Tube Ice Machine
1. Category Introduction
DAXTRO tube ice machines produce clear, hollow cylindrical ice with a smooth surface and a uniform wall thickness, in daily capacities from 1 ton to 30 tons, with ammonia-driven systems extending the range to 100 tons per day. Each unit is built around a vertical shell and tube evaporator, so the ice forms evenly on the inside wall of every tube and is released by hot gas in a single harvest cycle.
The hollow shape is the reason tube ice is the workhorse of industrial cooling. A single tube presents far more surface area than a solid block of the same weight, so it cools a load faster and melts more evenly. Because the pieces stay loose and free flowing, tube ice can be stored in a bin, moved by auger or blown through a pipeline without caking.
Every ice contact surface is 316L stainless steel. Frame, panels and supports are 304. Compressors come from Bitzer, RefComp, Hanbell and Frascold, with PLC control by MCGS. All models are CE marked and produced under ISO 9001.
2. Working Principle
How the ice is made
Water is fed into the top water box and flows as a thin film down the inside wall of each vertical tube. Refrigerant boils in the shell side around the tubes, drawing heat through the tube wall. Ice builds up layer by layer on the inner surface until it reaches the set thickness, typically 6 to 12 mm. Because the water is constantly moving, impurities stay in the circulating water and the ice comes out clear.
How the ice is released
When the ice reaches thickness, the water pump stops and hot discharge gas is routed into the shell side. The brief warm cycle releases the ice from the tube wall and the tubes slide down as continuous cylinders. A rotating cutter at the bottom breaks them into short, even pieces and drops them into the ice bin.
Why the cycle stays stable
The harvest is short and repeatable, so production is continuous rather than batch. A single machine runs the same fill, freeze and harvest sequence around the clock, which is why tube ice plants can be sized precisely against a known daily demand.
3. Performance Advantages
▪ Fast cooling per kilo. The hollow cylinder gives a large contact area against the product, so tube ice pulls temperature down faster than the same weight of block or plate ice.
▪ Free flowing, no caking. Dry, hard, uniform pieces stay separate in storage. No crushing, no chipping, no manual breaking before use.
▪ Clear ice from 316L contact surfaces. All ice contact parts are 316L stainless steel, which keeps the ice clear and protects taste in beverage and food applications.
▪ Precise, repeatable thickness. Ice wall thickness is set on the PLC and held for every cycle, so yield per batch does not drift over a long production run.
▪ Low refrigerant charge per ton. The shell and tube design holds a compact refrigerant volume relative to output, which keeps charging cost and leak risk down.
▪ Sized for the plant, not the catalogue. Air cooled and water cooled condensers, standard and high ambient builds, and ammonia systems for 50 to 100 tons per day are all available from the same platform.
4. Applications
▪ Fisheries and seafood. On board and on shore, tube ice chills the catch quickly and drains freely, keeping boxes dry and product quality high.
▪ Beverage and food service. Clear, hard tube ice for bottling lines, bars, hotels and central kitchens where appearance and melt rate both matter.
▪ Concrete cooling. Tube ice is mixed directly into concrete to control placement temperature on dams, bridges and mass pours.
▪ Poultry and meat processing. Rapid chilling of carcasses and cuts, with free draining ice that keeps work areas clean.
▪ Chemical and pharmaceutical. Indirect cooling duties where a stable, clean ice supply is part of the process rather than the product.
▪ Ice plants and distribution. Turnkey tube ice plants with ice bin, cold room, water treatment and packing, delivered as one line.
5. After-Sales Service
▪ Global spare parts stock. Nine service hubs hold fast moving parts, compressors and control components. Consumables and wear parts ship from stock, not from the production queue.
▪ Remote commissioning and support. PLC parameters, wiring checks and start up sequences are reviewed remotely before the machine is loaded, and engineers are available by video during commissioning.
▪ Engineer deployment. For ammonia systems and multi machine plants, DAXTRO sends commissioning engineers to site. Travel and scope are agreed with the order, not after it.
▪ Documentation package. Operation manual, electrical drawings, refrigerant and water schematics, spare parts list and a maintenance schedule are supplied in English with every unit.
▪ Warranty and response. Twelve months warranty on the machine, longer on the compressor per its own terms. Inquiries are answered within one working day.
