Have a prob with a Cattabriga Ice Cream Extruder. The machine is water cooled with a 7 or 8 HP semi hermetique condensing unit with a shell and tube type condenser.

On the control panel there is an Eliwell controller with shows a reading. When the reading displays 5.6 or 5.8 it means the ice cream mix in the evaporator barrell is ready for extrusion and you pull the handle and out comes this firm semi- solid hard ice cream .

The problem with the machine is this, it starts off okay, but then the reading drops to 4.6 and at this stage instead of firm ice cream coming uoy, liquid mix pours out. ( Obviously very retarded refrigeration effect)

The operator has to stop dispensing and wait for the reading to go up again to 5.6 or 5.8 before he can strart extruding again.

In normal mode the machine should maintain a reading of around 5.6 and the consistency of the ice cream should be maintained.

I had a look at the machine. HP is around 150 psi, system runs on R502 , suction pressure is around 30 psi.

A previous engineer very recently changed the TEV, he changed only half of it, the part with the bellows and capillary. Its a Danfoss TEY5 R 502 valve with a serial number 067B3257

I know with these machines the valve has to be spot on.

I changed the filter, removed all the gas and refilled with Isceon R69. The machine is maintaining a reading of around 5.6 but the whole compressor body is iced over. ( Liquid refrigerant returning back to the compressor) I have fine tuned the valve, but suspect the valve fitted is wrong

Distributor will not give me information on the right valve to fit. Last engineer took away the old valve . I think this valve is too big and allowing excessive gas to go through, too large an orifice. By meddling around with superheat settings I am probably helping a little, but liquid still getting through.

Bulb is located behind somewhere and I am presuming that engineer has secured to suction pipe firmly.

Machine is a Cattabriga 1927
Freezemat 500/1CPS

Machine Type FR2 500/ICPS
Assembly Year ILAT

R502
16.9 A
35.8HP
Registration No 217 500001