Manitowoc Indigo Ice Makers: Intelligent, Cleanable, and Efficient

The value of Manitowoc's Indigo series is summed up in a simple abbreviation: I.C.E. That stands for intelligence, cleanability, and efficiency, three qualities that work together to make Indigo ice makers great investments and some of the most user-friendly ice machines on the market. Read on to learn about each of those qualities and how they can help simplify your kitchen's routines.

Intelligence

Manitowoc Indigo machines are built with onboard computer controls that constantly monitor the machine's ice production, water use, and energy consumption. An EasyRead LCD display keeps users informed about the operating status and signals alerts when the unit requires attention or maintenance.

The Indigo's display also provides access to information unique to each individual machine, including model and serial number, and warranty information. Having that data on hand can help make service and warranty work happen more smoothly. The machine also records a gold mine of technical data, including the minimum and maximum lengths of the machine's freeze and harvest cycles, as well as internal temperature changes. Those statistics can help service technicians quickly and accurately diagnose issues, making service calls simpler.

Cleanability

Manitowoc Indigo ice machines are designed to be easy to clean. All of the machines' parts and surfaces that require regular attention are accessible from the front of the equipment and removable without tools for quick and easy access. The water trough, distributor, curtain, probe, pump, and acoustical ice-thickness sensor are all removable by hand. Those components can be soaked in a solution of water and nickel-safe cleaner, then gently scrubbed to remove buildup and limescale.

To ensure staff will stick to your ice machine's optimal cleaning routine, operators can use the Indigo's control panel to schedule cleaning reminders that will display on the machine's readout when they are due. Reminders can also be set to change the machine's air and water filter, ensuring that those critical components are properly maintained.

An optional LuminIce growth inhibitor circulates air inside the ice machine head and exposes it to ultraviolet light to maintain sterile conditions, killing bacteria, yeast, and fungus that would otherwise multiply inside the dark, moist conditions of the ice machine. This component can dramatically extend the time allowable between ice machine cleanings, and protect the taste of your ice and the health of your customers in the meantime.

The ultimate cleaning accessory for the Indigo is the iAuCS automatic cleaning system. This accessory is mounted on the ice machine's bin or a nearby wall. The system automatically cleans the machine according to a set interval of two weeks or 1 to 6 months. The iAuCS system takes away a good deal of the labor involved in keeping the Indigo ice machine clean.

Efficiency

Instead of depending on a timer to know when to harvest ice the way traditional ice machines do, Manitowoc Indigo machines use an acoustical ice sensor that emits sonic waves to measure the thickness of the ice on the evaporator plate and signals for the machine to enter its harvest cycle when the optimum thickness has been achieved. This not only creates consistently thick ice that is harvested thoroughly with each cycle, it also optimizes the machines' energy and water efficiency by ensuring that no water or electricity is wasted in longer-than-necessary freeze cycles.

To further increase the efficiency of Indigo Series machines' harvest cycle, they're built with a patented harvest-assist technology that uses a simple air pump to break the vacuum between the evaporator plate and the ice sheet to speed up the harvest cycle. This shortens the harvest cycle significantly and uses less energy than mechanical harvest-assist mechanisms.

Another water-saving feature that's exclusive to the Indigo Series is the Water Miser that saves water by eliminating the machine's water-reservoir flush cycle. This feature should only be activated on machines that are connected to a water supply that has been de-ionized or filtered by reverse-osmosis. Otherwise the dissolved solids and other impurities that the purge cycle is designed to eliminate can build up and shorten the life of the machine.