Hi Kunle-A, I am sorry I am not too savvy with the computer, I'll do my best to explain as I can't upload the pictures but you can check the 9th of March 2010 Guardian newspaper page 54 for advert by Austen Laz where you can get a good impression of their machines. Also on that page is the advert of Machine & Merchantile Warehouse Ltd, for ice block making machines. These adverts are wonderfull but the claims should be taken with a pinch of salt!

However I bought a machine from Austen Laz Co. It was an expensive machine and I had to install a 24KVA diesel gen to run it. It exactly as the one shown in the advert. The machine was locally fabricated by the company but uses an imported compressor.

The machine is a single phase one with Japanese compressors ranging from 2 1/2 H.P. to 4 1/2H.P. fitted with double vacuum sliding glass cover.

To be able to run 2 shifts we use 50 liters of Diesel per day but it may be less if PHCN has mercy on us and give us light for many hours. and blocks are sold for between N 60. and N 100.each depending on the quantity purchased and the demand. As you know the business is also affected by the availability of PHCN. When there is light in the area generally, the demand falls so we have to reduce the price to recoup the cost of diesel. Ciao.

Hi guys,
I have just invested in an ice block making machine. I must confess that I was carried away by the advert for the machine. The initial production of the machine took almost 24hrs. I was horrified! Thereafter the situation did not improve as production continued to be unprofitable because the machine settled to a constant 15-18hrs per production. I spent sleepless nights, worrisome daytimes, countless phone calls and visits to the manufacturers of the machine in an attempt to find a solution to make the machine perform efficiently and make some profit. I was almost having hypertension!
My advise to anyone wanting to enter into this business is not to neglect to conduct a good feasibility studies, and unless you have a source of good and constant electricity you will just be working for the petrol stations, because your diesel bill will take a huge chunk of your earnings!
I was very intrigued by the analysis posted by nuclearboy in July 2009, It has helped me to understand the energy requirement of my machine. Thank you. I am not yet seeing blue on my bank acct but the proper understanding of the business has lowered my blood pressure. There is indeed a truth in the saying of the Good Book, "my people perish because of lack of knowledge".
I have browsed the internet for machines, there is a lot of stuff out there. Check out this firm from South Africa. email info@zbauns.com. I have also investigated some Nigerian companies who are into manufacturing e.g. Austen Laz in Benin, Powercool at Iyaganku in Ibadan, and several local fabricators. Their problem has been the tropicalisation of the machines.
The business of producing ice blocks is an industrial one, unless one is willing to correctly invest in it, the profit will remain marginal. One of the posts I read where someone stated that he had 4 machines and was virtually smiling to the bank confirms my findings that to make a profit one needs to go into this business on a fairly large scale . Thus, the truth of the matter is not in controversies on the type, design and capacity of the machine produced in Nigeria but on how to run this business profitably. I hope my experience is of some help. Ciao.