Case Studies

Cadwaladers Ice Cream

19/11/2007

The project led with Cadwaladers Ice Cream gives you a clear view on how BIC Innovation experts, through the Manufacturing Advisory Service, can help your business.

                                      
Cadwaladers is an example of a small business that has grown over the years. Established in Cricieth in the 1920's, the now world famous ice cream company has grown impressively and now has cafes throughout Wales in locations including Porthmadog, Llandudno, Portmeirion, Betws Y Coed and also in Trentham, which is the largest ice cream parlour in the UK! Cadwaladers use only local produce to make award-winning ice creams.

Cadwalader’s Ice Creams manufactures and sells ice creams across Wales and England and the business has 110 employees (many seasonal).

Scenario - MAS Wales intervention

A manufacturing review was undertaken in january 2006 to examine ways to increase the business’ efficiency and profits, evaluating the risk and energy management, the housekeeping and stock levels and the health and safety conditions. During the review a number of manufacturing issues emerged, the most important being the existing process bottleneck relating to the pasteuriser.

This project consisted of the supply of technical and professional services by BIC Innovation Ltd to the client to address the existing process bottleneck (the pasteurising process). This also consumed considerable quantities of energy, as the vessel was cycled between cold to hot for pasteurisation and cool (forced cooling through a plate heat exchanger to complete the process). The bottleneck was occuring because there was insufficient cooling speed and also insufficient capacity for cooling. A balance needed to be struck between cost of energy, capital expenses and availability of ice / water for cooling.

Project Objectives

The principal objective of the project was to remove the pasteurising bottleneck and improve the energy / water use balance, for implementation no later than 1 June 06.  

Approach taken

The Manufacturing Advisory Service aimed to propose a costed solution for higher capacity pasteurisation process along with a proposed design approach to reduce energy costs and increase recycling.

MAS Wales supplied technical and professional services to address the specific energy issues that were creating a bottleneck in the manufacturing process.  

The intervention from BIC's team of experts resulted in a delivery improvement of 94%.