ice block operation

Ice Block Production – A Simple but Profitable Small Business That Makes Cool Profits

#1 Water

1.1 Ice block making business 4Water is the most important raw material in the ice block production business. As you
already know, ice blocks are made by freezing ordinary water in a container to a very low temperature (usually below
zero degrees Centigrade, 0°C).

You will need to find a good source of fresh and clean water for your production business.

It is probable that the people who buy your ice block will use it to cool food/drinks and may not drink it directly.
However, because the ice will come in contact with products that will be eaten or drunk, impure or bad water from ice
can contaminate or poison the food and drinks.

To avoid this, it is best to stick to the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. The water you use could be pipe-
borne from the local government water authority or sourced from clean wells or bore holes. You could also buy your
water supplies in areas where water is scarce.

#2 Packaging

Ice blocks are often packaged and sold in transparent polythene nylon bags. The bags help to hold the ice both in its
solid and melted state.

Because ice can be slippery and difficult to handle, these bags help a lot during transportation and handling of the
blocks.

Another good thing about packaging is that it provides you with a great opportunity to put a brand name on your ice
block product. This will help to separate your blocks from the ‘faceless’ and ‘unbranded’ competition. It will also help
to attract more customers to your business through the contact information on the labels.

#3 Ice block making machines

These are the machines that make ice blocks. Don’t worry, they are not some complex equipment you haven’t seen
before.

Ice block making machines are more like deep freezers with a higher cooling/freezing capacity. Some of them have
rectangular moulds/containers that you pour the water into in order to produce ice blocks. When the water turns into
ice, it usually takes the shape of these containers.

There are both foreign and locally-made brands of these machines and depending on your budget, you can choose
from a wide variety of models. Some of the things you should keep in mind when buying ice block production
machines are:

1.1 Ice block making machine business

Capacity: This refers to the number of blocks that a machine can produce. Some can produce 20, 50 and over 100
blocks at a time.
Higher capacity machines will likely cost more than small capacity ones. The capacity you choose to buy depends on
the number of ice blocks you plan to produce and sell daily.

Freezing time: The amount of time taken by the machine to produce ice blocks is also important. Some machines
produce ice faster than others and this will often depend on the rating of the compressors.

Compressors: Compressors are the heart of the cooling system and can affect the quality (hardness) of ice produced
and the time taken to produce it. Compressors are usually rated in Horse Power (HP) and are commonly available in
1.5HP, 2HP, 2.5HP and 3HP.
The number of compressors may also matter. For example, a machine with two 1.5HP compressors is likely to
produce ice faster than another machine (of equal size) with just one 2HP compressor. You must also pay attention
to the quality of your compressors.

After sales support: It’s not just enough to be careful when choosing your machines; it is equally important that you
purchase from a manufacturer or seller who can support you when you need to carry out repairs or maintenance.
Remember, you may not produce any ice to sell if your machines do not work well. Make sure you buy from a dealer
who has technicians (or can recommend one) to repair and maintain your machines.

#4 Generators
Due to the unstable electricity supply, it is likely that you may need a power generator to reduce your dependence on
the power grid; that is if you experience electricity shortages in your area.

Even when electricity is supplied, the voltage is often unstable and can damage critical parts of your machine
(especially the compressors). To produce the amount of power to effectively drive your machine’s compressors,
diesel-powered generators are often preferred over petrol (gasoline) powered ones.

What capacity should your generator be? Well, it depends on the power needs of your ice block making machine. It is
best to follow the recommendations of the dealer/manufacturer you buy your machine from. Ensure that you buy a
durable generator that doesn’t break down often or require very frequent maintenance or repairs.

Five Tips for success in the ice block production business…

1.1 Ice block making business

Like every business on earth, there are things you can do to bring luck to your side in the ice block business.

By keeping these tips in mind, you will enjoy a significant advantage over other people in the ice block business who
do not understand or follow these tips.

Here they are:

#1 Target high population density areas

The ice block business is a volume business; the more blocks you sell, the more money you make!

Ice block businesses that sell large volumes are usually located in areas that have a high population density and
experience a lot of physical, economic and business activities.

Busy roads and streets, areas with high pedestrian traffic (like markets, schools and industrial/residential estates) are
good targets for this business.

Many of the people who will become your customers (like petty traders, shop owners and restaurant operators) are
usually located in these areas. Your ice block business needs to be close to the action!

#2 Ice block is a seasonal business!

Although I mentioned that ice blocks can make for a lucrative business, it is important that you know it’s also a
seasonal business.

As a result of this lower desire to consume cold stuff, the demand and prices of ice blocks usually fall during the
rainy/cooler months of the year.

Armed with this information, I strongly advise that you reduce the quantity of ice blocks produced during the rainy/wet
season and increase production during the dry/hot seasons.

For those of you reading this who want to start this business, it’s better not to start during the wet/rainy season so you
don’t get discouraged by the small quantity of sales you are likely to make.

#3 – Target habitual consumers

Habitual consumers are those people and businesses that require a constant supply of ice block to meet their
personal, household or business needs. Some of these habitual consumers include Fish Market, event/party
planners, restaurant/hotel operators, petty traders and vendors in busy streets and markets.

These consumers will be interested in any ice block maker or supplier who can meet their daily needs for ice block at
a price and convenience that makes sense. With a number of this type of consumers as your customers, you are
assured of a steady volume of sales in and out of season.

#4 – Watch out for the competition!

1.1 Ice block making business
From a business analysis perspective, ice block production is a low-entry barrier business.

This means that anybody who can afford the machines can fill up containers with water and Voila! she’s in the ice
block business! No special skills or knowledge is required!

As a result, your competition can enter this business easily. Should this discourage you? Of course not! To survive,
you will need to be smarter than your competition.

Ice blocks are a commodity product; they all basically look the same. Price and convenience (location) are usually the
only things that will make more customers patronize your ice block business over other competitors.

To remain competitive with your pricing, you will need to keep your production costs low.

Always keep a close watch on how much you are spending on electricity bills, water and labour. Reduce wastage and
unnecessary costs as best as you can.

If you’re just starting out this business, you may not need to employ too many hands. It’s a very simple and
straightforward business that you can handle yourself. If you can keep your costs as low as possible, it becomes
possible for you to offer better (lower) prices than your competition and still make a profit!

#5 Take care of your machines

Your ice block making machine and power generator are the heart of your business. You should always make sure
that you stick to the recommended maintenance schedule.

If your machines stop working, the business stalls and you may disappoint your customers who depend on you for
their ice block needs. The last thing you want for yourself in this business is a reputation for disappointing/failing your
customers.

To avoid any of these undesirable outcomes, keep a technician on hand to take care of any mechanical or electrical
faults as they arise.

Block ice. The traditional block ice maker forms the ice in cans which are submerged in a tank containing
circulating sodium or calcium chloride brine. The dimensions of the can and the temperature of the brine are usually
selected to give a freezing period of between 8 and 24 hours. Too rapid freezing results in brittle ice. The block
weight can vary from 12 to 150 kg, depending on requirements; 150 kg is considered the largest size of block one
man can conveniently handle. The thicker the block the longer the freezing time. Blocks less than 150 mm thick are
easily broken and a thickness of 150 to 170 mm is preferable to prevent the block toppling. The size of the tank
required is related to the daily production. A travelling crane lifts a row of cans and transports them to a thawing
tank at the end of the freezing tank, where they are submerged in water to release the ice from the moulds. The cans
are tipped to remove the blocks, refilled with fresh water and replaced in the brine tank for a further cycle . This type
of plant often requires continuous attention and a shift system is operated by the labour force which may be 10 to 15
workers for a 100 t/day plant. Block ice plants require a good deal of space and labour for handling the ice. The
latter factor has been the main reason for the development of modern automatic ice-making equipment.
 Rapid block ice. The rapid ice plant can produce blocks in only a few hours and this means that the space
requirements are considerably reduced compared with a conventional block ice plant. Block sizes vary with 25, 50
and 150 kg each being typical. In one type of machine, the relatively quick freeze is obtained by forming the block
in a tank of water, around tubes through which the refrigerant is circulated. The effective thickness of ice to be
frozen is a good deal less than in a conventional block ice machine. The tubes are arranged so that as the ice builds
up it fuses with the ice on adjacent tubes to form a block with a number of hollow cores. These blocks are released
from the tubes by a defrost procedure and they can then be harvested automatically from the surface of the tank.
Some manual effort is required for storage or feeding to a breaker if the ice is required in the crushed form. In
another type of rapid ice machine, the refrigerant is circulated through a jacket around each can of water and also
through pipes running through the centres of the cans. Ice then forms simultaneously both at the outside and at the
centre of the cam Blocks are then removed by gravity after a hot gas defrost.

An advantage of a rapid block ice machine is that it can be stopped and started in a relatively short time, since there
is no large tank of brine to be cooled initially as in the conventional block ice machine in which the refrigeration
system is often kept in continuous operation even when ice production has ceased