Enhanced freezing capabilities for seafood producer
When Iceland Seafood International (ISI), a leading supplier of North Atlantic seafood, moved into a bigger factory in response to growing product demand, it was an opportunity to improve the efficiency of its freezing capabilities and switch to more advanced technologies. The goal? To help fulfil its ambition to become the biggest seafood producer in the UK.
By installing Air Products’ Smart Technology (APST) technology onto its cryogenic freezers, ISI has seen an immediate improvement on both the efficiency and productivity of its production lines, and an improvement on its freezing conversion rates.
Data is king
Having greater insight into the efficiency of a production line has never been more important, especially when economic and environmental pressures are affecting businesses and consumers alike. Liquid nitrogen consumption, as part of cryogenic freezing operations, is one area where there is a real opportunity to drive greater efficiency though smart use of data.
Air Products and ISI have worked in partnership to adopt APST, which can be retrofitted or installed during manufacture onto its cryogenic freezers.
APST is a new generation cryogenic freezing technology that puts efficiency at the heart of the freezing process. Its diagnostic sensors and wireless communications technology monitors and controls operations remotely, tracking key process parameters, and advises on how to improve processes based on advanced analytics. As a result, the technology optimises cryogenic freezer use, improves efficiency, productivity, and sustainability, and gives customers better control on liquid nitrogen usage – all helping with competitive advantage.
It can also be integrated onto Air Products’ cryogenic freezers to provide real-time and historical data via an easy reading dashboard, which can be remotely accessed both by Air Products and its customers to allow both teams to review the information.
Rob Wilson, Continuous Improvement Manager at ISI, said: “The more data we can get from our technology, the better. With the APST dashboard, we’re keeping records of any trends, the cost per kilo and conversion rate by product – it’s extremely helpful to know which products we need to look at and which are costing us more money.
“We are still at a relatively early stage of application, but the data has already helped us to make strategic business decisions, such as discontinuing a product and swapping one of the small tunnels for a medium one to provide extra capacity – as it was obvious both were costing the factory money. Without APST, we’d never have known this.”
Adapting to enhance freezing processes
One of the key features of APST is the sensor technology, which allows the user to monitor activity and diagnose any issues simply by looking at the dashboard.
Rob continued: “One of the sensors recently diagnosed something that needed adjusting, so I was aware of this before the team on the factory floor knew what the issue was; I can quite literally monitor the dashboard and diagnose problems without leaving my office. It gives us greater insight and the ability to diagnose problems particularly quickly, resulting in less downtime, which is essential to preventing performance interruptions.
“Similarly, the kilos used can be split by shift and also provide historical data. Without the data, we wouldn’t be able to analyse conversion rates.
“Since using APST, we have already seen a noticeable improvement in liquid nitrogen usage in the last few months, which has a direct impact on our operational cost. We are also now able to react quickly to changing prices and liquid nitrogen levels making us more agile and adaptable than we were before.
“The future of the food sector will be driven by data. Businesses won’t survive if they don’t use data in their production facilities, as they won’t have a true picture of what’s going on. Now that we’ve used APST, I wouldn’t want to work without it. The data is exactly what I need.”
Improving efficiency
Upskilling and empowering workers are further benefits of using APST; in order to save costs, reduce waste and run more efficiently, operators need to know what to do. This is why Air Products provides training to its customers who will be using the technology and analysing the data. As part of this process, it shows operators how recipes can be added into the system. This means that operators don’t have to select a temperature option, as it’s already pre-programmed, helping to improve the efficiency and quality of the freeze.
Similarly, the system features an alert system, which informs the operator if a fan isn’t working, for example, or if the correct temperature isn’t set or loading through the tunnel properly. The daily reports provide this intelligence, giving the user a greater understanding of the efficiency of the system.
It’s also a useful tool to provide additional insight and support when factory operators leave the team. The technology holds historical and real-time data, so all the information is stored on the APST system itself, giving food producers greater reassurance that they’re not losing knowledge each time an operator leaves and can continue production without interruption.
Neil Hansford, UK&I Freshline Applications Product Line Manager at Air Products, said: “Air Products has been developing innovations in the food processing sector for decades, and we’re incredibly proud of the latest advances we’ve made in freezing technology. Ultimately, we want to support food producers in creating the most streamlined manufacturing process possible, especially during periods of uncertainty.
“With APST, the technology helps food producers to reduce costs, downtime, along with product waste and liquid nitrogen usage – easing any financial pressures and environmental impact. Together, this will enable food producers to become more efficient, productive, and better informed.
“More than ever food manufacturers need greater control over their food processes to cater to the changing needs of the market. This new technology will bolster resilience and ensure manufacturers are ready for future challenges.”
Innovations in Food (& Beverage) Processing & Packaging is a quarterly magazine distributed globally both in Print and Digital formats. www.innovationsfood.com. Twitter: @Innovfoodtech. Instagram: @innovationsinfoodtechnology. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/terry-prior52
