Sunwell Technologies Inc. of Canada has introduced Deepchillâ„¢ Variable-State Iceâ„¢: a Deepchillâ„¢ System that can deliver slurry ice in a complete range of ice-states: from very liquid ice, to a very thick paste, and even dry (liquid free) ice crystals; from salt-free slurry to salt water slurry; and from small crystals to large, to suit any preservation requirement.
Being able to vary the ice state is important because many seafood products require different types of ice during the various stages of processing and storage, to optimize quality and freshness. Sunwell's Marketing Manager, Mr. Gabriel Lopez says: "Our 27 years of experience have shown us that changing the state of the medium also changes its behavior. The most effective state of Deepchill can be pumped and discharged at different points in a client's existing facility -- for example, very liquid for rapid pre-chilling, slurry for continued chilling during processing, long-lasting paste for temporary or overnight storage, and dry crystals for packing."
"With a Deepchill System, our clients not only get all the natural benefits of standard slurry ice (superior cooling, pumpability, doesn't damage seafood, etc.), they get a highly advanced preservation process we call The Deepchillâ„¢ Process. First, we do an in-depth study of our client's preservation requirements and existing processes.
"We then apply over 25 years of knowledge and application expertise to create preservation solutions tailored to the unique cooling requirements of our client's products. Finally, we use flexible, pre-engineered modules for ice generation, storage, distribution & dispensing to integrate Deepchillâ„¢ Variable-State Ice throughout the client's entire preservation cycle, to maximize their preservation results and bottom line."
Applications
Sunwell's new system allowed Yamahon, a supplier of fresh fish from Japan, to have a fully integrated Deepchillâ„¢ system for their operations.
They use very liquid ice to quickly cool fish down to 0°C in 50 tonne pre-chilling tanks when it first arrives at the plant. Then, they use a thicker slurry ice to maintain the chilled fish after it has been sorted and separated. Finally, they use a very thick ice paste to pack the fish in Styrofoam boxes and ship it to market. Unprocessed fish at the end of a shift is simply stored in a thick slurry for the next day's production.
Mr. Haruo Yamamoto, President of Yamahon said: "Yamahon has been the leader in the fresh fish market in Japan for over 15 years. In this highly competitive market, quality is the key to success. From pre-chilling to processing to packing, Deepchillâ„¢ keeps our fish fresh. Our Deepchillâ„¢ branded fish sells faster at the market, and at a premium price."
The Hagi Fishery Association in Japan also installed a Variable-State Iceâ„¢ System to provide their members with a selection of chilled water or ice to meet their specific requirements. The 64kW refrigeration capacity Deepchill System, came pre-installed in a standard 20-ft transport container, and is a 24 hour/day, automatic ice vending system, operated entirely by the clients. To buy ice, the clients simply touch icons on a touch screen to select from: chilled seawater at -1 degree Celsius; completely dry ice crystals or any consistency of slurry ice (from 1 to 60 per cent ice fraction) and the quantity they require (50kg, 100kg, etc.). The system also generates a printed receipt as a purchase record. Mr. Gabriel Lopez says that Sunwell is at the moment the only company that can deliver all these functions in a single system.
