Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-10-29 Origin: Site
At CSTHEATEXCHANGER, we design, engineer, and manufacture compact, high-efficiency commercial ice machine evaporators specifically optimized for commercial countertop ice makers, under-counter beverage dispensers, compact bullet ice generators, and self-contained bar ice appliances (25 kg to 120 kg/24h daily capacity). Built with high-purity Cu-DHP seamless inner-grooved copper tubes (5 mm, 7 mm, and 5/16′′) or food-grade SS304/SS316L stainless steel, CSTHEATEXCHANGER countertop evaporators are finished with certified food-grade electroplated nickel (NSF/FDA compliant) featuring mirror-smooth surface roughness (Ra<0.2 µm) for rapid ice release. Engineered to endure over 250,000 thermal shock cycles during rapid hot-gas harvest (−18∘C freezing to +70∘C defrosting in under 60 seconds), our compact evaporators maximize daily ice output, reduce cycle times, and meet strict R290/R600a natural refrigerant safety charge limits (<150g).
Commercial countertop ice makers must package a complete refrigeration circuit, water tank, circulation pump, ice-forming evaporator, and storage bin into an ultra-compact footprint suitable for coffee shop counters, hotel breakfast bars, and executive breakrooms.
COUNTERTOP ICE MAKER CYCLE: FREEZING VS. HOT-GAS HARVEST
1. FREEZE CYCLE (6 to 12 Minutes) 2. HARVEST CYCLE (45 to 60 Seconds)
Water Flow / Immersion (0°C) Hot-Gas Bypass Injected (+65°C - +75°C)
│ │
▼ ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ REFRIGERANT AT -15°C TO -20°C│ │ MICRO-LAYER ICE RELEASE │
│ • Fast sub-zero boiling │ │ • High thermal conductivity │
│ • High-density ice forms on │ │ releases cubes instantly │
│ nickel grid / bullet pins │ │ • Minimal melt loss (<3%) │
└──────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────┘Ultra-Compact Chassis Volume: Limited internal space requires ultra-dense tube-and-grid integration, eliminating excess tubing while maintaining high surface area.
Shortened Cycle Times (Rapid Ice Production): High-traffic cafes demand first ice in under 8 minutes. High internal heat transfer coefficients are essential to accelerate freezing.
Strict R290/R600a Flammability Limits: Under IEC 60335-2-89, self-contained commercial appliances have strict refrigerant charge thresholds (150g150g). Our compact 5 mm5 mm and 7 mm7 mm internal circuits reduce fluid volume by up to 40%.
Severe Thermal Cycling: Fast harvest cycles subject copper-to-grid solder joints to rapid expansion and contraction (ΔT≈85 KΔT≈85 K in seconds).
At CSTHEATEXCHANGER, we manufacture two primary evaporator architectures for countertop and under-counter commercial ice machines:
CSTHEATEXCHANGER® COUNTERTOP EVAPORATOR TOPOLOGIES
┌──────────────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ TOPOLOGY A: VERTICAL GRID PLATE │ │ TOPOLOGY B: SUBMERGED BULLET PINS│
│ │ │ │
│ Falling Water Curtain (0°C) │ │ Tilting Water Tray Bath │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ │ │ ╭───╮ ╭───╮ ╭───╮ (SS304/Cu) │
│ │ Nickel-Plated│ ◄─ High-Flux │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Bullet │
│ │ Copper Cells │ Serpentine │ │ │PIN│ │PIN│ │PIN│ Fingers │
│ └──────────────┘ Cu Tubing │ │ ╰───╯ ╰───╯ ╰───╯ │
│ │ │ │
│ • Produces Clear Dice / Half-Dice│ │ • Produces Hollow Bullet Ice │
│ • Fast 60s Hot-Gas Ice Harvest │ │ • Fast 6-10 min Batch Times │
│ • Capacity: 40 kg – 120 kg/24h │ │ • Capacity: 25 kg – 60 kg/24h │
└──────────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────────┘Ice Geometry: Produces solid, crystal-clear full-dice (22×22×22 mm22×22×22 mm) or half-dice (10×22×22 mm10×22×22 mm) cubes.
Operating Principle: Water cascades down the front face of the vertical grid while refrigerant evaporates in the rear serpentine coil.
Target Application: High-volume commercial bar dispensers, coffee shops, and modular under-counter ice machines (40 kg40 kg to 120 kg/24h120 kg/24h).
Ice Geometry: Produces cylindrical hollow bullet ice with high surface area for rapid drink chilling.
Operating Principle: Submerged copper or stainless-steel vertical evaporator fingers freeze ice outward; once complete, the water tray pivots away and hot gas releases the hollow bullets.
Target Application: Compact commercial countertop ice makers, hotel suite wet bars, and office breakrooms (25 kg25 kg to 60 kg/24h60 kg/24h).
CSTHEATEXCHANGER® COMPACT EVAPORATOR MULTI-LAYER INTEGRITY
REFRIGERANT PASSAGE
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Cu-DHP SEAMLESS INNER-GROOVED COPPER TUBING │
│ • 5.0mm or 7.0mm Rifled ID for 220% higher boiling h_i │
│ • Heavy-wall return bends for burst pressure >120 bar │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. VOID-FREE SILVER-COPPER METALLURGICAL BRAZING │
│ • Continuous furnace or robotic high-frequency braze │
│ • 100% surface contact eliminates thermal contact loss │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. FOOD-GRADE ELECTROPLATED NICKEL (NSF/FDA COMPLIANT) │
│ • Ultra-smooth finish (Ra < 0.2 µm) ensures fast drop │
│ • 15µm – 25µm dense coating resists tap water scale │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
WATER & ICE CONTACT SURFACEUnlike budget evaporators that use low-temperature soft solder prone to cracking during hot-gas defrost, CSTHEATEXCHANGER uses high-silver ductile brazing alloys and continuous controlled-atmosphere brazing. This ensures 100%100% void-free thermal bonding between copper tubes and ice cells, withstanding over 250,000 thermal shock cycles.
We apply a high-purity, semi-bright electroplated nickel layer (15−25 µm15−25 µm thickness) certified to NSF/FDA sanitary standards.
Rapid Gravity Release: Ultra-smooth surface (Ra<0.2 µmRa<0.2 µm) breaks ice adhesion instantly upon hot-gas injection, shortening harvest duration to under 45–60 seconds.
Anti-Flaking Guarantee: Advanced chemical acid-etch pre-treatment guarantees the nickel layer will never chip, flake, or peel into consumer drinks.
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CSTHEATEXCHANGER COUNTERTOP ICE MAKER EVAPORATOR SPECIFICATIONS
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Parameter Vertical Grid Evaporator Bullet Finger Evaporator
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Daily Ice Production Range 40 kg to 120 kg / 24h 25 kg to 60 kg / 24h
Ice Shape / Profile Dice / Half-Dice Cube Hollow Bullet Ice
Cell / Finger Count 40 to 180 Cells per Plate 10 to 24 Finger Pins
Base Material Cu-DHP Copper / Brass Cu-DHP Copper / SS304
Refrigerant Tube Diameter 5.0 mm / 7.0 mm Micro-Groove5.0 mm / 7.0 mm Seamless
Surface Plating / Finish NSF Food-Grade Nickel Food-Grade Nickel / Electropolish
Plating Thickness 15 µm – 25 µm 15 µm – 20 µm
Operating Evaporating Temp. -15 °C to -22 °C (Freeze) -12 °C to -18 °C (Freeze)
Hot-Gas Harvest Temp. +60 °C to +75 °C (Harvest) +55 °C to +70 °C (Harvest)
Harvest Cycle Duration 45 to 60 Seconds 30 to 45 Seconds
Refrigerant Compatibility R290 (Propane), R600a, R134aR290, R600a, R134a, R513A
Max Operating Pressure 35 bar 35 bar
Burst Test Pressure >120 bar >110 bar
Helium Leak Integrity Guarantee < 1 x 10^-6 mbar·L/s < 1 x 10^-6 mbar·L/s
================================================================================By incorporating micro-grooved 5 mm5 mm and 7 mm7 mm copper tubing, we reduce internal evaporator volume by over 40%40% compared to legacy 3/8′′3/8′′ tubing. This enables countertop ice maker OEMs to maintain high daily ice output while staying strictly below the 150g150g R290 safety charge limit.
Yes. Our engineering division can reverse-engineer any physical sample, 2D technical drawing, or 3D CAD step file, providing exact drop-in replacements with identical mounting brackets, capillary feed tube orientations, and water distribution manifold alignments.
Every evaporator undergoes two sequential quality tests: first, underwater pneumatic pressurization at 3.5 MPa3.5 MPa (35 bar35 bar) to verify structural strength, followed by automated vacuum chamber helium mass spectrometer leak detection capable of identifying minute micro-leaks down to <1×10−6 mbar⋅L/s<1×10−6 mbar⋅L/s.
Elevate your commercial and residential countertop ice maker product lines with precision-engineered evaporators from CSTHEATEXCHANGER:
Custom Vertical Grid & Submerged Bullet Finger Evaporators
NSF/FDA Certified Food-Grade Nickel & Stainless-Steel Finishes
R290 Flammable Refrigerant Charge Optimization (<150g<150g)
Over 250,000 Thermal Shock Cycles Verified Reliability
Rapid Prototyping (7–10 Days) & Factory-Direct Global OEM Supply
Contact our specialized refrigeration engineering team today with your target daily ice capacity (kg/24h), cabinet dimensions, and refrigerant specification for complete 3D engineering drawings and factory-direct pricing.
Website: https://www.cstheatexchanger.com/
Technical Inquiries: info@cstheatexchanger.com
