Hoshizaki Corporation (Head office: Toyoake City, Aichi; President & CEO: Yasuhiro Kobayashi; hereafter “Hoshizaki”) has developed two new products: an ice maker that requires no water supply or drainage installation, and an outdoor refrigerator and freezer that can be installed outside without a roof overhead. It will start selling the products successively from late-June through its sales companies. They are designed to help address social challenges such as heatstroke prevention and logistics issues.
Compatible with Water Supply/Drain Units IM-25P-PT
Social Change Is Creating Demand for New Ways to Use Our Products
Hoshizaki’s flagship products, including commercial refrigerators and ice makers, have traditionally been used primarily in restaurant kitchens. Today, as society evolves, they are being adopted across a much wider range of sectors and settings, including supermarkets, convenience stores, hospitals, schools, and hotels. Even within the restaurant sector, demand is emerging for new ways to use these products.
Hoshizaki develops products from a market-driven perspective, drawing on direct customer feedback and market insights gathered through its 15 sales companies across Japan. Against the backdrop of recent extreme heat and logistics challenges, Hoshizaki has received many requests to use our products in settings beyond the conventional. To address those needs, Hoshizaki advanced the technical development required to overcome the existing installation barriers, developing options including these two new products. Both adopt natural refrigerants1, which have a low impact on global warming.
An Ice Maker with No Water Supply or Drainage Required – for Heatstroke Prevention and Events
Against the backdrop of recent extreme heat and newly mandated workplace heatstroke prevention measures2, ice maker rental demand for event venues, construction sites, and sports tournaments is climbing, and inquiries about introducing them to corporate offices, factories, and schools are also rising. Restaurants frequently ask about placement in customer-seating areas as well. In environments like these, setup has been hindered by the lack of nearby water supply and drainage equipment or by an inability to carry out the required installation work.
To eliminate the need for water supply and drainage installation, the ice maker pairs with two add-on units, each handling one function: a Water Tank Unit and a Forced Drain Unit. The Water Tank Unit applies technology Hoshizaki has refined over the years in its tea dispensers and shares parts with them, achieving ice that is safe for drinking, at a competitive price point. Drainage uses a pump-up method (drain-up). Customers can also pair the ice maker with just one of the two units, and certain existing ice maker models can be retrofitted for use with the supply/drain units through a parts swap. The ice format is cube ice, known for being hard and slow to melt, and is suited for use in beverages, ice packs, and athletic cold therapy. The product meets the needs of customers who want ice only during specific periods, such as the summer or events. Sales begin in early July.
Lineup
| Type | No. of models | Daily ice making capacity | Dimensions (W x D x H in mm) | Refrigerant | Standard price (excl. tax) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cube ice maker (compatible with water supply/drain units) | 6 | 25 kg–45 kg | 395 x 450 x 770 (IM-25P-PT) *Representative model: 25 kg/day production type | Natural refrigerant (R-600a (isobutane) or R-290 (propane)) | (TBD) |
| Water tank unit | 1 | ― | 450×480×730 | ― | (TBD) |
| Forced drain unit | 1 | ― | 380×273×182 | ― | (TBD) |
Unattended Deliveries to Streamline Logistics: Hoshizaki’s First Outdoor Refrigerator and Freezer for Use Without a Roof Overhead
The new outdoor refrigerator and freezer can be installed in outdoor settings with ambient temperatures ranging from -20°C to 38°C. They are Hoshizaki’s first products designed for use outdoors without a roof overhead. Sales begin in late June.
Beyond ongoing logistics challenges and fluctuating energy prices, the Logistics Efficiency Act now requires shippers to make reasonable efforts to improve load efficiency, reduce loading wait times, and shorten cargo-handling times. The result has been a shift toward late-night and early-morning deliveries to avoid traffic congestion, along with a reduction in the number of deliveries. Combined with labor shortages and limited storage space at the receiving end, demand is expected to grow for refrigerators and freezers capable of receiving outdoor, unattended deliveries.
In developing its first outdoor product line, Hoshizaki conducted rigorous quality testing. In addition to a high level of water resistance3, the units feature a compressor with greater cooling capacity than a standard commercial refrigerator and white-painted steel panels that resist heat absorption, allowing them to handle high ambient temperatures. They also include security and tamper-prevention features such as a screw-down handle that reduces the risk of the door being left ajar, a structure designed to accept a padlock, and tamper-resistant screws.
Lineup
| Type | Model | Rating for internal volume | Dimensions (W x D x H in mm) | Refrigerant | Standard price (excl. tax) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor refrigerator | HOR-90A | 791 liters | 925×800×1940 | Natural refrigerant R-600a (isobutane) | Open price |
| Outdoor freezer | HOF-90A | 791 liters | 925×800×1940 | Natural refrigerant R-290 (propane) | Open price |
1 Natural refrigerants refer to substances that exist naturally in the environment and are used as refrigerants for freezing and air conditioning. These eco-friendly refrigerants have an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero and a very low global warming potential (GWP). GWP is a value indicating the potential of a greenhouse gas to warm the earth when the value for carbon dioxide (CO2) is set at 1.
The GWP values for the products announced today, along with the sources for those values, are listed below.
● Isobutane (R-600a):
・<1: UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 2018 Report of the Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning and Heat Pumps Technical Options Committee (released in February 2019)
・<<1 (significantly less than 1): World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2022 (released in October 2022)
● Propane (R-290):
・0.02: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6; Working Group I contribution, released in August 2021)
・<<1 (significantly less than 1): World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2022 (released in October 2022)
Because natural-refrigerant products fall outside the scope of the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons (Fluorocarbon Emissions Control Act), no simplified HFC inspections or leak reports are required, which is also expected to lighten the burden for the businesses that adopt them.
2 Per the revised Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, effective June 1, 2025.
3 Waterproofing meets protection rating IPX4 (water splashed against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects) under International Standard IEC 60529.
The information presented here is current as of the time of announcement. Please note that it may differ from the latest information.
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