Packaged meat
Freezes boxed meat and poultry products uniformly while protecting carton shape and package integrity.
Carton Freezer
Square’s carton freezer is suitable for freezing beef, poultry, pork, and cooling of fruits, cheese, etc. Our carton freezer efficiently freezes or chills products in cartons, plastic totes, or shrink-wraps. With our tunnel carton freezer, enjoy rapid freezing that optimally preserves your products.
Whether it’s cartons, boxes, trays, or bulk containers, our system ensures quality while reducing labor costs through advanced pre-sorting, freezing units, and output distribution.
Flexible
Smart control
Efficient Horizontal airflow freezing
Low labor intensity
Product tracibilit
Product Features
Why Choose Square's Carton Freezer
Explore the key product features, including Efficient Horizontal Airflow Freezing, Low Labor Intensity, Product Traceability, and the engineering advantages behind this system.
Efficient Horizontal Airflow Freezing
Our carton freezer minimizes retention time for boxed products by maintaining consistent air freezing temperature and speed horizontally across all levels.
Low Labor Intensity
Reduce workload and time, resulting in decreased labor costs with our carton freezer.
Product Traceability
Trace batch numbers, freezing times, and locations of products for enhanced traceability.
Flexibility
Capable of freezing multiple products simultaneously, offering versatility in production.
Smart Control
Equipped with PLC control, servo motor monitoring system, and remote troubleshooting capabilities for efficient and intelligent operation.
Technical Specifications
Parameters
Carton freezer parameters cover tunnel configuration, conveying layout, airflow, freezing capacity, temperature range, refrigerant, defrost, loading height, controls, and carton handling.
| Configuration | Multi-level conveyorized carton freezer — straight-through or U-shape |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 2 – 15 tons/hr (product and carton size dependent) |
| Carton sizes | 300×200×100 mm to 600×400×200 mm (standard); custom sizes accommodated |
| Conveyor levels | 2 – 6 levels for extended dwell time |
| Operating temperature | −35°C to −40°C (air); −30°C to −35°C (evaporator) |
| Refrigerant | NH₃ (Ammonia) / CO₂ — pump-recirculated |
| Evaporator | Industrial finned-tube, stainless steel or aluminium, multi-bank |
| Defrost | Hot gas / Water — automated, production-continuous with multi-bank design |
| Typical freeze time | 4 – 24 hours (carton size and product dependent) |
| Infeed/Outfeed | Automated conveyor with barcode scanning and palletizing interface |
| Control system | PLC with SCADA, WMS integration, batch traceability, automated reporting |
| Typical lead time | 18–24 weeks |
| Design life | 20+ years (structure); 15+ years (refrigeration); 8–12 years (conveyors) |
Design Details
How each subsystem is engineered
Expand any section below for the engineering approach behind each critical subsystem — with links to detailed Technology pages.
Carton vs. Individual Piece Freezing
Carton freezers provide distinct advantages for boxed products:
- Single handling: Product is packed fresh, frozen in the carton, and shipped — no unpack-repack cycle
- Dwell time: Longer than spiral/tunnel (hours vs minutes) because heat must conduct through carton walls AND product mass
- Carton design: Carton dimensions, vent holes, and stacking pattern are engineered for optimal airflow and heat transfer
- Limitations: Carton freezers are not for IQF loose products — those go through spiral or fluidized bed before cartoning
Automated Material Handling Design
The material handling system is integral to carton freezer performance:
- Infeed: Cartons arrive from packing line on conveyor. Barcode scanned for product ID, weight recorded
- Loading: Automatic pusher or lift transfers cartons from infeed conveyor to freezer conveyor level
- Internal transport: Cartons travel through freezing chamber on multi-level conveyors
- Discharge: Frozen cartons automatically transferred to discharge conveyor. Core temperature verified. Palletizer integration
Freezing Time & Heat Transfer
Freezing time for cartoned product is determined by:
- Carton dimensions (thickness is key — doubling thickness quadruples freezing time)
- Product type and initial temperature
- Carton material (corrugated cardboard adds insulation; waxed cartons have different thermal properties)
- Air temperature and velocity through carton channels
Typical freezing time for a standard 25 kg meat carton from +5°C to −18°C core at −38°C air: 10–16 hours.
Refrigeration & Defrost Strategy
Carton freezers handle high product heat loads:
- NH₃ pump-recirculated system typical for large installations (>500 kW)
- CO₂ systems gaining adoption for indoor/safety-sensitive installations
- Multi-bank evaporators: 3–4 banks, each sized for 35–50% of total duty
- Sequential hot gas defrost: one bank defrosts while others maintain temperature
Integration with Cold Storage & Logistics
Carton freezers typically sit between production/packing and cold storage:
- Upstream: Packing line conveyor or palletized cartons from production area
- Discharge: Direct conveyor to cold storage (−18°C to −25°C) or automated palletizing
- WMS integration: Carton barcode scanned at infeed and discharge for inventory tracking
- Cold storage interface: Rapid-rise freezer door with air curtain to minimize cold loss
Proven in These Food Applications
Packaged fruits
Suitable for packaged fruit products requiring stable temperatures and gentle, even airflow.
Case Studies
Carton Freezer in Operation Worldwide
Real production lines with performance data — not renderings, not claims. Each installation documented with commissioning data.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The freezer is designed with gentle airflow and even cooling to maintain the shape and integrity of the packaging throughout the cycle.
Yes. Most modern Carton Freezers support integration with automatic conveyors, AGVs, and palletizers for efficient material handling.
We own CE, EAC, INF, CNAS, ISO, ASME, PED, U2, CSA, CRN certifications and 300+ patents, as well as 350+ engineers. Square vertically integrated production ensures quality control from raw materials.
Square can customize carton freezer tunnel length, belt width, airflow arrangement, loading height, infeed/outfeed direction, refrigerant, defrost method, and automation interfaces to match carton size, throughput, and plant layout.
Consistent freezing is maintained through controlled airflow, proper spacing, stable conveying, and a refrigeration layout matched to carton size and load density. Square configures the tunnel and airflow according to the product and package format.
Engineering Inquiry
Discuss Your Carton Freezer Project
Share your product type, target capacity, line layout, utilities, and site conditions. Our engineers will review your requirements and recommend a suitable Carton Freezer configuration.
We typically respond within 1–2 business days. Your information is kept confidential.
