Publish Time: 2026-10-12 Origin: Site
For businesses producing edible ice, the ice itself matters. A drink served with clean, solid ice can have a very different look and cooling experience from one served with ordinary hollow tube ice. This is why more ice producers, beverage suppliers, restaurants, and retail ice businesses are looking at Solid Tube Ice Machines.
But what makes solid tube ice different? Where is it used? And what should you look for when choosing a machine?
The biggest difference is easy to see: solid tube ice has no open hole in the center, while regular hollow tube ice has a hollow center.
Solid tube ice has a dense cylindrical structure, usually with flat-cut ends. The center may show a thin white line, but there is no large open hole.
Regular hollow tube ice has a hollow center, with the hole size depending on the machine design. This difference affects the amount of ice in each piece, its weight, appearance, and melting behavior.
One of the main advantages of solid tube ice is its complete ice structure. Without a center hole, each piece contains more actual ice within the same outer diameter. This allows it to melt more slowly and provide longer-lasting cooling, helping drinks retain their original flavor. However, actual melting time depends on ice size, ice temperature, ambient temperature, storage conditions, and other operating factors.
Appearance is another major advantage. For edible ice plants, solid tube ice also offers a way to differentiate their products. Its clean, attractive shape looks better in drinks and transparent ice bags. Instead of selling only standard ice by weight, businesses can develop packaged edible ice products for customers who value ice quality and appearance.
Solid tube ice is widely used in beverage cooling, packaged edible ice production, seafood and fisheries, supermarkets and retail, and food processing.
Bars, restaurants, hotels, cafés, juice shops, and beverage businesses can use solid tube ice to cool drinks. Its complete shape gives drinks a clean appearance, while the solid structure provides a good amount of ice for cooling.
For businesses producing bagged edible ice, uniform ice size and clean appearance are important. Solid tube ice can be produced in different diameters and cut into suitable lengths for weighing, packing, and retail sales.
Producing solid tube ice is more than simply removing the center hole from a regular Tube Ice Machine. The water supply, freezing process, refrigeration system, and cutting process all need to work together.
Producing solid tube ice requires accurate control throughout the freezing and cutting process. The water supply needs to be well controlled to form a dense ice structure, while the refrigeration system must maintain stable freezing conditions. Once the ice reaches the required thickness, the cutting system shapes it into pieces with the required length and flat ends.
These processes work together to determine the consistency of the finished ice. For an ice producer, stable daily production is just as important as the appearance of the final product.
ICEMEDAL's Solid Tube Ice Machine is designed for producing solid cylindrical ice with flat-cut ends. The 5-ton model is designed for around 5 tons of ice production per 24 hours, with ice diameter options including 28 mm, 35 mm, 38 mm, and 45 mm according to project requirements.
Several features are designed around the quality of the finished ice.
High solid ice rate: The dedicated ice-making water control system helps maintain a consistent solid ice structure.
Saw-cut system: The saw-cut mechanism is designed to provide clean and even cuts.
Durable cutting blade: The cutting blade uses SUS440C material, offering good wear resistance and corrosion resistance for repeated cutting.
Industrial compressor options: Depending on the project configuration, ICEMEDAL can use compressor brands such as Bitzer.
Stable refrigeration technology: A stable refrigeration system helps reduce the effect of load changes and supports continuous operation.
Before choosing a machine, look at your actual business needs. First, decide how much ice you need per day. A 5-ton machine can be a practical choice for a local edible ice business, beverage supplier, or small ice plant. Next, choose the ice diameter and length according to your customers and application. You should also check local water temperature, ambient temperature, power supply, cooling method, installation space, and packaging requirements.
Contact ICEMEDAL to learn more about our Solid Tube Ice Machines and solutions. We provide comprehensive after-sales support, including factory testing, commissioning assistance, operator training, spare parts supply, and ongoing technical service.
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