving consumer expectations and contribute to a more environmentally conscious food production landscape.
More capacity, longer running times
The Frigoscandia GYRoCOMPACT® 70 Spiral Freezer (GC70), the newest freezer in JBT‘s lineup, is now offered with Sequential Defrost. This means that manufacturers may make use of the GC70’s increased capacity for up to two weeks of nonstop operation. Producers who select this feature on the GC70 can benefit from a 20% increase in capacity without sacrificing footprint, in addition to a longer running time than with its predecessor. The GC70 can now operate continuously for extended periods of time thanks to its innovative feature, negating the need to periodically pause production to allow for defrosting. The GC70 is a new version of the JBT Frigoscandia GYRoCOMPACT series of spiral freezers, which is the industry standard for spiral freezer technology worldwide. In addition to having a 700mm wide belt, the GC70 has several important features that have been optimized to function better, more intelligently, and more powerfully than before.
Another important aspect of the GC70 is capacity. JBT has expanded the GC70’s overall capacity by building up, and maximizing the number of freezers that can cover the same area of floorspace, to get around space constraints in many locations, and up to a 20% improvement in capacity is the total accomplishment. Another important component of the new GC70 is improved drying features. When compared to earlier functions, the improvements—which are concentrated on making the belt dry faster and more effectively—save up to one hour. Torbjörn Persson, JBT’s Director of Global Sales Support & Product Line Management for Frigoscandia Freezers claims that this results in significant savings for clients’ turnaround times.
According to him, “The new version is much quicker, which means you cut delays in restarting production.” The older machines required a longer drying time. Beyond this, JBT technicians thoroughly examined every component of the freezer design related to food safety and hygiene. As a result, all the machine’s profiles have been opened, making cleaning easier and more straightforward. The integration of JBT’s OmniBlu platform is a last detail. The efficiency and performance of freezers are improved by a performance optimization system that collects and evaluates data, insights, and airflow control supplied by OmniBlu. This is a subscription-based digital ecosystem that offers JBT customers transformative features that target key challenges and has recently been awarded the Predictive Analytics Solution of the Year in the 2023 AgTech Breakthrough Awards. This is the second consecutive AgTech Breakthrough Award win for JBT, with Proseal’s CP3 Case Packer winning the FoodTech Equipment of the Year in 2022. OmniBlu’s innovative service and digital innovation were selected out of 1,750 nominees across the global food and agriculture technology categories. The service set itself apart from other nominees due to three transformative pillars: Proactive Maintenance, Frictionless Parts and service, and Machine Performance.
The impact of OmniBlu on customers’ operations has been meaningful. Customers are reporting initial experiences with upwards of a 10% increase in production capacity by leveraging OmniBlu to identify and address operating inefficiencies and prevent potential downtime events. Customers who invest in OmniBlu can expect great improvements in their current system by working together with JBT’s expert team to receive best-in-class service, parts availability, and machine performance capabilities – all supported by a robust digital platform leveraging AI to conduct predictive analytics. OmniBlu provides insights right at customers’ fingertips with real-time data that makes maintenance predictive, instead of reactive, through performance monitoring and high-quality support. The AgTech Breakthrough Awards are an annual program that recognizes the “breakthrough” leaders in the most competitive categories of technology products and services around the globe. This year marked the fourth annual awards where leading innovators around the world entered across 19 categories and 117 subcategories. A full list of winners can be found by visiting the AgTech Breakthrough Awards.
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