The Hive Super Lab UTS

Challenge

The words ‘Super Lab’ illustrate the volume of student experiments that are performed at The Hive. Each experiment involves the preparation of solutions and materials, and students utilise many samples for their practicals that require ice to keep solutions cool. With 270 students in a single class working in pairs, 135 six-litre ice vessels are required per session. Multiply that by three sessions per day, five days per week and it’s obvious that the need for a commercial ice making machine with the right credentials was needed.

Additionally, for laboratory use, it is important that an appropriate ice form be chosen to avoid damaging delicate samples. The ice must be at -4° and must retain its temperature and shape well in an esky for up to six hours. Hence, the commercial ice machine chosen must deliver on multiple criteria.

Solution

• IM1150FM – 1150kg modular flake ice machine was chosen for its heavy duty build. It has an ability to produce ice on a commercial scale and the dry, shapeless granules of ice cool rapidly and can be moulded into any shape without harming fragile samples. One unit has been deployed in the heavy lab facilities room. It is turned on at night and usually produces enough ice to satisfy the needs of the next day’s classes. If more is required, sufficient ice for one or two sessions can be produced in just one-to-two hours. The second ice machine is positioned in the student laboratory in close quarters to lab spaces and is used if top-up ice is needed during the class.

Having used the Ice Machine Modular commercial ice making machines for some time now, The Hive Super Lab have found that the flake ice creates an excellent surface area-to-volume ratio for better cooling and versatility. They are also pleased that the ice does indeed retain the appropriate temperature and hold its shape for the number of hours required.