Flake ice is a soft, snow-like ice that is produced in a continuous production cycle. In most machines water freezes on the inside wall of a cylindrical evaporator. A slowly rotating auger harvests ice from the evaporator wall and moves it to the top of the evaporator.

How flake ice is made
All ice machines use a process of alternate compression and expansion of a refrigerant fluid to make ice. The major components in a flake ice maker include the compressor, condenser, evaporator and some type of water supply system. A motor within the compressor drives a pump which compresses the refrigerant and in so doing raises its pressure and temperature. The compressed refrigerant gas is then passed through the water- or air-cooled metal coils of the condenser where it gives up its heat to the outside and condenses (becomes a liquid). The liquid refrigerant then flows through an expansion valve where it is allowed to expand into a gas, dropping the temperature of the refrigerant and taking up heat from the water in the evaporator barrel. The vaporized refrigerant is now returned to the compressor where it is compressed and the cycle begins again.

In most flake ice makers, cold refrigerant lines wrapped around the outside of the evaporator barrel cause water in the evaporator to freeze to the inside walls of the evaporator. A slowly rotating auger harvests ice from the evaporator wall and moves it to the top of the evaporator.

Flake ice is very soft and melts quickly. Because there is no defrost cycle, flake ice makers are quieter and use considerably less electricity and water than cube ice makers.

Utility consumption to produce flake ice
Unlike cube ice makers which must melt the ice off the evaporator plate for each batch of ice made, flake machines have no such “heating” cycle. Instead, ice is continuously harvested from the evaporator walls by a rotating auger. Because of this, to produce the same amount of ice, flake ice makers use significantly less electricity and water and waste water than cube ice makers.

Flake ice applications:

• Supermarkets - to display fish and produce. Unlike cubes, flake ice has no hard edges which would bruise the product and it keeps fish and produce properly hydrated and chilled for best presentation and shelf-life.
  
• Laboratories and research facilities - to hold test tubes and samples that require constant chilling. The snow-like quality of flake ice molds itself well to even the smallest test tubes, holding them in position without spilling.
  
• Restaurants - for salad bars. Unlike cubes, flake ice molds well and holds salad bar containers in position without spilling. Restaurants and bars may also use flake ice for some iced drinks.
  
• Rehab facilities - for ice baths and in ice bags because it conforms well to body contours.
  
• Bakeries - to chill dough which would otherwise become too hot during the mixing process.