High-capacity individually quick-frozen poultry line with NH₃ refrigeration. Fully automated from infeed to packaging interface. Operational since Q3 2024.
Project Overview
Badafi Foods, a Texas-based vegetable processor, needed a high-capacity IQF line for okra and other vegetables. The critical challenge: okra harvested by 8 AM must be cleaned, blanched, cut, and IQF-frozen within a 40-minute window to prevent quality degradation. Their “field-to-plate-in-a-day” promise required a freezer that could handle peak harvest volumes with zero downtime and near-zero clumping.
| Client | Badafi Foods |
|---|---|
| Facility | McAllen, Texas, USA |
| Food product | IQF frozen okra (and other vegetables) |
| Peak throughput | 3,200 kg/hr |
| Crust-freeze temperature | -40°C (Stage 1) / -30°C (Stage 2) |
| Core outlet temperature | -18°C |
| Refrigerant | NH₃ (ammonia) |
| Operational since | 2024 |
System Configuration
Custom IQF spiral freezer with three patented Square Technology innovations — designed and manufactured at our Nantong campus, installed by our 200-person global installation team.
Patented dual-zone IQF spiral
Stage 1: High-velocity air at -40°C forms ice crust within 90 seconds per piece, preventing clumping and locking in nutrients. Stage 2: Gentler belt-conveyed freezing to solidify interiors to -18°C core. Variable-speed fan control per zone.
Patented compressed-air pulse system
Compressed air pulses clear evaporator ice every 30 minutes during operation — eliminating production stoppages for manual defrosting. Enables 24/7 production during 18-hour harvest windows.
NSF-certified stainless steel
Tool-free hatch access to all product-contact surfaces. Sloped floors with central drainage. Automated CIP skid with programmable wash cycles. Sanitation time reduced from 90 minutes to 25 minutes per cycle.
NH₃ Pump-Recirculated
Self-developed evaporator lines. In-house foaming for plate freezer insulation. Custom fin spacing and coil geometry. Ammonia pump-recirculated system with evaporative condenser. Two-stage compression optimized for low-temperature operation. Automatic oil return and non-condensable gas purging.
NH₃ Pump-Recirculated
Siemens PLC with HMI touchscreen. Real-time monitoring of belt speed, fan RPM, evaporator temperature, and product core temp. Remote diagnostics via VPN. Recipe storage for multiple vegetable types.
Vibratory spreader + take-away
Vibratory infeed spreader ensures even single-layer product distribution. Take-away conveyor synchronized with downstream weighing and packaging. All conveyors IP66 rated for full washdown.
Performance Data
Performance data collected during the 2024 okra harvest season. All figures verified against commissioning report and customer production logs.
Peak throughput (20% above previous equipment)
Individual particle separation (vs 94% industry average)
Peak throughput (20% above previous equipment)
Vitamin retention vs competitors’ tunnel freezers
CIP sanitation time (down from 90 min)
Non-stop production during harvest windows
Client testimonial: "Square's freezer became our freshness time capsule — locking in farm nutrients at 6 AM for dinners at 6 PM."
— Badafi Production Director
Engineering note: The Crust-Freeze system's 90-second surface freeze is the key performance driver. By forming an impermeable ice shell before significant sublimation can occur, dehydration loss is kept below 0.5%. The AirJet Defrost system eliminates the need for 3–4 daily production stoppages — recovering approximately 2.5 hours of production time per day during peak harvest.
Installation & Commissioning
Full installation handled by Square Technology’s dedicated construction crew — not subcontracted to local contractors with remote engineering supervision.
Foundation work, equipment plinths, drainage, NH₃ containment. 12 days.
Spiral freezer assembly, conveyor integration, refrigeration piping, CIP skid. 18 days.
Power distribution, PLC cabinet, sensor network, HMI, remote monitoring. 8 days.
NH₃ charge, system balancing, test runs with okra, performance verification. 6 days.
Operator training, maintenance SOPs, spare parts setup, documentation. 4 days.
Visual Evidence
Documentation photos from manufacturing, installation, and commissioning at the McAllen facility.
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