The implementation of a new IQF tunnel freezer and a Fluid Ice slurry system have brought new levels of product quality and operational efficiency to Atlantic Capes Fisheries’ (ACF) scallop and surf clam processing plant in Fall River, Massachusetts, with Skaginn 3X supplying both systems.
Installed in May 2017, the Fluid Ice system has supported faster, more consistent mixing, thereby increasing final product accuracy. The addition of the IQF tunnel a year later has in turn doubled the freezing capacity and also further improved the quality of its scallops.
The latter solution has also enabled ACF to cycle through its fresh scallops more quickly, ensuring that it can manage the increasing volume of incoming products landed by its large scallop harvesting fleet. Additionally, with the company no longer using nitrogen to freeze its scallops, it has been able to dramatically reduce its operational costs.
Crucially, with space at a premium, the IQF freezer was installed outside of ACF’s main complex – a move made possible by having only the infeed/outfeed inside the facility and facing the production area. Not only has this allowed the company to optimize the finite space on its plant floor, it also made it possible for the operations team to run the outgoing nitrogen tunnel for as long as needed while the new, more efficient Skaginn 3X tunnel was being installed externally. Consequently, the downtime resulting from the switch to the new system was kept to an absolute minimum.
Of equal importance, the internal space regained through this upgrade provided ACF with an area suitable for the installation of a semi-automatic vibratory grader. This grader has allowed the company to keep up with the increased volume coming from the new IQF tunnel.
Despite some severe weather challenges, Skaginn 3X had the tunnel freezer installed on schedule. ACF Controller, Flavio Biscaia, reflects, “The Fluid Ice slurry system was an extremely easy process to install. Skaginn 3X did a great job of not interrupting our production and working around the current building constraints. The complete system was piped through the whole building with ease. But the IQF tunnel was installed during a period when we had to endure four consecutive major snow storms. Skaginn 3X did an excellent job of staying on time with their aspect of the project, regardless.”
He adds, “Skaginn 3X has since done a great job of servicing both machines and are always available to answer questions. They show an immense amount of urgency during our downtimes and most parts are available locally or sent from Iceland in a very timely manner.”
With the capacity to freeze up to 9,000 pounds of scallops per hour, ACF’s new IQF tunnel freezer represents the largest freezer that Skaginn 3X has installed for the US scallop sector to-date. Meanwhile, for ACF, the introduction of this equipment and the Fluid Ice system were part of a larger automation upgrade, with the company seeking to meet the long-term demand of the market as well as its fleet’s large harvest capacity.
An integral part of the shellfish company’s expansion strategy is the ability to quickly freeze large volumes during the peak summer months. This is a critical period, when most of the fishing takes place. Another key area of recent investment is the ability to pack frozen product into its end packaging, and to this end, ACF has improved the process by installing multi-head weighers and also vertical, form, fill and seal (VFFS) baggers.
More upgrade work is expected to continue further downstream, with the company also now evaluating machinery such as case erectors, packing stations, and automatic labeling solutions.
“ACF is partnering up with leading state-of-the-art equipment manufacturers to continuously improve quality and production. We are looking to be a leader in the scallop manufacturing sector in quality and efficiency, with the ability to offer our customers a vertically integrated source of scallops,” explains Biscaia.
“Skaginn 3X has been an excellent partner and as we continuously strive for improvement, there are other projects on the horizon that will tie into the current pieces of equipment to further maximize their efficiency.”
