Industry Problem: Why Traditional Cooling Fails
In many seafood processing plants, the main issues are:
Slow pre-cooling speed after fishing
Uneven temperature distribution in cold storage
High water loss during freezing process
Large ice crystal formation damaging cell structure
Limited factory space for long freezing tunnels
These factors lead to:
Reduced yield rate
Higher juice loss after thawing
Shorter shelf-life of frozen seafood
CBFI Integrated Solution Overview
The system combines two core units:
1. Flake Ice Pre-Cooling System (20 tons/day capacity)
Flake ice is used for rapid surface cooling immediately after fish unloading.
Key characteristics:
Ice thickness: 2–3 mm flake ice
Large contact surface for fast heat exchange
Uniform coverage on fish surface
Rapid temperature reduction from ambient level
Compared with crushed ice, flake ice provides higher surface contact efficiency and more stable cooling performance.
Typical result in pre-cooling stage:
Fish surface temperature reduced from ~25°C to ~4°C in short time window
Reduced thermal stress on muscle tissue
Lower initial microbial activity before freezing stage
2. Double Spiral IQF Freezing System
After pre-cooling, fish products are transferred into a double-layer spiral freezing system.
System characteristics:
Dual-layer spiral conveyor structure
Continuous rotation and airflow exposure
-40°C high-intensity freezing environment
Controlled product movement for uniform heat exchange
Freezing performance:
Core temperature reaches -18°C within approximately 90 minutes (depending on product size)
Faster freezing compared to conventional single-spiral or straight tunnel systems
Structural Design Advantage
Compact spiral layout
Compared with traditional straight-line freezing tunnels, the double spiral system significantly reduces floor space requirements.
Space reduction: approx. 30%–35%
Suitable for factories with limited installation area
Flexible integration into existing production lines
Improved airflow efficiency
The system uses vertical airflow circulation design:
Cold air flows downward through upper layer
Waste heat is discharged through lower airflow return path
Continuous temperature balance inside freezing chamber
This improves energy utilization and reduces uneven freezing zones.
Processing Workflow
Step 1: Pre-cooling stage
Freshly processed fish is placed in trays and covered with flake ice.
Functions:
Rapid surface cooling
Slows enzymatic degradation
Reduces microbial activity
Prepares stable temperature baseline for freezing
Step 2: IQF spiral freezing
Pre-cooled fish enters the spiral freezing system.
Process characteristics:
Continuous rotation and movement
Uniform exposure to -40°C airflow
Controlled freezing rate to prevent cell rupture
Step 3: Core temperature stabilization
Once the core temperature reaches approximately -18°C:
Enzyme activity is inhibited
Cellular structure is stabilized
Product enters frozen preservation state
Performance Improvements (Compared with Traditional Systems)
Cell damage rate reduced from ~8% to ~2%
Juice loss reduced by up to 50%
Faster freezing cycle time
Improved texture retention after thawing
Engineering Value
The system is designed to solve three core constraints in seafood processing:
1. Temperature stability
From unloading to freezing, temperature fluctuation is minimized to protect fish muscle structure.
2. Space efficiency
Spiral structure reduces factory footprint requirements compared with long tunnel systems.
3. Continuous production
Supports uninterrupted processing from pre-cooling to deep freezing.
Application Scenarios
This solution is widely used in:
Fish processing plants
Seafood export factories
Cold chain preparation centers
Frozen seafood production lines
Coastal fisheries processing hubs
Typical products include:
Hairtail
Shrimp
Squid
White fish and mixed seafood
System Value for Seafood Processing Plants
The integrated pre-cooling and spiral freezing system helps achieve:
Faster post-harvest stabilization
Higher product yield after thawing
Reduced processing loss
More stable export-grade freezing quality
Better utilization of limited factory space
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