Company: tna

Website: www.tnasolutions.com

Equipment Snapshot: tna has introduced a new energy-efficient fan design for its Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3 to reduce energy consumption by more than 30%, providing French fry manufacturers with a more cost-effective and sustainable freezing solution. Featuring the latest airflow technology, the Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3 is able to evenly freeze a variety of potato products in different shapes, including sticks, cubes and wedges. As part of tna’s commitment to continuous innovation and a sustainable production process, the company has now developed a new energy-efficient freezer fan to reduce operating costs and increase production cycles while ensuring a high quality and uniformly frozen product.

The Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3 features centrifugal fans with curved blades to optimise the air flow underneath the belt, resulting in even air velocity over the product for a high heat transfer rate and even fluidisation across the entire width of the belt. As the air speed is near the product’s fluidisation velocity, the appearance of clusters is eliminated and each French fry is frozen individually, quickly and to perfection.

In addition, the specific impeller construction of the Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3 ensures that the fan curve has almost 100% spare static pressure to minimise the effects of production fluctuations and ensure a more stable fan curve over an increased period of time. As a result, the Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3 reduces power consumption by more than 30% compared to previous technology and can maintain an efficient performance for longer before it requires defrosting, significantly increasing production cycles.

“Pre-coolers and freezers are some of the biggest power consumers in any French fry line,” comments Henk Boon, group solutions manager – processing at tna. “These systems often require high volumes of electric power to operate and also to cool down the heat they release in exchange. Reducing the power consumption of this type of equipment not only results in immediate energy savings, but will also have a significant influence on the overall operational costs of the entire production line. In fact, by upgrading their equipment to the Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3, manufacturers can expect a return on investment in only one to two years. This, in combination with shorter cleaning periods, reduced maintenance and superior equipment reliability, make the Ferguson ener-freeze ^FFV 3 a valuable addition to any French fry production line.”

Ferguson, a tna brand, have been supplying the French fry industry for over 30 years, developing some of the industry’s most innovative designs. Renowned for their performance, reliability and low energy consumption, Ferguson cooling and freezing tunnels are the ideal solution for a wide variety of potato products.