ICE CUBER

Ice Cube Making Machines: How Do They Work?

Most of us enjoy, both at home and the office, ice cubes. Each one enjoys this pleasure in
his and her own way. From aesthetic treatments to delicious cold drinks, having high-quality
ice always at hand is a constant need that endures time. However, the clear majority of
people watch how ice cube making machines do their thing while ignoring the process
behind, how things truly happen.
How do these machines work? Which is the science that makes everything possible? It turns
out that it’s a very interesting process, which is also perfectly understandable for most
people.
As always, we are fans of the ice industry and we are constantly transmitting curious facts
to our readers. This is occasion, we are going to explain the mystery behind the ice cube
making machines.
The Innovation Behind Perfect Ice Cubes
Before explaining one of the most standardized processes in the ice industry, we need to
make something very clear: getting perfect ice cubes is not always a priority for some
manufacturers. While it is true that its ice cubes’ perfection, other companies using similar
ice fabrication processes aren’t always paying enough attention to quality, only to quantity.
This means that the process behind the ice cube making machines isn’t always related to a
high-quality final product. To achieve this, every step of the process is adjusted perfectly,
using only but the best materials to get satisfying results.
Understanding the Process
The process that allows the ice cube making machines to do their magic begins with the
emission of a refrigerant gas within a set of small coils. When this gas is forced into the
coils, the pressure generates a natural increase in temperature.
Now, having hot gas, at an adequate temperature, this refrigerant gas moves towards a
series of higher-width tubes within the system. When it cools down, the gas begins to
condensate.
Such refrigerant gas within the coils becomes liquid. The gas’ condensation is taken to an
evaporator, usually made of stainless steel, which has a double discharge design. Now,
while all this process takes place, there is a water reservoir that keeps the liquid flowing
constantly over the evaporator’s top. This simple action is what freezes the water until it
becomes solid ice.
The ice cube making machines rely on water becoming ice at 32 °F. However, to make this
happen so precisely, it’s important for the water to be pure. The smallest impurities in the
water may directly affect its capacity to become ice at the expected temperature. Because
of this, these systems usually include filters that purify the water while flowing through the
system itself.
Then, with the water already frozen, thanks to the evaporator, it begins the ice cubes’
elaboration. The ice falls into dispensers that have the predetermined shapes for the cubes.
From there, it goes out of the machine.
What Happens with Your Common Refrigerator
Many people have a refrigerator at home with ice cube dispenser features. However, the
process here is different. Because the refrigerator’s main purpose isn’t producing ice but to
refrigerate food at a less aggressive temperature, this kind of equipment does not have a
dedicated system.
Unlike ice cube making machines, the refrigerator with ice cube dispenser features has a
small and compact system for in-situ production. The water falls into simple trays with the
ice cube’s shape, which cools down due to the freezer’s inner temperature. Once the water
gets frozen in the trays, an electric resistance in the trays’ floor activates, melting the ice
cube’s face that it’s making it adhere to the plastic. In that moment, a small lever spins and
pulls out the ice from the production tray, failing into the dispenser’s plate.
Accessories to complement your ice making machine

Only those who are truly committed to their ice making machines know that complementing
the product with some accessories is an extraordinary idea in order to have a more
satisfying experience.
On the other hand, those who don’t pay too much attention to their ice making machines,
portable or installed ones, the idea of complementing with accessories may sound odd.
However, once we see these accessories, their relevance becomes clear to the end
experience.
Not investing in these accessories do not sacrifice in any possible way the results. We’ll also
have a high availability of high-quality ice, this whenever we wish. However, the accessories
take the experience further.
We recommend you consider the following accessories to complement your ice making
machine.
Water Filter
Saying that the water filter is an accessory may sound like a mistake. Nonetheless, we put in
on this list because it’s a smart idea to question the real capabilities of our current water
filter, the one installed and operating on our ice making machine. This is useful to get an
alternative that may produce better results.
The vast majority of modern ice making machines, including the ones manufactured by Ice
Makers, come with built-in high-efficiency water filters that guarantee the highest grade of
purity of the water that will become ice cubes. Also, there are older models that may not
have a filter and depend on water with questionable pureness.
Whichever is the case here, we can always get a water filter and replace the current one,
increasing this way the quality of the water used for ice production.
Automatic Cleaning System
Investing in a compact automatic cleaning system for ice making machines is not always
possible nor necessary. First, the vast majority of modern machines already have such
systems installed inside, ensuring an optimum hygiene by avoiding dirt accumulation.
In the second place, not every ice making machine models available in the market are
compatible with the automatic cleaning systems, this due to their internal components and
structure. This means that this accessory is exclusive for those who want it and can use it.
If you have an ice making machine and ignore if it has a cleaning system built in, check the
manual and find out. If the answer is negative, it becomes really important to know if
making a new installation is possible. Taking care of a proper cleaning process is necessary
to guarantee the good shape of the components and an optimum performance all the time.
Heat Exchanger
The science behind the heat exchanger is simple and the benefits it brings to ice making
machines are huge. What this small component does is to transfer heat from one element to
other.
In the case of machines for ice production at home or in commercial environments, what
this component does is to reduce the temperature of the water coming into the system. This
allows the machine to work with low-temperature liquid, naturally and safely reducing the
water’s heat with each cycle.
Shovel
The shovel is a quite obvious accessory that many ice making machine owners ignore. This
is the simplest product on our list, but still, it brings great benefits to the users. The two
reasons to use a shovel with an ice making machine are hygiene and convenience.
For those who manipulate the ice produced to be used in food and drink preparations, it’s
simply irresponsible and unconscious to directly use the hands. Contamination is a constant
and failures in terms of hygiene happen when we transmit bacteria from our hands to the
ice.
Then is convenience. It’s senseless and uncomfortable to use the hands for moving ice from
point A to B, especially when we know that there are other tools that allow us to do it more
efficiently. Using the shovel is a solution for both problems because we can use ice cubes
easier and without direct contact, something that may compromise hygiene.