Preventative maintenance is everything.

When it comes to freezing, looks do matter.

Every business and homeowner understands the importance of curb appeal. When trash collects outside your storefront, you clear it. When mold, mildew, and algae leave black marks on your roof and vinyl, you wash it. Our hygienic designs and equipment exceed the standards for sanitization, but it’s up to you to protect the outside and inside appearance of your freezers. This way when a problem occurs, such as excess ice in drain pains or a buildup of frost during defrost cycles, you’ll notice right away.

When your equipment fails, it affects everyone.

Many products, such as milk, yogurt, soups, prepared entrees, and more need to be rapidly cooled to meet certain critical control points. When your equipment fails, it can halt production. You then run the risk of losing product or creating delays that are both costly and time-wasting. AFE can efficiently rebuild, improve, modify, and fix broken equipment with scheduled repairs.

Dependable equipment leads to increased safety.

All business owners want their employees and customers to be safe at all times. Regardless of how reliable you think your IQF freezers may be, it’s important to perform routine safety measures such as floor walk-throughs and equipment inspection to ensure the highest standards of safety are met.

Extend the life of your equipment.

Every business needs a contingency plan in case of equipment failure. However, routine preventative maintenance can limit the seriousness of the problem. Emergency repairs can create major shortfalls in your budget planning. Having to hire a contractor to fix your equipment in the middle of the night can cost you big time. There is also the potential of having to rent equipment just to keep production running. Not all emergencies can be avoided, but with preventative maintenance, the odds can be in your favor. The key is to minimize the number of times you need to replace equipment by staying up to date with general maintenance tasks. After all, it’s better to fix small problems, like a broken valve, than to halt production due to a serious complication.

Summer temperatures are soaring across the country and when things heat up, you want to make sure those ice-cold dairy products stay cold. Ice cream. Cheese. Milk. Yogurt. That only works if your IQF freezer is in proper working order. If you read our article, “The Hottest Thing In Keeping Cool“, then you already know we use custom machinery and the latest technology to design a freezer to fit your specific needs. You know your products best but we also know a thing or two about freezing dairy!

Health Benefits of Dairy

Dairy is a favorite of many food lovers around the globe. However, did you know 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and 43 million are at risk of developing the disease? We all know that dairy is full of calcium and vitamin D, which are vital for bone health. Calcium is used for building bones and teeth and maintaining bone mass. Helping out, vitamin D is essential for maintaining levels of calcium within the body. Aside from calcium and vitamin D, dairy (especially yogurt, milk, and soymilk), are rich in potassium, which aids in maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Other health benefits of dairy include: 

• Riboflavin: Supports body growth, red blood cell production, and metabolism
• Phosphorus: Strengthens bones
• Vitamin B: Converts food into energy
• Potassium: Maintains normal blood pressure
• Vitamin A: Promotes good vision and healthy skin
• Niacin: Assists in proper circulation
• Protein: Builds and repairs muscle tissue.

Dairy and IQF Freezing

When freezing dairy, you can place them into two groups. Either the product is going to be frozen for a longer shelf life and then thawed before use or they are frozen to develop a specific structure and texture, like with ice cream. In order to get the desired texture, taste, and preservation of your dairy, you have to use an IQF Freezer.

What makes an IQF freezer different than your standard commercial freezer? It’s all about timing. With dairy, it has to cool quickly or your risk an undesired texture and, even more important, a disagreeable taste. AFE’s blast freezers are equipped with a high capacity centrifugal evaporator fan. By utilizing this fan, you ensure even temperatures throughout your product. That, along with AFE’s special design and the adjustable ceiling that covers the cargo, ensure that the blast freezing process will be timely, resulting in a high-quality product.

Blast Freezer Features:

Aside from the highly efficient fan, the blast freezer also provides a number of other benefits when freezing dairy. With even temperature throughout the cargo, AFE-30 unit freezers can freeze products to -60° C(-76° F). The freezer can also maintain a supply air temperature between -30° C(-22° F) and -65° C(-85°F) for either a 12 or 24-hour cycle depending on the required capacity needed for product freezing. AFE’s equipment is also fabricated with stainless steel and expertly welding for exceptional sanitation and durability. When you purchase a freezer from AFE, you have the piece of mind that each piece far exceeds industry standards for health, cleanliness, and energy savings to give you the best results for your business