Efficient, effective freezing solutions that last decades are a JBT speciality, but as your business grows and develops, there comes a stage when more capacity is needed. However, spending on a new machine is not always necessary. JBT’s retrofit- and upgrade program can bring older freezers into the modern era in a quick, safe and very cost-effective way.
JBT offers upgrades to existing equipment, from replacing old, galvanized coils with stainless steel versions and improved, more efficient fans to the innovative Internet-Of-Things solution iOPS, which provides an integrated, connected overview of all systems. As an optional extra, JBT’s ADF (Air Defrost) system – for tackling snow build-up in freezers – enables producers to run for longer periods between defrosts and cleaning.
“If it is time to increase capacity, we can extend the belt to get more production through the freezer,” explains JBT Technical Solutions Manager, Robin Wachmann. “We can also replace coils, moving from old, galvanized versions to stainless steel, which offers improved safety and higher capacity. Stainless steel coils will also give you security against future rust attacks which can lead to refrigerant leakage.”
Cost-effective
But how easy is it to upgrade older freezers? JBT engineers can modernize old freezer units with upgrades like an improved, automatically air-balanced fan system and connectivity to JBT’s iOPS system. Other additions, such as a fan motor frequency convertor, mean customers can save energy – and money – by slowing fans when 100% speed is not required.
An upgrade or retrofit also offers significant advantages if space is at a premium or a new freezing solution is urgently required. “Sometimes when newer equipment is going to take up a larger space in a facility or if time is at a premium, an upgrade can be a good option,” says Wachmann. “An upgrade can further be very cost-effective because often the whole line is made for a certain volume of production and therefore if they just repair the existing one, everyone knows how to handle it and they know what they get.
“There’s a strong safety element to upgrades,” he adds. “With many old freezers, you can open the doors and go right into them. That is obviously not really up to today’s safety standards, so we can provide customers with an upgrade kit including a safety lock on the door and service handles.”
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