Before freezing, prepare the quick-freezing tunnel:
Sterilize the trays and other parts on the tunnel.
Set tunnel temperature based on the product. For ice cream cones, keep it below -35°C. For stick products, keep it below -45°C.
Start the motor to run the tray chain.
Start the freezer and the air blower for cooling.
Start the circulation pump for the chocolate coating and heat it to 40°C ±1°C.
Use UV sterilization for all sticks and skewers. Take samples for bacterial testing.
The workshop should have UV lamps. Sterilize the workshop before production.
Freezing
A continuous ice cream freezer works in much the same way as other continuous freezers. Because the line runs automatically, the aged mix temperature should be 2 to 4°C. It must not exceed 4°C.
Extrusion
The ice cream mix from the freezer goes through a pipe into the extrusion mold. After the filling extruder cuts the ice cream body, the shape must meet requirements. It must not be blurred or unclear. If it is, repair the tooling promptly. The cut section should be smooth. The hot wire on the cutter should be 95 to 115°C.
For ice cream freezer and tunnel parts, Hansheng Automation can machine custom molds, stick inserters, cutter components, and food-contact parts from customer drawings, in single pieces or small batches.
Stick insertion
Place sterilized sticks neatly into the stick inserter. An automatic device inserts the sticks into the extruded ice cream body at the right position. Sterilized sticks must be inserted straight. If they tilt, adjust the automatic stick inserter.
Quick freezing
Stick ice cream takes 25 minutes. Cones take 38 minutes.
Knock-off
While two-color ice cream hardens in the quick-freezing tunnel, assign a person to watch the tunnel temperature and the hardening effect of the ice cream coming out. Keep original records. If the tunnel temperature does not meet requirements, find the cause.
Coating
After quick freezing and hardening, stick ice cream automatically leaves the tray after knock-off. A manipulator grips the hardened stick ice cream and dips it into the chocolate coating tank. The coating should be even, bright, and dense.
Packaging
Check net weight by sampling often. If the product is overweight or below standard, adjust the overrun.
Casing
The chocolate coating is thin and easy to crack. Handle with care: lift, load, place, and push gently. The case count must be correct. Do not overpack or underpack. The sealing tape must be firm and complete. Mark production date, batch number, shift, and product name.
Cold storage
Before storage, record output, batch number, and product name. Send the product to the cold store. Hand over quantity, batch number, and product name clearly.
Beyond ice cream freezer and tunnel parts, our precision component customization serves more than one industry. We machine medical device components, filling machinery parts, food machinery parts, tobacco packaging machinery parts, yacht precision components, RC car precision components, and printing machinery parts. Hansheng Automation works from customer drawings and delivers one-off or batch parts to the required material, tolerance, and surface finish. Our scope is precision components, not complete machines.
