How Alliance Levin Boosted Freezer Safety and Efficiency with Ulti’s Innovative Blast Freezer Doors
The Challenge:
Alliance Levin was facing safety risks and efficiency challenges with outdated tilt slab blast freezer doors, including ice buildup, poor lighting, and fire system obstructions.
The Solution:
Ulti Group installed advanced dual-skin Ulti Blast Freezer Doors, designed to eliminate ice issues, improve light flow, and enhance operational safety.
The Result:
The facility now enjoys smoother operations, safer environments, and maintained blast freezing durations, all while increasing forklift accessibility and energy efficiency.
In the heart of New Zealand’s food processing sector, Alliance stands as a key player in meat processing and distribution. Operating a high-performance blast freezer environment, their Levin facility is responsible for rapidly freezing hot-boned meat products – often within tight windows of up to 36 hours. But like many legacy operations, they faced a serious issue: their existing tilt slab freezer doors were no longer cutting it.
The original doors had become a growing source of operational frustration and safety concern. With ice building up around the slab door edges, the environment inside the blast freezer had grown increasingly hazardous. Not just for workers, but also for crucial infrastructure like lighting and sprinkler systems. These issues were beginning to affect productivity and compliance, particularly in light-sensitive areas like the ELA and packing zones. The bulk of the problem came down to poor thermal separation and an outdated physical structure. The tilt slab doors blocked natural and artificial light, were difficult to operate, and interrupted smooth forklift flow.
So, Alliance turned to us at Ulti Group for a modern solution. One that would improve safety, maintain freezing efficiency, and streamline daily operations without compromising the tight temperature tolerances needed for rapid meat processing.
What we brought to the table was the Ulti Blast Freezer Door, a state-of-the-art dual-skin solution specifically engineered for extreme cold storage environments. The design is both innovative and deceptively simple: the door features two skins spaced 300 millimetres apart, and in that void, we circulate warm air, heated to around 17°C, which acts as a thermal barrier. This buffer zone significantly reduces the temperature shock between the -25°C internal environment of the blast freezer and the warmer ambient conditions outside.
By introducing this thermal break, we immediately tackled the root cause of the facility’s ice buildup. The difference was night and day. Not only did the new doors eliminate frost and ice around the frame, but they also allowed better integration with the facility’s existing lighting and fire suppression systems. Unlike the previous slab design, the Ulti Blast Freezer Door doesn’t obstruct overhead infrastructure, which was a major win for both insurance compliance and worker visibility.
The benefits didn’t stop at safety. One of the most remarkable outcomes was that the freezing duration remained exactly the same. Despite the shift to a lighter, more compact curtain system, the cold retention and energy performance of the chamber didn’t degrade in the slightest. In fact, operations became even more efficient thanks to the high-speed open-and-close functionality of the new doors. Forklift drivers can now trigger the doors with a simple push of a button, load stillages quickly, and exit without delay. The curtain rolls up cleanly, nothing protrudes into the loading path, and it drops back down immediately, preserving the cold environment and minimizing air exchange.
For facilities like Alliance Levin that deal with continuous throughput and high hygiene standards, these marginal gains translate into major long-term benefits. There’s less manual intervention, reduced downtime due to maintenance or malfunction, and a safer workspace across the board.
What’s also worth noting is how the new Ulti Blast Freezer Door lets in more natural and artificial light into adjacent work areas. The old tilt slab structure had a tendency to block light, casting shadows that were problematic for visual inspections, worker safety, and even energy use. With the new system in place, the space feels brighter, safer, and more efficient – something often overlooked but hugely valuable in food production settings.
From an installation standpoint, this upgrade was tailored to the exact needs of Alliance Levin. Every component – from the thermal control elements to the structural fittings – was customized to fit seamlessly into the existing blast freezer environment, minimizing disruption during the switchover.
For the team at Ulti Group, this project highlights our ongoing commitment to engineering solutions that go beyond the obvious. It’s not just about replacing a door; it’s about rethinking how cold storage infrastructure can support safety, efficiency, and operational continuity in real-world applications.
Alliance Levin’s successful adoption of the Ulti Blast Freezer Door underscores why more and more food processors are moving away from outdated tilt slab designs. In high-demand environments where temperature, timing, and safety are non-negotiable, the right door system can make all the difference.
If your facility is facing similar challenges with cold storage doors – whether it’s ice buildup, poor forklift access, or compliance headaches – we’d love to talk. At Ulti Group, we specialise in helping New Zealand businesses enhance their operations through intelligent, reliable access solutions built for real-world performance.
Want to improve safety and efficiency in your blast freezer?
Contact Ulti Group to learn more about our industry-leading freezer door solutions.