Contact freezer is a batch freezing unit that freezes block-form products by pressing them directly between cold plates — unlike the air blast freezer, which blows cold air over the product. Because of the direct contact, the freezing time is only 60 to 90 minutes and the output is the highest in the batch freezing equipment group.
Tan Long manufactures contact plate freezers in three capacity ranges 1,000, 1,200 and 1,500 kg/batch (TCF.1000 / TCF.1200 / TCF.1500) at our factory in Duc Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Tay Ninh (formerly Long An), for shrimp, fish and block-packed seafood. The equipment runs on both NH3 refrigerant and Freon.
Which industries use contact plate freezers?
Below are the industry groups in which Tan Long has installed the most contact plate freezers:
- Seafood processing: fish fillets, shrimp, squid and frozen export products.
- Food and meat processing: carcass meat, cut meat and ready-prepared foods.
- Agricultural produce and vegetables: vegetables and fruit that need rapid cooling after harvest.
Each sector has different requirements for temperature range, contact materials and capacity. Please contact Tan Long's engineering team for advice on the right configuration for your products.
What is a contact plate freezer? Operating principle and technical standards
Technical characteristics of Tan Long contact plate freezers
- Suitable for freezing seafood and block foods.
- Contact plate freezers are designed and manufactured to HACCP and FDA standards.
- The freezing equipment is made from stainless steel and food-safe standard materials.
- The heat exchange plates are aluminium alloy with a solid, stable structure and fast freezing performance.
- Preserves the natural flavour of the product after freezing.
- The contact plate freezer housing uses polyurethane panel insulation and stainless steel.
- The refrigerant lines are 304 stainless steel, connected to the heat exchange plates with dedicated pressure hoses imported from Japan.
- The hydraulic cylinder system is purpose-designed and fully equipped with protection devices that keep operation stable and accurate
- Two separate access sides for easy loading and unloading, maintenance and cleaning of the unit.
- The control panel enclosure is 304 stainless steel with a watertight gasket, so it can be installed in damp environments.
Working principle
Products for freezing are prepared and formed into blocks in aluminium pans, and the pans are then placed in the gaps between two heat exchange plates. The hydraulic system presses the plates down to a preset spacing, at which point the product is in even contact on both faces. Refrigerant at deep sub-zero temperature passes through the plate surfaces and freezes the product rapidly. Once the product reaches the required temperature, the hydraulic system lifts the plates back to the original spacing so the product can be removed easily and moved into storage. The next batch is then loaded and frozen on the same principle
Insulated panel
The wall, ceiling and floor panels are insulated with 150mm polyurethane at a density of 40-42kg/m3, injected with a high-pressure foaming machine.
- Wall panel: Inside covered with 0.6mm thick SUS 304 stainless steel, outside covered with 0.8mm thick SUS 304 stainless steel with anti-scratch tape.
- Ceiling panel: Inside covered with 0.6mm thick SUS 304 stainless steel, outside covered with 0.6mm thick SUS 304 stainless steel with anti-scratch tape.
- Base panel: Inner surface covered with 1.2mm thick SUS 304 stainless steel, outer surface covered with 0.6mm thick SUS 304 stainless steel
- The doors are insulated with 125mm polyurethane at a density of 40-42kg/m3. Both door faces are clad with 0.8mm SUS 304 stainless steel covered with anti-scratch protective tape. Door locks and hinges are SUS 304 stainless steel or plastic. The doors come with silicone sealing gaskets, anti-frost heating elements and locks with an anti-entrapment mechanism.
Specifications
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF CONTACT FREEZER | ||||
| PARAMETER | UNIT | TCF.1000 | TCF.1200 | TCF.1500 |
| Freezing capacity | kg/batch | 1000 | 1200 | 1500 |
| Product Type | Shrimp, fish and seafood in block form | |||
| Product inlet/outlet temperature | ⁰C | +10 / -18 | ||
| Freezing time | minute | 60 ÷ 90 | ||
| Refrigerant | NH3, Freon | |||
| Translation method | Fluid pump/Effusion tank | |||
| Snow removal method | By hot water / gas | |||
| Plate size | mm | 2600Lx1260Wx23T | 2600Lx1260Wx23T | 2600Lx1260Wx23T |
| Number of plates | plate | 12 | 14 | 17 |
| Cabinet size | mm | 3900L*1700W*2150H | 3900L*1700W*2350H | 3900L*1700W*2650H |
| Insulated panel | 125mm thick PU covered with 304 stainless steel, density 40-42 kg/m | |||
| Power supply | AC 380V / 3-phase / 50Hz | |||
Why choose a Tan Long contact plate freezer?
Tan Long designs and manufactures contact plate freezers in Vietnam, which means faster spare parts supply and technical support than imported equipment. The SUS304 stainless steel cold plates are machined on CNC equipment at our Tay Ninh (formerly Long An) factory, ensuring the flatness and tightness required by the demanding technical standards of the food industry.
Since 2005, Tan Long has supplied industrial refrigeration system solutions to major FDI companies in Vietnam such as Kyokuyo Vina Foods, Lotte F&G, C.P. Vietnam and Frescol Tuna. That experience has built up practical understanding of food hygiene requirements (HACCP, BRC), continuous three-shift operation, and the tropical climate conditions of Vietnam.
Tan Long equipment holds HACCP and ISO certification, meeting the inspection requirements of foreign buyers when they audit a plant.
To receive an accurate quotation, Tan Long needs the basic technical information: the type of product to be frozen, the required capacity (kg/batch or kg/day), the mould or pan dimensions, the required inlet and outlet temperatures, the existing refrigerant (if an older system is being extended), and the installation floor area.
Contact the Tan Long engineering team for advice on the right system design:
- Hotline: (+84) 933 357 058 – Mr. Thinh
- E-mail: info@tanlongvn.com
- Address: 86 Dong Den, Tan Binh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
Tan Long provides free technical consulting and a preliminary design drawing before the contract is signed.
The three batch freezing machines compared
Batch freezing differs from continuous individual freezing in that product is loaded in one go, runs the full cycle and is only then removed. The three machines below differ in how cold is transferred into the product, which in turn changes output and cycle time:
| Criteria | Air Blast Tunnel Freezers | Air blast freezer (TABF) | Contact plate freezer (TCF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold transfer method | Cold air blown through the layers of trays on the loading trolley | Forced cold air inside a compartmented chamber | Direct contact between the plate and the product block |
| Output | Designed to each plant's requirement | 300 / 450 / 600 kg per batch | 1,000 / 1,200 / 1,500 kg per batch |
| Suitable product | Tray-packed vegetables, seafood, meat and fish, pre-processed goods | Fish fillets and whole fish, meat, battered products, agricultural produce | Shrimp, fish and seafood in block form |
| Cycle time | Depends on the product type and the thickness of the stacked layer | Depends on the product type; freezing chamber at -33 to -37°C | 60 – 90 minutes |
| Cooling capacity | To design | 40 / 60 / 80 kW | To the pumped or gravity-fed liquid configuration |
| Strength | The most flexible on product type, with low capital cost | Compartmented, so product is loaded and unloaded in stages with little cold loss | The highest output for the same floor area, and the shortest freezing time |
| Limit | Requires tray loading and trolley handling | Takes up a long footprint: 7.7 to 15.1 m depending on capacity | Only runs block-form product, not loose product |
When the requirement is to freeze product individually rather than in batches, the right machine is the IQF conveyor rather than any of the three above.
Compared with other freezing equipment
The contact plate freezer is strongest with flat block products. For other product forms, the three groups below are a better fit:
- Air Blast Freezer — also batch freezing, but using forced cold air; it runs both loose and non-flat products, at the cost of a longer freezing time.
- Air Blast Tunnel Freezers — a larger scale, with products loaded in on trolleys, used when the output per batch exceeds the capacity of a cabinet.
- Mesh belt IQF freezer — continuous freezing, product by product. Choose this when the end customer needs to take out exactly the amount they use without thawing a whole block.
See the full range of industrial refrigeration equipment built by Tan Long.
Frequently asked questions about contact plate freezers
How does a contact plate freezer differ from an air blast freezer?
The difference is in how the cold is transferred. The contact plate freezer presses the product between cold plates, so heat transfer is fast: freezing finishes in 60 to 90 minutes and output reaches 1,000 to 1,500 kg/batch. Air Blast Freezer blows cold air at -33 to -37°C over the product, reaching 300 to 600 kg/batch but handling a wider range of product forms.
Which products can a contact plate freezer handle?
Only block-form products — shrimp, fish and moulded seafood. Loose products cannot be pressed between two plates, so they require IQF conveyor or an air blast freezer.
What are the plate dimensions and how many plates are there?
The plates measure 2,600 × 1,260 × 23 mm in all three configurations. The number of plates increases with capacity: 12 plates for TCF.1000, 14 for TCF.1200 and 17 for TCF.1500.
How much floor space is needed for installation?
The cabinet shell is 3,900 × 1,700 mm in all three configurations, differing only in height: 2,150 mm (TCF.1000), 2,350 mm (TCF.1200) and 2,650 mm (TCF.1500). Relative to the output achieved, this is the most compact line in the batch freezing group.
What liquid feed and defrost methods are used?
Liquid feed by liquid pump or surge drum; defrost by water or hot gas. The cabinet housing uses 125 mm PU panel at a density of 40–42 kg/m³ clad with 304 stainless steel; power supply AC 380V/3 phase/50Hz.
Does Tan Long manufacture in house or import?
Tan Long designs and manufactures the cabinet housing, frame and system at its factory in Duc Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Tay Ninh (formerly Long An), so dimensions can be adapted to the available floor space and replacement units can be built to the exact original size when needed.
Request advice and a quotation
Tan Long designs and builds industrial refrigeration equipment at its plant in Duc Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Tay Ninh (formerly Long An), so capacity and dimensions can be adjusted to the actual site. Call 0933 357 058 (Mr. Thinh) or send a quotation request with your output per shift and your main product type.
Technical standards applied to contact plate freezers
Equipment supplied by Tan Long is manufactured to the following standards and material requirements:
- HACCP
- FDA
- ISO
- SUS 304 stainless steel
- polyurethane insulation
- NH3 refrigerant
- Freon refrigerant
Depending on each project's requirements, the engineering team will advise on the material configuration and connection standards that best suit the plant's existing system.
The contact plate freezer consulting and supply process at Tan Long
Tan Long controls both design and manufacture at its plant in Duc Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Tay Ninh (formerly Long An), so the investor deals with a single point of contact from survey to handover:
- Survey and requirement definition: engineers work directly at the plant to establish capacity, layout, refrigerant and real operating conditions.
- Technical proposal: calculating a suitable configuration and discussing it with the investor's technical team before it is fixed.
- Detailed design: drawings are prepared and materials and equipment selected to match the refrigerant and the operating temperature range.
- Manufacture and works testing: machining, assembly and a test run before the unit leaves the factory.
- Installation and acceptance: connection into the plant's system, load testing and handover with the technical documentation.
- Warranty and operating support: operating instructions for the plant's technical team and fault support during the warranty period.
Related technical reading
- KIDO Frozen Foods Joint Stock Company – Spiral IQF freezer
- What is flake ice? Applications of flake ice in real life
- What is IQF? How to use and maintain the IQF system
- Durian freezing: IQF technology and export-standard process
- What is freezing? Advantages and classifications of freezing machines.
Related pages
- TABF air blast freezer
- Air Blast Tunnel Freezers
- Mesh belt IQF freezer – freezing products individually
- Automatic spray coating machine
- Industrial cold storage – turnkey design and installation
- NH3 refrigeration systems for processing plants
- 29 projects delivered by Tan Long
- The range of industrial refrigeration equipment Tan Long designs and builds
- Design consultancy, installation and maintenance services for refrigeration systems
