An IQF freezer (Individually Quick Frozen) freezes each piece of product separately, in minutes, so shrimp, fillets, fruit or vegetables come out free-flowing instead of in a block. GLORY Thermal Jet® IQF freezers use high-velocity cold-air jets (impingement) that strip away the warm boundary layer around the product. The result is faster freezing, smaller ice crystals, lower weight loss and a better-looking product.
1. What is an IQF freezer?
IQF stands for Individually Quick Frozen. Instead of freezing a mass of product into a block, an IQF freezer carries each piece through a very cold air stream on a conveyor belt, so every shrimp, fillet, berry or diced vegetable is frozen on its own. The frozen product stays loose: buyers can portion it, glaze it and pack it by weight.
In a GLORY Thermal Jet® freezer, air at –40 to –42 °C is blown through precisely shaped nozzles straight onto the product, above and below the belt. This is called impingement. The jets break the thin layer of still, warmer air that normally surrounds a product and slows heat transfer. Heat leaves the product much faster, and it does so evenly at every position across the belt.
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Fast freezing is not only about throughput. When water in the product freezes quickly, it forms many small ice crystals instead of a few large ones. Small crystals do less damage to the cell structure, so the product keeps its texture, colour and natural appearance, with less freezing loss and less drip loss when the customer thaws it.
2. IQF vs contact plate vs air blast freezer
Most processing plants use more than one freezing method. The right choice depends on whether you sell loose (IQF) or block product, and on volume.
| IQF freezer (Thermal Jet®) | Contact plate freezer | Quick air blast freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product form | Loose, individually frozen pieces | Blocks (shrimp, fish, squid in trays or cartons) | Products on trays or in boxes |
| Freezing time | Minutes (typically 3 to 30 min) | About 60 to 90 min per batch | Batch, longer cycle |
| Operation | Continuous, conveyor-fed | Batch, loaded by hand | Batch, on racks or trolleys |
| Labour | Low; synchronized line | Medium; loading and unloading | Medium |
| Best for | Export shrimp, fillets, fruit and vegetables, value-added products | Block-frozen seafood, high volumes at low cost | Small batches, mixed products, plants starting out |
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GLORY builds all three: see the contact plate freezer and quick air blast freezer pages. For loose, high-value export products, an IQF line is the standard.
3. Types of IQF freezers and what each is best for
The belt and the air flow decide what an IQF freezer does well. GLORY builds five families of Thermal Jet® freezers, each available in several capacities and always configured to the customer’s product.
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Capacities range from about 250 kg/h on a compact freezer to 4,000 kg/h on a fluidized bed. See all models on the products page.
4. How to choose capacity
Capacity is quoted in kg/h for a reference product, for example peeled shrimp (PD) of 31 to 40 pieces per pound, entering at +6 to +10 °C and leaving at a core temperature of –18 °C. Change the product and the real capacity changes too: larger pieces, thicker fillets or warmer infeed need more freezing time.
To size a line correctly, GLORY engineers need:
- your products, sizes and the share of each in your production
- target output in tonnes per day and the number of shifts
- infeed temperature and the required core temperature
- the glazing rate your buyers require
- your refrigeration plant (refrigerant, evaporating temperature, available capacity)
- the room dimensions and where the line must start and end
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Two numbers matter. Nominal capacity is what the manufacturer commits to in the contract. Actual capacity is what the line delivers on your product. GLORY lines typically run 15 to 20% above the committed capacity when refrigeration and feeding are sufficient, which gives you a margin during peak season.
5. The complete IQF freezing line, step by step
- 1Infeed conveyorSpreads product evenly across the belt at the right speed.
- 2IQF freezerFreezes each piece to its target core temperature.
- 3Dipping & spraying glazerApplies a precise layer of chilled water (glaze).
- 4Hardening conveyorLets the glaze set and drains off excess water.
- 5Re-freezerFreezes the glaze solid and brings the core back to –18 °C.
- 6Outlet conveyorCarries finished product to grading and packing.
An IQF freezer is the heart of the line, but the quality of the finished product depends on every step that follows. A complete GLORY shrimp line works like this:
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Each step protects the next. Without a hardening conveyor, for example, loose water is carried into the re-freezer, where it builds ice on the evaporator and can damage the belt. Without a re-freezer, the glaze stays soft and cracks or sticks during packing. Because GLORY designs and builds the whole line, every machine is matched in belt width, speed and capacity.
6. What sets GLORY freezing lines apart
Many suppliers can build a freezing tunnel. The difference shows in daily production: how many people the line needs, how much product it loses and how stable the quality is from the first hour to the last. These are the points GLORY customers notice most.
GLORY’s patented individual-product freezing technology, developed on our own patents since 2007, separates shrimp inside the IQF. Product does not need to be laid out one by one with careful spacing. With an inclined feeding conveyor, typically 3 to 4 operators can feed about 1,000 kg/h of individual shrimp.
Shrimp leave the IQF separated and stay separated through glazing, hardening and re-freezing. Your packers handle loose product instead of breaking apart clusters.
The glazing rate is selected by program and held automatically. High rates are reached without flake ice and without pieces sticking together (see section 7).
At every transfer point, product must move cleanly from one belt to the next. On conventional flighted conveyors, cold shrimp can stick to the belt or the flights, ride back underneath and drop off on the return run, which means lost product and extra cleaning. GLORY’s specially designed flighted incline conveyor releases every piece cleanly at the discharge, so nothing stays on the belt or the flights and everything moves gently onto the next conveyor.
Master AutoCell® adjusts the speed of every belt automatically to the product and the load, so the outlet temperature and the glazing rate stay on target without operators adjusting each machine (see section 8).
More than 20 hours of operation between defrosts, up to 23 hours on the latest generation, with automatic air defrosting of the belt during production. The freezer is ready in about 30 minutes from a cold start and about 15 minutes between shifts.
More than 700 GLORY freezers operate in 21 countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In India alone, GLORY has supplied more than 170 complete freezing lines to shrimp processors and exporters.
In new markets GLORY offers a warranty of up to 3 years, our commitment to the quality of the equipment.
7. Glazing: single, double and triple
Glazing covers frozen seafood with a thin layer of ice that protects it from dehydration and oxidation during storage and transport. Buyers in different markets ask for very different glazing rates, and an uneven glaze costs money either in product giveaway or in rejected shipments.
- Single glazing: 8 to 28% in one pass, depending on product size (reference: PD shrimp 31 to 40 pcs/lb).
- Double and triple glazing: up to about 45% final glaze. Each layer is hardened and fully re-frozen before the next is applied, so the earlier layer is not washed off and pieces do not stick together.
- Compact recirculation: a GLORY recirculation loop lets one glazer, one hardening conveyor and one re-freezer serve two glazing passes. You get multi-layer glazing with less investment, less floor space and lower running costs than a line with separate machines for every pass.
- No flake ice: GLORY dipping & spraying glazers have a built-in chiller cooled by propylene glycol. They need no flake ice and no direct ammonia or Freon inside the glazer, and the water temperature is adjusted automatically to the target glazing rate.
- Less water: GLORY’s spray nozzles in SUS 316 can use up to 42% less water than conventional nozzles while giving an even coverage.
8. Master AutoCell®: one control for the whole line
GLORY Master AutoCell® is a synchronized, fully automatic control system developed specifically for IQF freezing lines. It sets the belt speeds of the infeed conveyor, IQF freezer, glazers, hardening conveyors and re-freezers according to the product type, size and load, and keeps adjusting them so that the outlet core temperature and the glazing rate stay at the set point.
- 512 recipes, one-touch start: choose the product, the size and the target temperature, then press Enter.
- Three operating modes: Fully Automatic, Semi-automatic and Manual. If the automatic mode has a problem, production continues while it is checked.
- Access anywhere: touch panel at the line, smartphone over Wi-Fi, or a SCADA computer in the machine room; secure remote monitoring and remote support from GLORY over the internet.
- One year of data: every parameter and status is logged hourly for review, troubleshooting and maintenance planning.
- Alarms and safety: faults are identified and shown with their cause; critical faults shut down the affected equipment safely.
- Three password levels for operators, production managers and senior managers.
- Built for the freezing room: the washdown-proof panel is installed along the freezer wall, so operators control the line where they work.
9. Operating costs: energy, water, labour, defrost
The purchase price is paid once; operating costs are paid every shift. GLORY lines are designed to keep them low:
- Energy: aerodynamic air flow and IE3 motors keep power use per kilogram low.
- Defrost: more than 20 hours between defrosts means more production hours and fewer temperature swings.
- Start-up: about 30 minutes from cold and 15 minutes between shifts, so less waiting with the room already staffed.
- Labour: fewer people at the infeed and no manual adjustment of glazing or belt speeds.
- Water and ice: no flake ice for glazing and up to 42% less water at the spray nozzles.
- Yield: low freezing weight loss and no product dropped at transfers.
10. Hygiene and build quality
A freezer in a food plant is washed every day for many years, so hygiene and durability are designed in from the start.
- SUS 304 stainless steel throughout, with SUS 316 where required.
- 150 mm polyurethane panels with stainless steel sheets permanently bonded to the foam: no rivets and no gaps where water or dirt can collect.
- Sloped floor for complete drainage, adjustable stainless base frame.
- Full-length corridors on both sides with insulated doors, so cleaners can reach every part inside.
- Components from leading suppliers: German blowers and door hardware, Dutch stainless belts, Japanese geared motors and Siemens controls.
11. Engineered to order: from consultation to handover
There is no "standard" freezing line, because no two plants are the same. Every GLORY line is designed for the customer’s products, volumes, glazing requirements and building.
- Consultation
- Calculation
- Design
- Manufacture
- Installation
- Commissioning, training and handover
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GLORY Vietnam designs, manufactures and tests the equipment in its own factory, working with GLORY Europe (Netherlands) on research and development, and with our partner in India and office in Japan. After handover, our engineers stay with you through on-site service, spare parts and remote support.
12. Frequently asked questions
Choosing and sizing
What capacity do I need for my daily output?
Divide your daily tonnage by the effective production hours, then add a margin for peak season and product mix. For example, 20 tonnes over 20 production hours is 1,000 kg/h. GLORY engineers check this against your actual products, sizes and refrigeration before proposing a line.
Should I choose a mesh belt or a steel belt IQF?
Choose a steel belt for fish fillets, squid, octopus and value-added products where belt marks matter. Choose a mesh belt for individual shrimp, Nobashi, breaded products, vegetables and fruit, or for maximum flexibility across products.
Can one IQF freezer handle shrimp, fish and vegetables?
Yes, within limits. A mesh belt Thermal Jet® freezer handles many products, and Master AutoCell® stores a recipe for each. Plants with very different products often add a second freezer type for the best result.
Can it freeze head-on shrimp in boxes?
Yes. The heavy-duty mesh belt version is designed for head-on shrimp in cartons, and on many products it runs above its nominal capacity. The gap between belt and air nozzles is adjustable for boxed or loose product.
How much space and refrigeration does a line need?
It depends on capacity and the number of glazing passes. GLORY provides a layout drawing and the required refrigeration capacity at an evaporating temperature of –45 °C with every proposal, and the hybrid multi-belt design is an option where floor space is tight.
Product quality
How do you stop shrimp from clumping?
GLORY’s patented individual-product freezing separates shrimp inside the IQF, and each glaze layer is hardened and re-frozen before the next. The product stays loose from freezing to packing.
How much weight is lost during freezing?
Impingement freezing is fast, so very little moisture leaves the product. The exact figure depends on the product and temperatures; GLORY can test your product and confirm it.
How much faster is IQF than a plate freezer?
An IQF freezer works in minutes per piece, typically 3 to 30 minutes, while a contact plate freezer needs about 60 to 90 minutes per batch.
Glazing
What glazing rate can I reach?
From 8 to 28% in a single pass depending on product size, and up to about 45% with double or triple glazing.
Why harden and re-freeze between glazing layers?
Each layer must be solid before the next is applied. Otherwise it washes off, the final glaze is uneven and pieces stick together.
Do I need flake ice or a separate water chiller?
No. GLORY glazers have a built-in chiller using propylene glycol and adjust the water temperature automatically. Chilled water is only needed if you choose the optional spray stage.
Labour and operation
How many workers does the line need?
At the infeed, typically 3 to 4 operators for about 1,000 kg/h of individual shrimp with an inclined feeding conveyor. Glazing and belt speeds are set by Master AutoCell®, so no operators are needed to adjust each machine.
How long can the freezer run between defrosts?
More than 20 hours, and up to 23 hours on the latest generation, with automatic air defrosting of the belt during production.
How long does start-up take?
About 30 minutes from a cold start and about 15 minutes between shifts.
What happens if the automatic control has a problem?
Operators switch to Semi-automatic or Manual mode and production continues while the fault is checked, locally or remotely by GLORY engineers.
Cost, installation and service
What does an IQF freezing line cost?
The price depends on capacity, product range, the number of glazing passes, the level of automation and the scope of installation. Because every line is designed to order, GLORY prepares a quotation after reviewing your requirements.
Which refrigerant can be used?
GLORY freezers work with ammonia (NH₃) or Freon refrigeration plants with liquid pump supply, designed for an evaporating temperature of –45 °C.
How long do delivery and installation take?
It depends on the size of the line and the site. GLORY confirms the manufacturing and installation schedule in the quotation and manages installation, commissioning and training on site.
What warranty and after-sales support do you offer?
In new markets GLORY offers a warranty of up to 3 years. Support includes on-site service, spare parts and remote monitoring and assistance through Master AutoCell®.
Can GLORY upgrade or extend an existing line?
Yes. A compact MC freezer, an extra glazer and re-freezer for double glazing, or a Master AutoCell® upgrade can be added to increase capacity, glazing or automation.
Planning a new freezing line?
Tell us your products, sizes and daily output. GLORY engineers will calculate and propose a line designed for your plant.
