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12/11/2012

 

Ten years ago, the market mostly offered basic freezer designs for spiral, tunnel and immersion and other cryogenic equipment. Since then, the industry has made significant advances in technology design and process engineering that can make a quantum impact on poultry processing.

 

Cryogenic equipment manufacturers have been developing new technology and value engineering existing designs to squeeze more BTUs from a pound of cryogen, so new equipment is more efficient than ever. For example, our latest high-volume spiral freezers leverage a proprietary, patent-pending air design to double the heat transfer rate compared to standard spirals. Yet the footprint is smaller so boosting processing line throughput is easy. New nitrogen tunnel freezers are quick freezing diced poultry, fajita strips, pizza toppings and other individually quick frozen (IQF) products, eliminating the CO2 snow carryover associated with flighted freezers, and a patented rolling-wave design keeps IQF products separate as they freeze. High-efficiency, liquid nitrogen bottom-injection systems provide accurate temperature control for grinding, mixing and extrusion.

 

New cryogenic equipment can eliminate the bottlenecks and downtime associated with older methods, but equipment alone is not enough. Process expertise is needed to analyze the application, identify specific cryogenic technology as well as how and where to apply it in order to extract maximum value. There are always cost sensitivities, and leasing can make technology costs more predictable. However, the focus should always be on long-term value. Because the right process know-how and engineering design doesn’t just lower “cost to freeze” — it can lead to lasting cost reductions and improvements in yield, production capacity and hygiene.

 

As part of an in-plant assessment, technology experts may be able to identify process steps where one might not conventionally seek a temperature reduction. For example, in boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Linde pioneered the removal of heat prior to frying. That may sound counterintuitive, but the advantage is in maximizing product quality and yield.