[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6FieJgiofE]
This is the second in a series of articles where the JBT Protein Blog reviews the highlights for 2018 for JBT brands and looks ahead to 2019. Here we speak to JBT’s Torbjörn Persson about Frigoscandia. To read the first article (a look at Formcook, Double D & Stein), click HERE.
In-line freezing, the process of lower product temperatures before entering storage, is a vital part of the cold chain where hygiene, operating time and functionality are key elements of a successful operation. JBT Frigoscandia has made meeting all three requirements in a way that surpasses customer expectations a speciality by focusing on innovation; a focus that has driven Frigoscandia’s success during 2018.
Torbjörn Persson, JBT’s Director of Value Stream & Global Product Line for Frigoscandia, says 2018 has been all about bringing solutions originally introduced last year to market; solutions which focus on increasing operating times, complemented by compact, hygienic design.
GYRoCOMPACT appeal
The GYRoCOMPACT range has been a consistent seller across Frigoscandia global markets. Launched two years ago, the 600 mm-wide GYRoCOMPACT 60 continues to sell well worldwide, with its compact size – alongside the GYRoCOMPACT 40 and M7 – appealing to companies seeking to freeze everything from vegetables and berries to meat, poultry, ready meals and bakery products. JBT Frigoscandia also caters to larger capacities with the M9 and M10 GYRoCOMPACT spiral freezers.
“The GYRoCOMPACT 60 is used by a large amount of customers, freezing anywhere from 1.5 tons to 2 tons an hour,” explains Persson. “It’s a very compact machine, so it fits in a lot of factories and environments.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlBHAuaIbmU&w=560&h=315]
Introduced in 2017, the GYRoCOMPACT 40 is a container-sized freezer that has found considerable success this year, thanks to an intelligent, hygienic design. “The GYRoCOMPACT 40 is a very compact machine, so it can be fitted in many different locations,” continues Persson. “It has a very inherent, hygienic design because it is self-stacking. From a hygienic standpoint, you have less material to clean, so you have inherent hygiene through the design.”
Extended operation
Other notable highlights for 2018 in the Frigoscandia range include FLoFREEZE, a solution for freezing vegetables, berries, and other fruits, which has recorded a strong 12 months. “We’ve had a fabulous year for FLoFREEZE, especially for the larger machines,” says Persson. “We’ve made a new machine that can operate for a very long time, from five tons to over 15 tons per hour.”
Such a development, continues Persson, is part of a general push to operate longer between defrosts for both with the FLoFREEZE and the GYRoCOMPACT. “It’s a huge work to defrost a freezer, so you want to push that work back as long as possible,” he says. “Every defrost costs time, water and heat, plus you can’t produce while you are carrying out the defrost, so a longer operating time means you can run longer and improve efficiency.”
JBT Frigoscandia will be exhibiting at leading meat industry event IFFA 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany from May 4-9, 2019, alongside fellow JBT brands Formcook, Double D and Stein.