GEA Refrigeration Technologies

Saying that they are especially designed for sensitive food, GEA Refrigeration Technologies has introduced direct-drive GEA A-Tec and GEA E-Tec spiral freezers and coolers.

The manufacturer claimed that the new direct-drive systems will primarily benefit the manufacturers of deep-fried, breaded, and sugar-glazed products. This advantage arises, GEA said, from the fact that, with conventional spiral freezers (ie, low-tension freezers), it is possible for sugar or fat to drip and decrease the friction between the drum and the conveyor belt, which can lead to jerking. But direct-drive systems are not affected by this problem, so that the running conveyor runs flat without tension variations, the food during cooling or freezing remains in place on the conveyor belt, and no deformations can occur because of a change in position, it explained.

The manufacturer listed other product features and advantages:

• The gentle transport offers additional benefits, for example, baked goods or packaged prepared meals can be exactly positioned on the belt at high density, since their position on the belt does not change.
• The low-tension freezers and coolers offer output up to seven tonnes per hour, depending on the product to be processed.
• The direct drive system is seamlessly integrated in the GEA spiral series with a top drive outside the enclosure with the GEA A-Tec series, and a bottom drive inside the enclosure in the GEA E-Tec series.
• They feature the Intralox Direct Drive System, in which the Acetal conveyor belts are directly geared to the drive drum.