SD-3000 / SD-4000 Commercial Cube Ice Maker

Product Introduction

The SD-3000 and SD-4000 are HSYL's mid- and top-tier commercial cube ice makers, engineered as a matched pair for facilities that need industrial-scale cube ice supply under hospital, supermarket, wholesale-plant and banquet-kitchen conditions. Both machines share the same 1,220 × 960 mm plan footprint, the same 380V three-phase power supply, the same R404A refrigerant and the same CE + FDA 21 CFR 175.300 food-contact compliance baseline — so buyers can standardize on one utility-pen design across a multi-site estate and choose per-site capacity without re-engineering the building.

Where the two models diverge is on the five variables that actually decide a tender: daily output (1,360 vs 1,800 kg/24h), storage buffer (120 vs 180 kg), noise (55 vs 52 dB(A)), certification tier (CE+FDA vs CE+FDA+ISO 22000) and service interval (6 vs 12 months). This page lays out both models in full, then provides a scenario-driven selection guide so a hospital, supermarket, ice factory or hotel buyer can identify the right unit without guessing.

The SD series sits within HSYL's broader commercial kitchen equipment range, which means cube ice supply can be specified alongside adjacent equipment rather than as a standalone utility decision. For sites scaling up from a smaller unit, the SD-1500 / SD-2000 commercial cube ice maker provides the lower-capacity entry point below the SD-3000.

Technical Specification

Condensing method, exact cube dimensions, compressor brand and stainless-steel grade are listed as To confirm because they are configurable per project. HSYL finalizes these against your local water quality, ambient temperature and food-contact regulations before quotation.

SD-3000 vs SD-4000: Selection Guide by Buyer Scenario

The two models are not "better" and "worse" versions of the same machine. They target different operating realities. The right choice depends on which combination of capacity, compliance, noise, service cadence and utility budget matches a specific facility.

Hospital Groups Under ISO 22000 Audit

If a tender explicitly requires ISO 22000 — common for hospital groups operating central patient-care kitchens with documented food-safety management systems — only the SD-4000 qualifies. ISO 22000 is tied to the model's design and documentation; it is not a field retrofit, so the SD-3000 cannot be upgraded to it later. The SD-4000's 52 dB(A) noise rating also widens the set of installable locations inside patient-care buildings, which often matters as much as the certification itself.

If ISO 22000 is not on the tender's compliance checklist and daily ice demand sits below 1,360 kg/24h, the SD-3000's 55 dB(A) operation is still within typical institutional noise policy, and its 4,500 W connected load eases retrofit into older hospital electrical infrastructure.

Supermarket Chain Distribution Centers

For supermarkets, the deciding variable is weekend peak duration rather than average daily demand. A counter that runs steadily through the week but spikes on weekends needs storage buffer more than peak output. The SD-4000's 180 kg storage bin holds roughly 45 minutes of peak reserve at rated output, versus the SD-3000's 120 kg and 30-minute reserve. For a single distribution center feeding multiple fresh-food counters, that extra 15 minutes of buffer is often the difference between uninterrupted service and an ice shortage during Saturday rush.

For a smaller single-counter format with moderate weekend peaks, the SD-3000 covers the demand at lower power and water draw. For multi-counter distribution, step up to the SD-4000.

Wholesale Ice Factories

Wholesale route economics favor the SD-4000. At 1,800 kg/24h per unit, fewer machines are needed to hit a route target, reducing footprint per kilogram of output, reducing maintenance coordination, and reducing the number of compressors that can fail on any given day. The 12-month service interval compounds this advantage: a factory running four SD-4000 units schedules four service visits per year, versus eight for the equivalent SD-3000 capacity.

The trade-off is connected load and water consumption, but at factory scale the SD-4000 also wins on per-kilogram efficiency: four SD-4000 units draw 25.2 kW and consume 18,000 L/24h, while the equivalent SD-3000 capacity (about six units) draws 27 kW and consumes 20,400 L/24h — so the SD-4000 is lower on both per kilogram of output, in addition to the maintenance advantage.

Hotel Banquet and Convention Operations

Hotel banquet ice demand is bursty — long quiet periods punctuated by event setup windows where multiple bars, buffet lines and chilling stations draw ice simultaneously. The SD-4000's 180 kg storage bin handles a larger setup-window draw without the compressor cycling to catch up; the SD-3000's 120 kg bin is sufficient if the property staggers bar setups or runs a smaller event calendar.

For convention-center-scale properties running back-to-back events, specify the SD-4000. For a single-ballroom hotel with moderate event volume, the SD-3000 is typically adequate.

Quick Selection Summary

Working Process

Both models follow the same cube ice production cycle. Differences in capacity and service interval come from component sizing and the automatic cleaning system, not from a fundamentally different process.

1. Water intake with energy recovery. Treated water enters the cube ice evaporator after passing through a pre-cooling loop that recovers cold energy from outgoing melt water. This reduces both water and energy consumption per kilogram of ice — relevant when comparing total cost of ownership against air-cooled units on the same site.
2. Cube formation on vertical evaporator grid. The R404A refrigeration cycle holds the evaporator surface below freezing; cube ice forms cell-by-cell on the vertical grid until each cube reaches target thickness, governed by a thickness probe rather than a fixed timer. This keeps cube dimensions consistent even when inlet water temperature varies across seasons.
3. Hot-gas harvest into storage bin. A hot-gas harvest cycle releases cubes into the insulated storage bin below — 120 kg on the SD-3000, 180 kg on the SD-4000. Bin-level sensing pauses harvesting when storage is full, protecting the compressor from short-cycling during low-demand periods.
4. Hygiene and automatic cleaning checkpoint. Food-contact surfaces follow FDA 21 CFR 175.300 material limits on both models. The SD-4000 adds an automatic cleaning cycle on the water circuit, which reduces mineral scaling and biofilm buildup between manual service visits and is what enables its 12-month service interval versus the SD-3000's 6-month cycle. For kitchens integrating cube ice into a wider cold-chain workflow, the dispensing zone can connect downstream to a square-ice upright unit or a crescent ice maker for stations requiring a different ice geometry, with regular CIP-style rinsing of the water circuit as part of scheduled service.

Applications

Common to Both Models

• Hospital cafeterias and patient-care kitchens — cube ice for beverage service, patient meal prep and process-water chilling, with noise compliance for lobby-adjacent or ward-corridor plant rooms.
• Supermarket fresh-food and seafood counters — daily cube ice supply for fish, poultry and produce display during opening hours.
• Commercial ice factories — wholesale cube ice production for regional distribution routes.
• Hotel buffets and banquet kitchens — cube ice for beverage service and buffet chilling.
• Central kitchens serving ready-meal lines — ice for ingredient cooling and process-water chilling, integrated upstream of cooking and packaging.

Model-Specific Best Fit

• SD-3000 best fit: mid-volume hospital kitchens without ISO 22000 tender clause, single-counter supermarkets, mid-size ice factories, single-ballroom hotels — sites where 1,360 kg/24h is sufficient and lower connected load (4,500 W) eases retrofit.
• SD-4000 best fit: hospital groups under ISO 22000 audit, multi-counter supermarket distribution centers, wholesale ice plants optimizing units-per-route, convention-center hotels — sites where 1,800 kg/24h, 180 kg storage, 52 dB(A) and 12-month service interval together justify the higher power and water draw.

Advantages

SD-3000 — Mid-Volume Efficiency

• Institutional noise compliance at 55 dB(A). Suitable for hospital lobbies and ward-adjacent plant rooms where 65 dB+ air-cooled units would fail internal noise policy.
• 1,360 kg/24h with 120 kg buffered storage. Output covers mid-volume supermarket and ice-factory demand, while the 30-minute storage reserve absorbs short meal-time peaks without cycle-stopping the compressor.
• 4,500 W power draw on 380V three-phase. Lower connected load than the SD-4000, reducing switchgear and cable sizing on retrofit projects.
• CE and FDA 21 CFR 175.300 food-contact compliance. Cube ice stays within food-contact material limits, supporting HACCP-aligned kitchen audits.

SD-4000 — High-Volume Compliance

• 1,800 kg/24h with 180 kg storage. Approximately one-third more daily output than the SD-3000, with a 45-minute peak reserve that absorbs rush-hour demand without stopping the compressor.
• ISO 22000 food-safety-system certification. The model to specify when a tender requires ISO 22000 in addition to CE and FDA 21 CFR 175.300 — the SD-3000 does not carry it.
• 52 dB(A) operation. Three decibels quieter than the SD-3000, widening the set of installable locations inside patient-care and customer-facing buildings.
• 12-month service interval with automatic cleaning. Scheduled maintenance visits halve versus the SD-3000's 6-month cycle — decisive for multi-site operators coordinating service trucks across locations.
• Same footprint as SD-3000, only 350 mm taller. 1,220 × 960 mm plan dimensions are preserved, so upgrading capacity does not force facility rework.

Shared Across Both Models

• R404A refrigerant, ozone-safe. Aligns with EU F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 documentation requirements for export projects.
• 380V three-phase industrial-grade power. Stable operation under voltage fluctuation, suitable for ice factories and central plant rooms.
• Water-cooled condensing. Substantially lower water and energy consumption per kilogram of ice than air-cooled competitors of comparable output.

Recommended Equipment and Planning Resources

If you are scaling cube ice capacity step-by-step, or adding complementary ice types for different stations, these HSYL resources sit in the same cluster:

• SD-1500 / SD-2000 commercial cube ice maker — lower-capacity cube ice option for sites whose daily demand sits below the SD-3000's 1,360 kg/24h.
• SD square ice series upright ice makers — upright-format cube ice for space-constrained kitchens.
• Crescent ice maker (AM series) — alternative ice geometry for beverage stations where cube is not the right choice.
• How to start a food product line — planning reference for buyers scoping ice supply as part of a new production line rather than a standalone machine purchase.

CTA

Tell us your facility type (hospital, supermarket, ice plant, hotel), your peak-hour ice demand and your compliance requirements — HSYL will return a model recommendation (SD-3000 or SD-4000) and a side-by-side quotation.

Running a tender with an ISO 22000 clause? Ask our engineers for the SD-4000 compliance documentation pack.

Need help calculating whether your peak-hour buffer favors the 120 kg or 180 kg storage bin? Send your daily ice demand profile and we will model both options against your rush pattern.