Many of the leaders in the foodservice equipment industry compete for technological advances, many times outdoing one another in order to stay ahead of the game. In our ‘Product Focus’ blog series, we’ll discuss many of the industry leaders in commercial kitchen equipment, highlighting what sets them apart from the rest! In this post, we’ll delve a little deeper into one of the leaders in ice machines: Manitowoc Ice. <<Tweet This!>>
While innovation used to be limited to a single piece of equipment, those days are long gone. True success results from applying innovation to the kitchen as a whole. Manitowoc and successful equipment engineers in general understand that innovation truly flourishes when kitchens are looked at as a system with many working parts.
So how exactly does the innovation funnel at Manitowoc operate? The process involves a flow of prototypes, discovery, prioritization, and selection. Manitowoc also analyzes their carbon footprint and energy usage to ensure that their products are still in line with their goal of energy efficiency. Innovation involves more than random ideas – it’s a process that drives foodservice equipment to a new level of excellence that constantly evolves with the ever-changing restaurant business. Manitowoc equipment garnered Kitchen Innovation Awards before their products were even available in the marketplace!
What are some innovative solutions from Manitowoc Ice?
One of Manitowoc’s designs is Indigo. This internal communications system constantly monitors refrigeration and sub-system controls. Electronic monitoring and storing of data ensures that your ice machine is always preparing and storing data for service and maintenance, reducing labor costs and downtime.
Manitowoc Ice has also created a self-cleaning system known as AuCS, the Automatic Cleaning System, which is designed to automatically perform routine ice machine maintenance for all Manitowoc ice machines. AuCS was created as a tool to ultimately help reduce the operating costs of a restaurant by scheduling and performing preventative maintenance on Manitowoc ice machines. As the product owner, you have the ability to schedule maintenance based on your ice machine’s usage and needs – from twice a month to once every six months. Additionally, the process can be set to occur during off-business hours and reset to have your ice machine full and ready for the next business day. Once scheduled, AuCS takes control and does the rest, making your ice machine’s maintenance a breeze!
Your evolving restaurant drives innovation from foodservice equipment companies. While the process may be involved, you know that it’s with purpose and intensive. Manitowoc is leading the pack in innovation! Expect to see more innovative products as restaurant needs and demands change.
