Seafood and Fish Processing Solutions

BUCO Falling Film Water Chillers: Advanced Ice Water Production for the Seafood Industry

Premium Cooling Technologies for Higher Yield, Better Quality, and Lower Operating Costs

High-performance cooling is essential to profitable seafood processing, aquaculture operations, and animal-welfare-compliant fish slaughter. BUCO Falling Film Water Chillers are engineered for demanding industrial environments where reliability, hygiene, and low operating costs drive competitive advantage.

Built on decades of refrigeration engineering expertise, BUCO systems produce ice water at 0.5 °C – the ideal temperature for seafood processing, pre-cooling cooked products, aquaculture temperature control, and animal welfare fish slaughter procedures. Their open, hygienic construction allows operators to maintain peak performance with minimal downtime.

Key Applications and Operational Benefits

Efficient Pre-Cooling for Cooked Seafood

Rapid temperature reduction is critical to maintaining product quality and minimizing freezer energy costs. Cooked seafood – often reaching 60 °C to 95 °C – must be cooled quickly and efficiently before IQF freezing.

BUCO Falling Film Chillers provide major advantages:

• Direct ice water contact rapidly cools shrimp from 60 °C to 3 °C within minutes, cutting energy demand in IQF freezers.
• The system handles contaminated return water, including small particles, without clogging or damaging seals.
• No frequent filter cleanings, gasket replacements, or unplanned downtime.
• Flavor, texture, and color remain protected due to precise, stable cooling.

Result: measurably lower operating costs and more consistent product quality.

Solving Contamination and Cleaning Challenges

Traditional chillers struggle with contamination, fouling, and inaccessible corners that trap debris.

BUCO Falling Film Water Chillers eliminate these issues through:

• Open, inspection-friendly architecture
• Hygienic design with no hidden freezing zones
• Fast cleaning – even during operation
• Seamless installation above existing processing lines

This design reduces maintenance hours, supports continuous operation, and helps facilities maintain food safety compliance without workflow disruption.

Aquaculture Temperature Control for Superior Growth and Stability

Temperature directly affects fish growth rates, feed conversion, and overall health. Seasonal swings, algae, fish scales, and organic particles often overwhelm conventional heat exchangers.

BUCO Falling Film Chillers provide reliable aquaculture cooling by offering:

• Consistent seafood and aquaculture water temperatures regardless of contamination levels
• Self-cleaning plate effect that minimizes fouling from algae and particles
• Zero downtime for cleaning (cleaning while production processes)
• Construction that meets hygiene requirements for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and fish farms
• Safe passage of particles without the risk of ice accumulation

Outcome: optimized growth cycles, predictable harvest planning, and reduced operational cost per kilogram of fish or shellfish.

Animal Welfare Solutions for Fish Slaughter

Modern seafood plants face growing regulatory pressure to ensure humane slaughter while maintaining throughput efficiency.

BUCO Falling Film Chillers help facilities meet these expectations by delivering:

• Gentle cooling to ~0,5 °C, protecting fish quality while supporting animal-welfare-compliant stunning and slaughter
• Hygienically designed components that prevent contamination
• Reliable cooling for operations processing a few kilograms up to several tons per day

Benefit: consistent quality, improved compliance, and increased trust from buyers and auditors.

Why Choose BUCO Falling Film Water Chillers?

Below is an overview of the core performance advantages that make BUCO systems the preferred solution for seafood and fish processing:

• Ice water at 0.5 °C for ideal chilling across seafood processing and aquaculture
• Open-access hygienic design for cleaning during active operation
• No inaccessible areas → no ice buildup, no sanitation risk
• Zero seals or spare parts, drastically reducing lifetime maintenance
• Stainless steel heat exchangers suitable for fresh-, salt-, or contaminated water
• Increased IQF freezer efficiency and reduced kWh consumption
• Lightweight installation above assembly lines for easy retrofit
• Full compliance with global food safety standards
• Reliable performance across all seafood species and process environments

Technical Overview for Engineers and Facility Managers

A concise, high-value reference for technical decision-makers:

• Ice water production: 0.5 °C
• Cooling method: direct-contact pre-cooling for maximum heat transfer efficiency
• System design: open-access construction allows cleaning during operation
• Materials: full stainless steel; resistant to aggressive or contaminated media
• Hydraulics: low pressure drop; stable performance with particle-loaded liquids
• Reliability: no seals → no ice damage or mechanical wear points
• Hygiene: self-cleaning plate effect minimizes fouling
• Controls: simple integration into existing seafood processing or aquaculture lines
• Compliance: meets international standards for food and fish processing safety

Unlock Proven Cooling Efficiency – Contact Us Today

Whether you operate a seafood processing plant, an aquaculture facility, or a high-throughput fish slaughter line, BUCO Falling Film Water Chillers give you measurable advantages:

✔ Lower energy consumption
✔ Faster processing times
✔ Reduced maintenance
✔ Higher product quality
✔ Better regulatory compliance
✔ Increased operational uptime

Contact our engineering team now.

We’ll design a customized system tailored to your process, your facility, and your performance goals—so you can achieve maximum productivity and lowest cost per kilogram processed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What makes a BUCO Falling Film Chiller better than traditional industrial water chillers?

BUCO Falling Film Water Chillers use an open, gravity-driven design that exposes the water film directly to the cooling surface. This eliminates the need for seals, gaskets, or narrow channels where contamination typically accumulates. As a result, BUCO chillers offer:

• Higher hygienic safety (no hidden areas where particles can freeze)
• Cleaning during operation without shutdowns
• Superior heat transfer efficiency, achieving ice water at 0.5 °C
• Lower long-term operating costs, since no seals or spare parts require replacement

This combination makes BUCO technology more reliable and economical for seafood or fish processing environments where contamination and hygiene requirements are especially demanding.

Can BUCO Falling Film Chillers handle contaminated water with shrimp shells, algae, or fish particles?

Yes. BUCO systems are engineered specifically for contaminated or particle-laden return water – a common challenge in seafood and aquaculture processes. The open-flow design allows shells, scales, algae, small fish pieces, and organic matter to pass without clogging or sticking. The chiller surfaces remain clean due to the self-cleaning plate effect, preventing fouling and maintaining consistent cooling performance.

This capability is a key advantage over traditional heat exchangers, which often require frequent filter changes or downtime for cleaning.

How do BUCO chillers improve energy efficiency in IQF seafood freezing?

Pre-cooling cooked seafood to near-freezing temperatures before IQF treatment significantly reduces freezer load. BUCO Falling Film Chillers cool products such as shrimp from 60 °C to 3 °C within minutes, minimizing the energy that would otherwise be consumed during the deep-freeze stage. 

Facilities typically see:

• Lower kWh consumption per ton of product
• Higher throughput, since IQF freezers reach target temperature faster
• Reduced operating costs, especially in high-volume shrimp or fish processing lines

This optimized thermal workflow can result in double-digit percentage energy savings.

Are BUCO chillers suitable for seawater and harsh media used in aquaculture?

Absolutely. All components are built from marine-grade stainless steel, making the system highly resistant to corrosion from saltwater and aggressive media.
The design tolerates:

• Seawater
• Brackish water
• Organic contamination
• Algae and suspended solids common in fish farming

This durability ensures long service life and stable temperature control—both crucial for fish health, growth rates, and animal-welfare compliance.

How do BUCO chillers support humane fish slaughter and regulatory compliance?

Animal-welfare-compliant fish stunning and slaughter require precise, gentle cooling without causing product damage or stress responses. BUCO Falling Film Chillers deliver stable ice water at ~0,5 °C, ensuring rapid and controlled reduction in body temperature.
Key benefits include:

• Consistent cooling conditions, even in high-throughput facilities
• Easy cleaning and inspection, supporting hygiene audits
• Fully stainless-steel construction aligned with global food safety and welfare regulations

This makes BUCO chillers a reliable component of modern humane harvesting standards.