▌ Product Description
The Meatech MT-AD ambient air dryer removes surface moisture from food products — fried chicken pieces, cooked meatballs, blanched vegetables, washed produce — using 12 high-volume fans delivering 1,200 m³/h of air across a 1,000 mm wide mesh belt conveyor at a processing capacity of 600 kg/h. Eliminating surface moisture before the IQF freezer prevents the surface ice formation that causes individual product pieces to clump together — the primary quality defect in IQF frozen products that makes pieces difficult to separate and creates unacceptable presentation in retail packs. Surface moisture on products entering a MAP or vacuum packaging machine also interferes with the heat seal and reduces seal integrity.
The unheated air drying format — no heating element, ambient temperature air only — makes the MT-AD suitable for heat-sensitive products that must not be warmed after cooking, and eliminates the energy cost and fire risk associated with heated air drying. The 6,000×1,250×1,460 mm machine footprint integrates in-line between the cooking/washing stage and the IQF freezer or packaging machine. The design is fully customisable — belt width, fan count, tunnel length, and housing dimensions can be specified to match the production line layout and product type.
▌Technical Specifications
Parameter | MT-AD Specification |
Motor Power | 0.75 kW (conveyor drive) |
Fan Power | 0.75 kW per fan |
Number of Fans | 12 units |
Processing Capacity | 600 kg/h |
Belt Width | 1,000 mm |
Air Volume | 1,200 m³/h |
Dimensions (L×W×H mm) | 6,000 × 1,250 × 1,460 |
Air Temperature | Ambient (unheated) |
Customisable | Yes — belt width, fan count, tunnel length, housing dimensions |
Application Scope | Frozen food factories, snack food factories, meat processing plants, central kitchens |
Body Material | SUS304 stainless steel (food-contact surfaces) |
▌Solution Applications
Solution / Line | Role of MT-AD |
Chicken Nuggets & Patty Line | Between fryer and IQF tunnel. Removes oil drip and surface steam from fried nuggets — 600 kg/h capacity matches standard nugget line throughput. Prevents surface ice clumping in IQF and improves free-flow characteristics. |
Meatball Processing Line | After cooking tunnel and ice-water cooling, before IQF. Removes surface water from water-cooked meatballs — dry surface produces cleaner IQF freezing. |
IQF Vegetable Lines | After blanching and ice-water cooling, before IQF. Critical for broccoli, edamame, and other products with complex surface geometry that retains water and causes surface ice in the IQF tunnel. |
▌FAQ
Q: Why use 12 fans instead of a single large fan?
A: Distributing the air delivery across 12 fans along the 6,000 mm tunnel length ensures that air velocity is consistent from the entry point to the exit point of the tunnel — a single large fan at one end would deliver high velocity at that end and low velocity at the other end, producing uneven drying along the product surface. The 12-fan distributed configuration delivers 1,200 m³/h total air volume evenly across the full tunnel length, achieving consistent surface drying regardless of product position on the belt.
Q: Can the MT-AD be used after ice-water cooling for vegetables?
A: Yes — this is one of the primary applications. After ice-water cooling, blanched vegetables have significant free water on their surfaces (from the cooling immersion). The MT-AD removes this surface water by air velocity before the IQF tunnel. Without the MT-AD, surface water enters the IQF tunnel and freezes as a film of ice that bonds adjacent pieces and coats the product surface with an ice layer that obscures colour and texture in the final frozen product. The 600 kg/h capacity specification applies to typical fresh vegetable bulk density.
