GEA Features New Options for Its A-Tec Spiral Freezer

GEA has announced two new options for its A-Tec spiral freezer for the North American market. The new equipment provides significant hygiene and practical benefits, while maintaining the performance features of the range, the company announced.

GEA has made the A-Tec easier to clean by locating the fan’s electrical motor outside the freezer. The company has also added a low profile top drive option that reduces the overall height of the freezer, for use in confined spaces.

As the fan and gearbox of the A-Tec are located outside the freezer and out of the food area, the number of component surfaces within the unit is reduced,  significantly improving hygiene. Their external location also provides free access to these key components, which makes cleaning and maintenance much easier, especially as the inside of the freezer is running at -30°C.

Key A-Tec features maintained

These new developments have been achieved without affecting any of the essential features of the A-Tec machines. These include a highly effective horizontal airflow that minimizes the temperature rise from the top to the bottom of the spiral – product dehydration is reduced in this way and yields are improved. The sloped, fully welded, fully insulated floor of the A-Tec is another key feature, removing the need for under-floor heaters, and eliminating the risk of accidental floor damage should heaters fail, which provide a high level of hygiene. In addition, GEA’s sequential coil defrosting system is simple, effective, easy to clean and allows the freezer to run continuously for up to six days in combination with GEA Static Pressure Control System for perfect air balance control –compared with 8-16 hours for machines without the technology.