Industrial Ice Machines: Overview, Technology, and Applications
Introduction: Industrial Ice Machines and Their Areas of Application
Industrial ice machines are indispensable systems for the economical and reliable production of large quantities of flake and crushed ice in B2B environments. Typical areas of use include the food industry (meat, fish, baked goods), the chemical industry, concrete manufacturing, and cooling processes in various industrial applications. Companies benefit from precise, hygienic, and energy-efficient ice production with optimal adaptation to individual production requirements.
Operating Principle of Industrial Flake Ice Machines
The characteristic operating principle of modern industrial flake ice machines is based on vertical, water-sprayed evaporator plates made of stainless steel and an automatic cyclic hot gas defrosting system. Water freezes into a thin layer, which is regularly and automatically thawed, broken into handy pieces, and crushed to the desired ice size by a breaker system. This technology ensures consistently low thermal resistance, allows for precise metering, and guarantees particularly hygienic production.
Advantages and Special Features of Flake Ice Technology
Industrial flake ice machines offer numerous technological advantages over classic drum ice makers:
- Half the power consumption due to higher evaporation temperatures and efficient design
- No mechanical scrapers as wear parts (less maintenance, more reliable operation)
- Ice production using environmentally friendly refrigerants such as NH₃ (ammonia)
- Production of crushed ice at optimal ice temperature (typically -0.5 °C)
- Smooth, blunt ice edges; no product damage or freezer burn risk in food contact
These characteristics reduce operating costs, increase system availability, and raise product safety in sensitive industries.
Operating Costs and Energy Efficiency: Cost Comparison of Modern Ice Makers
A key factor in industrial ice machines is energy efficiency:
- Energy consumption up to 50% lower than drum systems due to favorable evaporation temperatures (e.g., -10 °C instead of -30 °C)
- Example: 30 tons of ice per day require 84 kW electrical power for classic drum systems, but only 42 kW for modern flake ice technology
- Annual savings (with 300 production days): up to €45,300 in electricity costs
With a coefficient of performance (COP) twice as high, the ongoing costs for ice production are significantly reduced, and sustainability in operations is increased. A comparison clearly shows the savings potential:
| Parameter | Drum System | BUCO Flake Ice Machine |
| Evaporation temperature | -30 °C | -10 °C |
| COP (Performance Ratio) | 1.8 | 3.6 |
| Electrical power | 84 kW | 42 kW |
| Additional drives | 6 kW | 6 kW |
| Power cost/day (30 t ice) | €324 | €173 |
| Saving per day | – | €151 |
| Annual saving (300 days) | – | €45,300 |
This essentially allows annual operating costs to be halved – a crucial advantage for industrial users.
Ice Quality, Types, and Application in the Food Industry
The quality and physical properties of the produced flake ice are crucial for processes in food processing:
- Ice temperature is precisely regulated (e.g., -0.5 °C), enabling optimal cooling and dosing
- Blunt, individually adjustable piece size (thickness 4–12 mm, length 20–40 mm) prevents product damage
- No clumping during storage due to controlled ice structure
- Ideal hygienic production conditions through easy-to-clean stainless-steel design
This ice quality is particularly suitable for direct food contact and production processes requiring controlled, continuous cooling.
Technical Data and Configurations of Industrial Ice Machines
Industrial flake ice machines are available for a wide range of production requirements and refrigerants:
- Ice quantities: 10 to 100 tons of crushed ice per day (optionally more)
- Refrigerants: Ammonia (NH3)
- System types: plug-and-play or as integration into existing refrigeration systems
- Dimensions: compact system (2.5 × 0.8 × 2.3 m), larger system variants (up to 2.5 × 2.5 × 3.3 m)
- Robust stainless steel housing, separator, and ice breaker included
For every production environment, modular adjustments of ice thickness, system power, and automation interfaces are available.
Technical Overview: Key Figures and Performance Features
| Feature | Value/Option |
| Ice production | 10–100 t/day (expandable) |
| Refrigerants | NH3, Freon, Glycole |
| Typical evaporation temp. | -8 °C to -10 °C |
| Energy savings | Up to 50% compared to drum systems |
| Ice temperature | -0.5 °C (adjustable) |
| Ice piece size options | Thickness 4–12 mm, length 20–40 mm |
| Hygiene standard | All stainless steel, easy to clean |
| System sizes | Compact to large-scale systems |
Industrial flake ice machines thus ensure highly automated, resource-saving, and versatile ice production – optimal for the food industry and other demanding industrial sectors.
Product description and general properties
Industrial ice making machine for industrial flake ice with half the energy costs compared to conventional drum systems
Are you looking for a way to reduce energy costs without sacrificing business operations?
Our BUCO Industrial ice machines are the perfect solution. Not only do they keep your production running smoothly, but also offer power and cost efficiency. By using BUCO Industrial ice machines, companies can significantly reduce their energy consumption, allowing them to cut down their operational expenses while optimizing productivity.
Our industrial ice making machine BUCO, manufactures at half the the energy costs, compared to all drum systems. Our ice is manufactured at a favorable evaporation temperature of Tevap= -8°C to -10°C. Compared to the conventional drum systems, which operate with evaporating temperatures in between Tevap= -20°C to -35°C, our Industrial Ice Maker only consumes half the electric energy for refrigeration and has a COP value twice as favorable as any drum ice system.
Utilisation and added value of the product
What to look for in an Industrial Ice Maker to produce industrial ice so-called flake ice?
Energy consumption advantage of an Industrial Ice making Machine
For the best possible quality of certain foods, you need Industrial Ice cooling through dull ice, without freezer burn on the direct product surface, and with customizable ice thickness. In the first place, with our Industrial Plate Ice or Chip Ice Machine, you do not only get the fastest possible product cooling, but also a continuous cooling. With our flake ice machine an exact ice dosage can be guaranteed, which is necessary for the cooling of high performance cutters in the industrial ice making, f.e. during sausage processing or mixing processes. Our Industrial Ice Making Machine meets high demands on easy cleaning and energy efficiency. Consequently they are also adapted to the respective strict requirements in food processing.
It is possible to use a simple defrosting device which, due to the hot gas supply of large central refrigeration plants, Industrial Ice Machines require fewer refrigerant valves and a simple control system. To produce ice, we do have the efficiency in prior focus.
Only by melting of the ice, the heat for cooling of the water is taken from the surrounding. Ice is melting at a temperature of 0°C to water and gives 335 kj per kg ice.
Energy cost comparison of an Industrial Ice Maker Maschine and a conventional drum system for flake ice
Example: 30 to ice / day
Necessary refrigeration power including losses: ca. 150 kWref
Electric power for the drive of the refrigeration machine:
-30 / 35 °C with COP = 1,8 Pel = 84 kWel – Drum system-Flake Ice
-10 / 35 °C with COP = 3,6Pel = 42 kWel – BUCO Ice Pack
Additional drives: 6 kW
Price for electricity: 0,15 € / kWhel
Running costs at -30 °C : 324 € / day or 11 € / to ice – Drum system
Running costs at -10 °C : 173 € / day or 6 € / to ice – BUCO Ice Pack
Savings: 151 € / day
for 300 days production: 45.300,- € / year savings of electricity costs
Therefor we do produce Industrial Plate ice with an evaporation temperature T0= -10°C, which generates ice at a temperatures of T= -0.5°C to -1.0°C. The idea is simple, as the cooling gain for subcooling of the Flake Ice in conventional drum systems is down to T= –8°C, which is only approx. 8% of a higher melting capacity.
Unfortunately this has a high energy consumption impact for the drum ice machines as such: Highest cooling capacity with minimum energy input 335 kj/kg ice at 0°C !
Function of Industrial Ice Makers for industrial flake ice
The industrial ice maker machine operate with vertical, water-sprinkled evaporator plates and cyclic hot gas defrosting. The ice freezes on the vertical stainless steel evaporator plates to a thin layer, which keeps the thermal resistance always low. After a few minutes of ice formation is defrosted via automatic control for a few seconds with hot gas. In the case of the fall, the ice breaks up into roughly hand-sized pieces, which are separated from the water on a suction slide and then crushed in a rotating icebreaker. Later the crushed ice or chip ice falls down the full length of the Industrial Ice Machine and is available for transport with a conveyor belt or auger in the ice factory or industrial food processing.
Both the ice thickness and the piece sizes can be adjusted continuously. Our Industrial Chip Ice Machine gives you the maximum power reserve and safety in production. In addition, there are only a few moving parts, which increases operational reliability and minimizes maintenance. A crusher systems breaks the falling ice chips from the Industrial Ice Machine in adjustable ice chips with thickness in between 4mm to 12mm. Ice Storage systems can be adjusted.
Technical properties
Ice maker machine advantages
- Industrial ice maker machine with half the power consumption due to high evaporation temperatures
- Flake Ice Machine has no mechanical scraper as spare part
- Ice maker machine made entirely of stainless steel
- Ice making machine with Ideal ice temperature with -0.5 ° C, hardly undercooled
- Industrial ice making with no sharp flake ice edges
- Flake ice does not freeze during storage due to the high ice temperature -0.5 ° C
- Ice making machine with adjustable Flake Ice thickness and chip piece size
What are the Installation Requirements for Industrial Ice Making Equipment?
Technical specifications for the ice maker machine
- Industrial Ice quantities: 10 to 100 to / day Flake Ice
- Industrial ice making evaporator 100% stainless steel for ammonia and freons
- Industrial Ice Machine Plug-in units or for on-site refrigeration systems
Applications and benefits for an ice making machine
- Consumption ice for direct product cooling with ice making machines completely made of stainless steel
- Increasing the cooling effect through direct contact with ice
- Used in industries such like fish processing, meat processing, concrete cooling and pigment production and many more industries, in which chip ice is needed.
Ice making Machine constructions and dimensions
Typical dimensions
L (m) / B (m) / H (m)
Compact system: 2.5 / 0.8 / 2.3
System type A: 2.5 / 1.0 / 3.3
System type B: 2.5 / 2.5 / 3.3
without refrigeration system, with separator and ice crusher
Photos & examples
We have always assimilated engineering science and thermodynamics optimally in the various manufacturing processes.
Thermodynamicists,mechanical engineers and welding engineers define the dimensioning, design and construction of customised heat exchanger panels and systems in materials ranging from mild and austenitic steels through to titanium, and ensure successful distribution of their work worldwide.
In doing so they fall back on production engineering expertise and calculations developed in the course of the past hundred years that are still being continuously optimised in an ongoing process.
In the perception of our customers, the Buco product stands for:
Technical and process-oriented consulting
Thermodynamic efficiency
Quality and longevity
