Icewater Seafoods/CA: Machine Design, As It Should Be

Icewater Seafoods is the only plant in North America with a year-round focus on North Atlantic Cod and has established itself as one of the world’s leading Cod-producing facilities. As the Cod resource along Newfoundland’s east coast continues to improve, Icewater Seafoods is investing in technology and production capacity to support its long-term growth.

A partnership built over generations

Icewater Seafoods’ relationship with BAADER goes back more than 60 years. Today, BAADER remains the company’s main supplier of heading, filleting and skinning equipment.

You get a very consistent filet out of that. You get an improved yield. I'm going to say a couple of percent improvement in yield. ”

For President and CEO Alberto Wareham, reliability and consistency are essential when processing a naturally variable and fragile raw material such as Newfoundland Cod. The BAADER 582 filleting machine has delivered significant improvements compared with previous equipment, particularly in fillet consistency and yield.

Alberto Wareham estimates that the improvement in yield can amount to a couple of percentage points. Just as important, however, is the machine’s ability to handle the fragile characteristics of Newfoundland Cod while maintaining consistent fillet quality.

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Improved skinning, improved handling

The BAADER 59 skinning machine has also made a significant difference to Icewater Seafoods’ production process.

The machine allows fillets to enter flat and leave flat, eliminating the need for manual turning and reducing unnecessary handling. For a fragile product such as Cod, this is particularly valuable.

The yield is consistently good on the skinning machine.
We're a very big supporter of the BAADER 59 skinning machine.”

The result is a streamlined process that helps maintain product quality while supporting consistent yields.

Automation for customer-specific precision

Icewater Seafoods adds value by portioning its cod fillets according to customer-specific requirements for markets across Europe and North America. With raw material arriving in different sizes, achieving this level of accuracy requires advanced technology.

You can't do accuracy without automation.”

Automation has therefore been central to the company's production strategy for many years. Icewater Seafoods continues to invest in the latest processing technology to improve accuracy, efficiency and consistency.

Between 2018 and 2020, the company invested CAD 15 million in its plant, with BAADER technology forming an important part of that investment. Further investment is planned, with BAADER expected to remain an important technology partner.

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Technology supported by expertise

For Icewater Seafoods, equipment performance is supported by responsive technical service. BAADER’s local office in St. John’s, Newfoundland, provides access to locally trained technicians, while spare parts and additional expertise can be supplied from Germany.

The relationship also extends to equipment testing and development. Icewater Seafoods has worked closely with BAADER on new technologies, providing a practical production environment in which equipment can be evaluated and refined.

Wareham describes the impact of the partnership simply:

It's the way a skinning machine should be designed.”

After more than six decades of collaboration, the qualities Icewater Seafoods associates most strongly with BAADER remain clear:

Quality, Consistent, Reliable.”