Skaginn's IQF uses unique technology to freeze

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Skaginn hf in Iceland has last five years developed a new type of IQF freezer. This freezer is built on a new technique where the two traditional methods are combined in one. This revolutionary approach has been named Combined Blast and Contact freezing (CBC).

The freezing process is split in two steps. The first one is form freezing of the product. The form-freezing belt is made of specially coated aluminum droplets that act as a battery that removes the energy from the fish in a short time. Here are the combination of contact and blast freezing used to close the surface of the product in a short time. In 3 to 8 minutes is the product stiff and can move on for full freezing. Because of the short freezing time the ice crystals built up in the product is small. This ensures that when the fish is thaw the product returns to almost the same state as when it was frozen. The smooth surface of the aluminum belt and airflow from side close the surface so drip loss is minimal which keeps the freshness.

In short: The CBC technique freezes the condition of the product as it is and keeps it. The freezer is now onboard three ships.

One of them Artic Warrior from Boyd Line in Hull has sold its product to first class restaurants in London after the product was tested in an independent institute. The product scored higher than any other product and got the grade ten out of ten.

In addition to the CBC technique Skaginn has developed multi level in-feed of the product into the freezer. This makes it possible to have more than one belt for form freezing. In a freezer with two form freezing belts first the highest belt is filled up and stopped, then the lower one. Then the cycle starts again. With this technique the length of the freezing belts is shortened by 50%. From the form-freezing belt the product is delivered to full freezing belts that are below the form freezing belts.

These belts can be two or more. Skaginn has patented both the CBC and the in-feed technique.In the Skaginn freezer are other innovations like new defrosting technique that makes it possible to operate the freezer continuously for some days.