HydroClean Series Conveyors help keep SQF-Certified ice facility clean and efficient

Queen City Ice, a company dedicated to making and packaging ice for retail and events, was one of the first to order a HydroClean Sanitary Conveyor when they launched in 2015. They had such success with the first conveyor that they’ve since purchased additional product to speed their bagging process.

As an SQF-Certified facility, Queen City Ice was drawn to HydroClean conveyors due to their easy-to-clean design that requires no tools for disassembly. The conveyors must be able to operate in the cold, wet environment of an ice plant and withstand being washed down every day.

The first conveyor replaced an older conveyor that required hours of disassembly and re-assembly each time it was cleaned. The HydroClean conveyors can be completely disassembled or re-assembled in just a few minutes. It’s used in the bagging process for their 7 lb and 22 lb bags to move them from the fill point to the “ringer,” which places the metal ring that seals the top of the bag.

“We wash down all of our equipment daily which can take its toll on some equipment,” said Bob Myers, who oversees the ice plant.”We have had no problems with the conveyor which is hard to find in such a harsh environment.”

Another conveyor moves 50lb bags, used mostly for large events, through a heat-sealing machine. The bags are loaded and unloaded from the conveyor by hand.

“We had conveyance concerns regarding the weight of our large bags of ice, operating in a wet environment, as well as ease of disassembly and re-assembly for cleaning,” said Dean Mazzaro, Director of Operations for Queen City Ice. “We have now been using the conveyors for the better part of two years with no issues!”