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Industrial gas company Air Products has launched a new digital intelligence system that allows food producers to monitor and control their freezers remotely, improving efficiency and reducing product loss. Air Products Smart Technology (APST) uses sensor and wireless communications technology to give food producers greater insight into the cryogenic freezing process. With real-time and historical advanced data analytics, the live digital dashboards allow production teams to monitor, assess and optimise freezer performance. APST offers convenience, efficiency and effectiveness to current cryogenic freezing processes. Supervisors can conduct effective performance evaluations remotely and make adjustments when needed to prevent under or over-freezing. The technology helps to optimise freezing process parameters, increasing overall equipment efficiency for higher yield and quality, minimising costs and improving the sustainability of operations by decreasing food waste and reducing nitrogen consumption. The new digital tool enables data to be accessed remotely by engineers, meaning customer enquiries can often be resolved without an onsite visit, helping to minimise downtime.

“The insight and guidance that APST offers food producers can significantly boost productivity with direct impact on a company’s bottom line. Using smart technology will help to improve and maintain product quality and reduce nitrogen consumption, as well as maximise efficiency and up-time of their cryogenic tunnel freezer”, said Jon Trembley, technology manager for cryogenic applications at Air Products.