Poultry IQF: Multi-Line Spiral Freezers Across 4 Facilities
NH₃ spiral freezers. 2,000–5,000 kg/hr per line. Operational since 2018–2022.
Spiral Freezer
The enclosure is designed for optimal insulation and waterproofing, with choices between fully welded or groove-tongue caulking.
Custom-built to meet specific customer requirements
200–10,000 kg/hr capacity
Capacity ranges from 200kg to 10000kg/hr
The structure's open design ensures total accessibility for easy cleaning and maintenance.
It includes a computerized control system with pre-programmed cleaning modes and an optional automatic CIP to reduce cleaning effort and time.
Product Features
Ten Design Decisions, Backed by Data
Explore the original product feature overview, including Large Sprocket / chain Drive, Stainless Steel Mesh Belt, Finite Element Analysis, and the key technical advantages behind this system.
Why Choose Square's Spiral Freezer
Product Features
Finite Element Analysis
When designing a spiral freezer, structural analysis is performed to ensure its structural integrity during operation.
Stainless Steel Mesh Belt
- SUS304 food grade spring wire, high strength, 8-10 years’ service life.
- Open structure, easy for cleaning, width suitable: 400~1372mm.
- Optional edge guard board to prevent products dropping.
Efficient evaporator
- The design was simulated with European professional heat exchanger software.
- All tubes are expanded hydraulically rather than mechanically. More uniform expansion and tighter fit between tube and fins. Improved heat exchanging performance.
- Variable fin pitch used to delay the frost formation on the fins surface. Longer frosting interval.
- Easy access and cleaning
- Tube material: Stainless steel, Aluminum Fin material: Aluminum
Insulated enclosure
Continuous PIR panel fabrication line from German Hennecke. 50mm to 250mm thick. Limited combustibility.Fully welded stainless steel enclosure available as option.
Fully welded floor
Modular stainless steel fully welded floor, leak proof. Sloped floor, fast drainage through four drains at the corners. Easy Access.
Intelligent control system
- PLC touch screen, friendly interface, easy operation.
- Real-time display of equipment running status, temperature of each area, fault alarm.
- Preset freezing programs tailored for different products.
- Optional remote troubleshooting module.
Air Flow Design
- The cold and high velocity air flow is guided with the air baffles evenly through the product area.
- Minimum food dehydration, best heat transfer.
- Air shrouds provided to minimize cold loss at the opening of infeed and outfeed.
- Spacious access inside freezer for maintenance and cleaning personnel.
CIP（Cleaning-in-Place）
The system cleans and disinfects the interior of the freezer completely to meet the sanitary requirements of food safety production.
Our system design is programmed with tailored CIP recipes to suit various product and needs.
Air defrost system
- The ADF blows pulses of pressurized air of high velocity repeatedly over the evaporator fins while the products continue to run in the freezer.
- The freezer inside temperature is more stable because of less frost on the fin.
- Thanks to longer runtime, the production output is increased.
Technical Specifications
Parameters
Two structural configurations available: double spiral freezer and single drum spiral freezer. Custom dimensions and capacities upon request.
| Structure | Double spiral freezer — two independent drums, shared enclosure |
|---|---|
| Drum diameter | 1,620 – 5,800 mm |
| Layers / Tiers | 6 – 40 |
| Insulated enclosure | PIR / PU, stainless steel skin both sides |
| Mesh belt width | 520 – 1,372 mm |
| Infeed / Outfeed height | Low-level (~900 mm from floor) — direct conveyor integration |
| Control panel | PLC touchscreen, stainless steel enclosure, IP65 |
| Refrigerant | NH₃ (Ammonia) / CO₂ / Freon — pump-recirculated or DX |
| Evaporator | Aluminium / Stainless steel tube, aluminium fin, variable fin pitch |
| Defrost | Water / Hot gas / ADF (Air Defrost System) |
| Freezing time | Stepless variable frequency adjustable (typically 15–60 min per product spec) |
| Cleaning | Manual / Belt washer / CIP (Cleaning-in-Place) — programmable |
| Typical lead time | 14–18 weeks (custom-engineered configuration) |
| Design life | 15+ years (structural); 8–10 years (belt, normal operation) |
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.
Airflow & Heat Transfer Design
Cold air is delivered through carefully positioned baffles and ducts to create uniform, high-velocity airflow across every product on the belt. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling during design ensures:
- Air velocity variance ≤ ±15% across entire belt width
- Product dehydration kept below 0.5% for IQF applications
- Air shrouds at infeed/outfeed openings reduce cold loss by ~30%
Defrost Strategy — ADF, Hot Gas, and Water
Three defrost methods are offered, selected based on your production schedule and refrigerant type:
- ADF (Air Defrost System) — Pressurized air pulses clear evaporator ice while production continues. Recovers ~2.5 hrs/day of production time vs manual defrost.
- Hot Gas Defrost — Reverses refrigerant flow to warm evaporator coils. Fastest cycle (8–12 min). Requires 2–3 daily interruptions.
- Water Defrost — Warm water spray over coils. Simple, reliable. Longer cycle time (20–30 min).
CIP & Hygienic Design
Cleaning-in-Place system with programmable wash, rinse, and sanitize cycles. The open-structure belt design, fully welded floor with sloped drainage, and tool-free access hatches enable:
- CIP sanitation cycle: 25–45 minutes (vs 90+ min manual cleaning)
- NSF-compliant hygienic design; all product-contact surfaces accessible without tools
- Programmable recipes for daily deep-clean, between-product flush, or end-of-shift sanitize
→ Full article: CIP & Hygienic Design for Food Freezing Equipment
Insulation & Enclosure Structure
Continuous PIR (polyisocyanurate) panels produced in-house on a German Hennecke foaming line — Square controls the full panel supply chain, not dependent on external panel suppliers:
- Panel thickness: 50–250mm, selected per operating temperature and ambient conditions
- Thermal conductivity: ≤ 0.022 W/m·K; density: 38–42 kg/m³
- Panel joint: cam-lock system with thermal break to eliminate cold bridging
- Optional: fully welded stainless steel interior for maximum sanitation
Automation & Control Architecture
Siemens PLC standard with HMI touchscreen interface. Real-time monitoring and data logging for:
- Individual zone temperatures, belt speed, fan RPM, evaporator performance
- Recipe storage: 50+ product-specific freezing programs (time, temp, fan speed per zone)
- Fault detection with alarm escalation (local HMI + remote notification)
- Optional: VPN-based remote diagnostics by Square engineers — no on-site visit needed for ~70% of troubleshooting cases
Proven in These Food Applications
Bakery Products
Seafood
Ready Meals
Poultry (Raw)
Poultry (Cooked)
Ice Cream
Pastry & Dumplings
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Square spiral freezers are designed for easy cleaning, featuring hygienic structures and systems such as:
● Stainless steel frame and components
● Easy-access doors and liftable covers
● Sloped floors for drainage
● CIP (Clean-In-Place) systems => The system cleans and disinfects the interior of the freezer completely to meet the sanitary requirements of food safety production. Our system design is programmed with tailored CIP recipes to suit various product and needs.
● Compact design with high throughput
● Uniform and fast freezing
● Energy efficiency
● Customizable belt width, tier height, and freezing time
● Compatible with various packaging types (tray, bag, loose)
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 offers customized one-stop cold chain solution that meets your requirements.
A tunnel freezer uses a straight, horizontal belt to move products through a linear freezing tunnel, while a spiral freezer uses a vertically stacked, spiral-shaped belt to save space and allow longer dwell time.
Case Studies
Spiral Freezers in Operation Worldwide
Real production lines with performance data — not renderings, not claims. Each installation documented with commissioning data.
Salmon Fillet IQF: 2,000 kg/hr Spiral Freezer, NH₃
Double-drum spiral. −38°C air temperature. ≤0.5% dehydration. Commissioned 2023.
Engineering Inquiry
Tell Us About Your Project
The more detail you provide, the more precise our engineering response. An engineer — not a sales representative — will review your requirements.
We typically respond within 1–2 business days. Your information is kept confidential.