Abstract: A flake ice machine (10) for producing flakes of frozen material. The machine includes a rotatable cooling disk (12) defining an external cooling surface (24) and an internal refrigerant flow passage (20). Refrigerant is supplied to the internal refrigerant flow passage to cool the disk. A motor drives rotation of the cooling disk, while a liquid material, such as fresh water, is supplied to the external cooling surface of the disk. An ice removal blade (30) is positioned adjacent the external cooling surface of the disk to remove flakes of frozen material. A low-wetting coating (90) is applied to the external cooling surface of the disk to enhance removal of large flakes of frozen material. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the low-wetting coating comprises a fluoropolymer.

Abstract: A cooling disk member (12) for an evaporative refrigerant cooled flake ice machine (10) includes an axial aperture (44), a circumferential outer perimeter (25), and first and second side cooling surfaces (24). The disk member (12) includes two internal refrigerant now passages (20), each of which extends from an inlet port (40) which opens onto the axial aperture, then into the interior of the disk member to cool 180.degree. sector of the disk member, and then returns to the axial aperture through an outlet port (42). Each refrigerant flow passage (20) winds radially through a series of radial outflow passage segments (50) and radial return segments (54). A plurality of reinforcing spoke walls (58, 60) are defined between the radial passage segments to reinforce the disk in the radial direction, preventing bending and warpage of the disk cooling member.