An In-Depth Look At Ice Crushers And Ice Blowers

Ice crushers and ice blowers are an integral part of the entertainment and snow-making industries. These heavy duty, hard-working pieces of equipment are carefully designed and constructed to stand up to the demands of high capacity, physical strain, and prolonged daily use. They are also very versatile and can be custom designed to fit a range of different requirements. Let’s take a closer look at industrial ice crushers and ice blowers.

What Are Ice Crushers and Ice Blowers?

Let’s begin by discussing what ice crushers and ice blowers are and why they are so commonly discussed together.

  • Ice Crushers – Despite their size and high capacity ice crushers are actually relatively simple pieces of machinery. This in part is one of the reasons that they are so dependable. Ice is dropped into the feeder apron which then channels the ice into the crusher’s inner workings. Meanwhile a motor is turning the crusher’s blades which in turn crush the ice and feed it back out of the machine in the form of snow-style ice particles.
  • Ice Blowers – Ice blowers use a motorized fan to propel crushed ice, often up to very long distances and at high capacities. By adjusting the ice blower’s design, fan, and motor the unit can be customized to blow for shorter or longer distances and at varying outputs as needed.
  • Ice Crusher-Blower Combinations – Within the industrial cooling industry it is very common to build ice crushers and ice blowers into one combination unit. That is because most ice blowers will naturally need a supply of crushed ice to blow and also because the addition of an on-board blower removes the need to shovel the crushed ice produced by the crusher.

What Options Exist For Ice Crushers and Ice Blowers

Ice crushers and blowers are very versatile and can be custom designed and built with many specifications in mind. This allows them to best serve the industry demands of the particular customer who is buying them. Some of the various options include:

  • Fuel Type – Ice crushers and blowers can be built to run on various fuel types. Two of the most popular are diesel and electric.
  • Feed Ice Capacity – Ice crushers vary in how much feed ice they can handle at a given time. Units are often built to handle up to 300 pound blocks of ice; although, some units can even handle up to 400 pound blocks.
  • Feed Ice Type – Ice crushers are usually built to crush ice in block form. However, some units are designed to be more versatile and may be able to crush blocks, cubes, fragments, and tubes of ice as well.
  • Output Capacity – Ice crushers also vary in terms of the amount of output capacity they have. Units vary from relatively small output capacity to up to 25 tons per hour, or even 60 tons per hour – a whopping 2,000 pounds per minute! This ensures that there will be an ice crusher/blower able to meet every customer’s output demands.
  • Blowing Distance – Ice blowers that are a part of a crusher-blower combination can often blow crushed ice an impressive 70 to 80 feet. However, some customers need even larger distances and specialized blowing units can even attain distances of up to 300 feet.
  • Mounting – Ice crushers and blowers are used in a range of different industries with many different demands. In some cases a more permanent or long-term mounting may be desired, while in others it could be imperative for the unit to be able to move or relocate easily. Ice crushers and blowers can be skid mounted, trailer mounted, or built on wheels for easy portability.

SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC prides itself on its high quality, versatile ice crushers and blowers. We will custom design units to fit our customers’ needs and we use strong, high quality industrial steel. We also paint the units with industrial enamel designed to help improve performance, prolong life, and resist rusting and corrosion.

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How Slush Ice Systems Serve the Food Industry

Slush ice systems play a critical role in the US and global Food Industry. They help maintain the quality of food while adapting to a range of different demands, needs, and concerns. Slush ice systems are also very versatile and are used in a diverse range of environments such as fishing boats, warehouses, industrial facilities, and more. In this article we’ll highlight some of the key ways slush ice systems serve the food industry as well as what capabilities these systems feature.

What Is Slush?

Slush ice is a mixture of tiny ice crystals and water. The tiny ice crystals are essentially snow ice and together with the water they form a liquid slurry. Slush may be intentionally created with the use of machinery and human intervention or it may occur naturally in nature as a result of partially melted ice and snow.

How Do Slush Ice Systems Benefit Food?

Slush ice systems are used extensively in the food industry for many different types of food including fruits, vegetables, and other produce, as well as fish, shellfish, poultry and other meats. Slush ice systems bring a number of important benefits to these foods including:

Prevention of Spoilage – Many types of food, particularly fish and seafood begin to go bad almost immediately if they are not iced down as soon as they are caught. This makes slush and ice systems crucial because without them the food product would never be able to reach end consumers without spoiling

Extension of Shelf Life – Not only do slush systems help prevent spoilage, but in many cases they can dramatically extend shelf life. This makes it possible for grocery stores to display food longer and gives consumers more time to eat it after it’s been purchased.

Preserves Taste – Another major benefit to food from slush ice systems is that slush ice helps maintain freshness and preserve taste. Some slush ice systems use salt in the water, which can affect the food’s taste and raise sodium levels. However, many slush ice systems, including SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC’s Sno Pac line, do not use any salt at all, thereby preserving the purity of the taste.

Protects Nutrients – Slush ice systems also benefit the growing consumer trend toward healthier, more nutritious food choices because slush ice helps lock in nutrients and vitamins and keeps food healthy and natural without the addition of chemicals or preservatives.

What Are the Advantages of Slush over Block or Cubed Ice?

Many of the advantages discussed above are true of ice systems in general. However, slush ice does have some important advantages over non-slush ice such as block ice, cubed ice, etc. Slush ice is able to fully surrounding a food product and cool it very quickly and effectively. The liquid slush is able to get into all crevices and open spaces, ensuring a full, even cooling. Slush ice systems are also very versatile and can be used in a range of different settings for various different needs and purposes.

What Capabilities Do Slush Ice Systems Have?

Easy Drainage – Slush can be easily drained by using boxes and containers with an open, grated bottom. After instantly cooling the food, the water will simply drain through while leaving a blanket of protective snow on the food.

High Capacity – Slush ice systems are available in a full range of different capacity and flow rates. They can effectively be utilized even for industries and settings that demand a very high capacity.

Continuous Flow – Some slush ice systems also feature a continuous flow. This allows the machine to operate steadily and often in an automated fashion by utilizing conveyor belts and automatic dispensers.

Energy Efficient – Energy costs are a concern for most industrial and commercial businesses. Many slush ice systems have been specifically designed with this concern in mind and operate economically and at peak efficiency levels.

Superior Safety – Slush ice systems are also designed to carefully keep all circuitry and electronic components away from the actual water and ice, thereby keeping users safe.

Recapture Systems – Many slush ice systems also employ a recapture system to collect and recycle the used water and ice. This helps keep the system operating as efficiently and economically as possible.

SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC has a range of slush ice systems that it sells through its Sno Pac line of products. These systems have been carefully designed and developed to maximize quality, efficiency, and safety. Our units are available in a range of different capacities and can be customized to fit just about any customer’s slush ice needs.

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