Archives for March 2011

So packaged ice plants aren’t as plentiful as bakeries, dairies or other food processors. Maybe it’s because of this “small industry mentality” that I often encounter with icemen who seem to be content with their existing equipment and the lack of true company development and support services offered through traditional industry suppliers. They accept non-existent professionalism when they want to expand their existing facility or are planning a new one. The attitude seems to be that there really isn’t anything better out there. I’ll have to admit that prior to joining the AIS team; I too was guilty of “small expectations.” I thought that a warm body with no training was as good as you got for supply orders and project development, and that a good cutting torch, crow bar, and sledge hammer were the essential tools for new plants and plant expansions! Does “seat of your pants” ring a bell here? How about “rag-tag”? The packaged ice industry often seems to be still in the ice ages, if you’ll pardon the bad pun. It doesn’t have to be that way. Icemen should expect more than a golfing buddy with unlimited beverage cart money. How about someone with extensive background and knowledge of the ice industry? How about trained and skilled professionals? Do I have your attention? Good!

AIS clients experience well-trained professionals when they call our inside sales people. New merchandiser orders and box parts, icemaker parts, Hamer parts, questions about operating problems, bag orders: factory trained and field experienced personnel are available to take care of all the everyday needs. I’m bragging here, but it’s because I’m proud to bring this level of service to icemen in my part of the country. And this is only the everyday stuff. When it comes to plant expansions or new facilities, no one can touch AIS. I used to avoid expansion projects; they were a good way to lose a good customer. Now I get new clients because of plant expansions and new construction. A nice change. AIS designs and supplies custom-engineered systems. Every system contract includes not only plant design and equipment drawings, but engineering specification and detailed piping layouts and electrical ladders. Each individual system is engineered for efficiency, expandability and cost-effectiveness.

This is the way things should be done for the packaged ice industry. When I ask clients about past projects they have done with other providers, they usually indicate that they had few or no drawings and no true system engineering and integration. They tell me that the screw augers didn’t fit, the controls were treated as a separate part of the project, and that they still have “issues” that haven’t been taken care of. It doesn’t have to be this way.

At AIS we do truly care about our clients. Their satisfaction, wellbeing, and success are foremost in our approach to building better client relations, as well as building better ice plants. The packaged ice industry deserves the best. I’m proud to be part of a team providing the level of service, competence, integrity, and professionalism that the ice industry needs. Not small expectations being fulfilled, but great expectations being met. I do hope you have great expectations! I do.

I reflect back on the winter that is now hopefully coming to a close. What do ice companies do in the cold of winter? Work! A successful ice company must continue to press on and prepare for the next season. Several tasks and duties should not be left undone before summer; as anyone in this industry knows, ice equipment seems to have a mind of its own and only breaks down at the worst possible times. Those companies who spent the winter re-building Hamer Tiers, repairing/sanding and painting merchandisers, checking freon, ammonia, and oil levels in ice makers and gear boxes, are the companies that will be here tomorrow, and grow into the next generation of ice plants.

Due to the large number of ice merchandisers a company may have, ice merchandiser maintenance and repair can be the most tedious of all winter projects. Although having your delivery drivers or service personnel take a moment to perform some simple checks will help eliminate costly down time during the season. A merchandiser that is not maintained and breaks down mid-summer will not only cost you some ice sales, it can lead to losing valuable customers. Retail accounts not only want a dependable ice service company, they r equire a dependable, clean merchandiser that allows them to maintain a good image to their customers. Follow some of the following tips to combat merchandiser breakdowns during the busy season.

Cold wall ice merchandisers are the preference for many ice companies due to the fact that they typically require the least amount of maintenance. Cleaning each of your outdoor units once per year will extend the life of the finish. Simply wiping down the exterior with a soapy rag and rinsing off any dirt is adequate for the exterior. For the interior a baking soda/water solution is recommended to eliminate any unwanted smells. Once the unit is clean and clear of ice build-up, an inspection of the condensing unit and cover should be performed to ensure no debris had collected inside the cover or around the condensing unit thus preventing heat transfer. The louvers on the compressor cover should be repaired if they are damaged, also the condenser coil should be periodically cleaned with compressed air and the fins straightened with a “fin comb”. The fan shroud must also remain in good condition in order for heat to be removed by condenser fan. Replace the fan shroud if any of it is missing or damaged. Neglecting to replace a $10.00 shroud can easily lead to a costly compressor failure and unhappy customers. This is also a good time to check the condenser fan motor and oil if needed. This can be done by removing the end plate on the motor and applying a small amount of light oil on the felt end of the motor shaft. If oiling doesn’t do the trick, replace the motor now while the task is more convenient. If any of the aforementioned heat transfer component parts are not functioning properly, the result will be high head pressure and eventual compressor failure.

Those who require automatic defrost ice merchandisers should follow the same procedures as you would for cold wall merchandisers, however you now have a blower unit that will require periodic attention as well as air channels that allow the air to circulate through the cabinet. Be sure that all air channels provide proper spacing between the packaged ice and cabinet walls to maintain adequate air flow and prevent ice meltage. Always check to make sure the fans are working properly in the blower and that there is no frost build up on the evaporator coil inside the blower unit. Fan blades can accidentally be installed backwards, thus creating backwards airflow through the blower. This will result in excessive ice build up and insulation of the coil, which will prevent cooling in the merchandiser. Any “ice-up” condition on the coil will signify that you also may have one or more of the following problems: One, the defrost timer will eventually wear out and stop timing the defrost cycle (required every 4 hours). If a faulty defrost timer is suspected, you can simply remove the compressor cover, unplug the timer, and use your hand to advance the dial on the timer through the cycle. If you don’t hear a click sound or feel resistance when you do this, it is likely that the timer is bad and should be replaced. You may also verify that it is inoperative with an ohmmeter. First check for continuity between terminals four and three only. Then advance the timer into defrost. Now you should only have continuity between three and two. Finally, test terminals one and three. These are the terminals for the timer motor. If you do not get an ohm reading the timer motor is bad. If the timer functions properly the next step is to check the defrost heater with an ohmmeter. The heater should be removed from the blower coil. Connect the probes of an ohmmeter to the lead on each end to check for continuity. If the meter reads “open” or infinity, you have a bad heater. As a precaution only, replace the defrost terminator or “high limit” and the heater at the same time because the high limit prevents the heater from operating continuously or not operating at all. Always check the wiring to the compressor and component parts on any merchandiser every year. Over time, wiring insulation will dry rot and deteriorate leading to shorts and tripped breakers for your customer. This in turn leads once again to decreased ice sales and unhappy customers. Another often-neglected merchandiser check is the door seal and door function. A merchandiser door that does not seal properly not only leads to melted product but also to unnecessary wear and mechanical problems throughout the unit cooler. Door gaskets can deteriorate and allow moisture and warm air to constantly enter the cabinet. In order to determine whether a gasket needs to be replaced, simply place a dollar bill between the gasket and cabinet and slowly pull the dollar out of the seal. You should feel tension on the bill as you pull it away. If adequate tension is not felt with the test, simply replace the gasket or replace the door if it is damaged beyond repair. Also check the spring tension of the hinges on upright models. The doors of upright models should fully close without assistance and stay closed when opened 6 inches and released. Adjust spring tension, replace the hinge spring or complete hinge or hinges if necessary to maintain good door closing function. With slant front units, check to ensure that the check chain is in place and functioning properly. The check chain should keep the door from opening past t he point of the proper hinge function.

Preventative and ongoing equipment maintenance will keep your equipment running the way it was designed to function, will reduce your operational headaches and help to keep your retailers happy. Don’t neglect your equipment; it will remind you if you do. Next issue we will explore preventative maintenance on the packaging equipment in ice plants.

Since then his equipment knowledge has grown through both factory training and field experience. Rich has been involved in a wide variety of customer service roles which have given him a broad perspective of the ice industry and its unique equipment technologies. He has been part of the Automatic ICE™ Systems install team for a wide variety of projects. Projects ranging from small 10-ton per day, single packaging line Automatic ICE™ Systems™ to fully integrated, four-line packaging systems producing over 250 tons of packaged ice per day. His knowledge of the Keith® WALKING FLOOR® Bin has developed through his involvement with seven Automatic ICE™ Systems™ installs utilizing this bulk ice transfer system. In addition to being a member of an AIS install or system start-up team, this past year Rich has conducted two 10-ton ice system project start-ups on his own. Both projects proved to be challenging, but Rich stood up to the obstacles and continues to utilize these experiences to improve customer support both in the field and at the office through equipment parts sales and technical support.

Ice system integration has always been central to Rich’s training and ongoing experiences. Since his joining the AIS team, Rich has been involved with the construction of AIS Control Systems. He began his control work through closely supervised assembly of control panels and today is responsible for the construction of all AIS Custom-Engineered Control Systems. Today Rich not only builds these control panels but he is involved in the ongoing design improvements and component enhancements. To date, Rich has been responsible for over 50 AIS Control Systems builds used in our ice system integration.

This past winter, Rich expanded his knowledge of Turbo and Vogt Ice Makers and Hamer Form, Fill and Seal Machines through factory training. By adding factory training to his customer service and field experiences, Rich has expanded his abilities to both better utilize Turbo, Vogt and Hamer equipment in the field and assist clients with technical support and equipment trouble-shooting. This training also qualified Rich as a Hamer certified start-up technician. With this certification, AIS now has two professionals on staff qualified to perform the start-up of Hamer Form, Fill and Seal machines including models 310 and 525 to the latest 540 model.Whether Rich is in the field starting-up the latest equipment technologies, installing fully integrated Automatic ICE™ Systems™, or at the home office building AIS Control Systems or assisting a troubled client with a machine failure, Rich has the knowledge and abilities to do the job right. More importantly, like all the AIS team of professionals, Rich has the compassion to truly help others and the passion to perform better than the rest.

there is a common reality that is true for all within the industry. That common reality is the seasonality of this industry. This common thread of seasonality affects all businesses within The Packaged Ice Industry. Ice manufacturers and distributors, no matter what area of the country they call home, experience the challenges of operating a highly seasonal business. Similar challenges of operating within a seasonal market are realized by ice industry suppliers and equipment manufacturers alike. Operating a seasonal business is an annual transition from feast to famine. Businesses within the Packaged Ice Industry take this seasonality to the extreme due to the overwhelming effects the weather has on our market. Although many of the static operating costs remain constant throughout the year, the summer season is the time that produces the majority of our annual income. In addition, the blessing of a hot summer can yield tremendous opportunities for company profits. Although, that same blessing may prove to be a curse for other aspects of our lives.

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The challenge for all of us involved in this seasonal market is to find balance in our daily lives. No matter how hard we work and how many opportunities and challenges we face, we must constantly remind ourselves that our professional carreers are not our lives but only a part of the many aspects of living. Take time out to live. Seek out moments with family and friends even during the busiest of times. Although a full weekend with the family during the summer may be out of the question, dinner with the family a few times a week may be do able. Schedule time with the kids; once again, this doesn’t have to be a full day, but catching your son’s baseball game once-ina-while may be possible. Take your wife out on a date. Unfortunately, during extremely busy times, your spouse most likely gets the least quality time and attention from you. Remember, it’s the little things, that if experienced on a regular basis, make all the difference in a satisfying life. As the season heats up, don’t lose focus on the ones we love. Remember the reason we work so hard and don’t forget to live.