American Technology – Italian Tradition

The TEC™ brand of conductive glass (including TEC 15 and TEC 30, used by Finamac) was originally developed by Libbey-Owens-Ford (LOF), a historic, major American glass manufacturer based in Toledo, Ohio.

The PPG Industries (an American company based in Pennsylvania) was one of the leading global pioneers when it introduced its Sungate® line of silver-coated Low-E glass in the 1980s, revolutionizing residential and commercial markets across the Americas.

Finamac is a pioneer in its use in ice cream machines.

The global leader and benchmark in Scroll compressor manufacturing is Copeland. Market Dominance: Copeland launched its renowned Copeland Scroll™ line in the late 1980s and dominates the global residential and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration markets, having produced hundreds of millions of units.

Finamac pioneered the use of hermetic compressors in ice cream machines, while conventional machines used open or semi-hermetic compressors, which were very expensive and complex to maintain.

Tecumseh Products Company (Michigan, USA). Its Pioneering Role: Founded by Ray W. Herrick in 1934, Tecumseh revolutionized refrigeration by introducing the first viable hermetic compressor for household refrigerators in 1937.

Copeland Corporation (now Copeland / formerly Emerson) (Ohio, USA). Its Role in Hermetic Compressor Development: Founded by Edmund Copeland in 1921, the company grew through the development of hermetic and semi-hermetic systems.

Freon refrigerant (a member of the chlorofluorocarbon, or CFC, family) was invented by American mechanical engineer and chemist Thomas Midgley Jr. in 1928, in collaboration with scientist Charles Kettering.

• The Problem: In the 1920s, refrigeration and air conditioning systems used highly toxic or flammable gases, such as ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and methyl chloride. Refrigerator leaks were frequent and caused fatal accidents.
• The Challenge: General Motors (which owned the Frigidaire refrigerator brand at the time) asked its research team, led by Midgley and Kettering, to develop a nontoxic, nonflammable substance to replace these gases.
• The Demonstration: In 1930, during a presentation to the American Chemical Society, Midgley demonstrated the gas's safety by inhaling a lungful of Freon and blowing out a candle—showing that the compound was neither harmful to the human body in the short term nor flammable.
• Industrial Development: General Motors and DuPont jointly founded Kinetic Chemicals in the United States to manufacture the gas on an industrial scale. DuPont registered the trade name Freon (focused on dichlorodifluoromethane, or CFC-12).
• Several other refrigerants have emerged and continue to emerge for this application, primarily under the leadership of American companies. These include fourth-generation synthetic gases that are less harmful to the ozone layer, as well as natural gases such as propane and carbon dioxide (CO2).

Finamac has used every type of refrigerant and is studying the best solutions for each market. The latest trend points toward flammable gases, and we are carefully evaluating whether to adopt them. American legislation is less stringent than European legislation, and this is creating difficulties for several ice cream machine manufacturers.

Used in Finamac Vista display cases, pioneering its application in the industry.

The use of rotational molding for plastics (as we know it today) originated in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. American companies began using vinyl resins (PVC plastisol) to manufacture toys, such as doll heads and hollow balls. Today, polyethylene is used, having been developed on an industrial scale in the United States.

• Polyacetal - POM (used in the front covers of the PRO4/16, Ice Clean, and most Finamac plastic parts): developed industrially in the United States by the giant DUPONT under the name DELRIN. Invented in Germany in 1920.
• Polycarbonate (used by Finamac in parts that must withstand high temperatures, such as the top cover of the PP110): developed industrially by General Electric under the name LEXAN.
• Teflon (used in Finamac parts subject to friction): developed by the American company DuPont under the name TEFLON (PTFE – polytetrafluoroethylene).
• PEEK (used in popsicle mold depositors): considered the world's most advanced engineering plastic, it gained traction in the American aerospace (NASA, BOEING) and medical industries, although it is a British invention. Americans invented other similar polymers, such as PEI and PSU, developed by General Electric and Union Carbide.

Finamac is a pioneer in the use of fiberglass in ice cream machines.

Industrial fiberglass as we know it today was invented in the United States.

The Combination (Fiber + Resin): In 1937, American Ray Greene (working at Owens-Corning) created the first composite boat. During World War II (1940s), the U.S. military advanced the technology to create radar domes (radomes) and lightweight, strong fuselages.

Used in Finamac projects featuring disruptive technology, such as SpeedyPop and Wave, as well as in future projects for the Finesse freezing cylinder and other products. A Binder Jet printer is also being developed in Brazil in partnership with a laser printer manufacturer, using American technology that jets resin between layers of metal powder. This will enable the production of larger metal parts at significantly lower costs than laser printing.

In the 1980s, American Carl Deckard and his professor Joseph Beaman, at the University of Texas at Austin, invented SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) technology. Although European inventions such as EBM (Electron Beam Melting, from Sweden's Arcam) and SLM (from Germany) led powder bed fusion, American companies took the lead in the global market through large-scale acquisitions.

Used in parts for various Finamac machines, such as the Flash volumetric depositor and beater, and the Finesse front cover and bucket holder, among many others. These are still imported from China, but we already have an SLA printer for in-house production. Finamac is pioneering the development of the world's first photopolymerizable resin approved for food contact, which is being developed in partnership with an American supplier and is undergoing certification by Intertek, also in the United States.

Stereolithography (SLA)—the first 3D printing technology for photopolymerizable resins—was invented in the United States by American engineer Chuck Hull in 1983.

Today, the resin 3D printing market has branched into several technologies (laser SLA, DLP, and LCD/mSLA) and is divided into the following segments: industrial/medical, professional desktop, and consumer (hobbyist).

3D Systems (USA): The pioneer founded by Chuck Hull remains one of the leaders in the industrial sector, focusing on advanced prototyping, aerospace, and high-precision molds.

Used for Finamac ice cream machine cylinders, which were purchased from Avibras, a Brazilian defense company founded by an aeronautical engineer in 1960. We also work with an established American manufacturer that produces these cylinders using the same process.

United States (1950s): Following postwar technology transfers (Operation Paperclip), American companies such as Lodge & Shipley (Floturn process) and Cincinnati Milling Machine Co. (Hydrospin) patented and automated the industrial flow forming process.

The Origin: In the late 1990s and early 2000s, researchers at the University of Delaware, USA (drawn to the startup FingerWorks, founded by Wayne Westerman and John Elias), created capacitive multi-touch gesture technology.

Used in the control boards of Finamac machines.

The integrated circuit (commonly known as the chip) was independently invented by two American engineers between 1958 and 1959: Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce. American companies Intel, Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm, and Broadcom dominate the technology. ARM/ASML are Dutch and British companies. The largest manufacturer is TSMC (Taiwan). Texas Instruments, an American giant, produces countless chips with various functions for cell phones, electronic controllers in general, automobiles (ABS brakes, battery management, radar, electric power steering), robotics, and other applications.

The invention of the first mechanical ice cream machine is credited to American Nancy M. Johnson, who patented the device in 1843 in the United States. The first motorized batch freezer (powered by an electric or steam engine) was created in the United States by F.E. Whitney in 1902. The first batch freezer with a horizontal cylinder and integrated refrigeration was invented in the United States by inventor Emery Thompson in 1905.

The invention of the first soft serve ice cream machine (known in Brazil as sorvete expresso or sorvete de casquinha) is the subject of a historical dispute between two giants of American industry in the 1930s: Tom Carvel and J.F. McCullough (founder of Dairy Queen).

The first continuous ice cream freezer was invented in 1927 by American engineer and inventor Clarence Vogt, in Louisville, Kentucky (USA).

The first machine designed for semi-industrial and artisanal popsicle production—based on rapid freezing by immersing metal molds in an agitated brine tank—was invented in the United States by entrepreneur J. Vernon Lowe in the early 1920s.

The first industrial popsicle machine with strictly in-line production (linear continuous frozen-stick novelties machine) was the VitaLine, launched and marketed in 1958 in the United States by the equipment division of FMC Corporation (Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation).

The system for producing ice cream bars using extrusion and a forced-air freezing tunnel was invented in the 1970s in the United States by Glacier Industries (under the technical leadership of engineer and inventor C. David Letts).

The first automatic, continuous ice cream filling machine (capable of dispensing the product directly into containers such as tubs, cups, and cones) was invented in the United States by inventor Nathaniel Brewer and refined by Anderson Bros. Mfg. Co. in the 1920s.

The first automatic popsicle wrapping machine was created in the United States in the early 1930s by the American company Campbell Wrap (which later became part of FMC Corporation), under the leadership of inventor and engineer Samuel J. Campbell.

Adaptation for Ice Cream (1930s): In the 1930s, dairy engineering companies—such as America's Cherry-Burrell and Sweden's De Laval (which later became Alfa Laval)—adapted and improved plate and tubular heat exchangers with integrated high-pressure homogenizers specifically to process ice cream mix (which is more viscous than milk because of its sugar and fat content).

Founding (USA, 1887): Creamery Package Manufacturing Company was founded in Chicago, Illinois (USA).

Pioneering Role in Ice Cream: CP became one of America's largest manufacturers of heavy dairy equipment in the early 20th century. It was one of the pioneers in developing ice cream freezers (batch and continuous freezers), sanitary piston pumps, and aging tanks in the United States, competing directly with America's Cherry-Burrell.

The country that led and dominates the development of the physical chemistry, mathematical formulation, and scientific foundations of ice cream is Canada, centered on the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph (University of Guelph), in the province of Ontario, alongside an academic ecosystem integrated with the United States (including the universities of Wisconsin-Madison, Cornell, and Penn State).

Although Italy dominates artisanal aesthetics and the engineering of certain machines, it was Anglo-American academia (Canada and the USA) that deconstructed ice cream at the molecular level, transforming its manufacture from an "empirical craft" into an exact science of colloid physical chemistry and phase transitions.

Where Has Anglo-American Science Made Deeper Advances? Physical Chemistry of Colloidal Systems; Thermodynamics and Rheology (Freezing Curve); Fat Destabilization and Partial Coalescence; Ice Crystallization and Recrystallization Kinetics.

Scientifically, popsicle formulation falls into two major physical-chemical families—water-based popsicles (fruit/syrup-based) and milk-based ice cream bars (extruded or molded)—and both have been decoded by North American academia and R&D (Research and Development) centers. The true origin of ice cream and popsicle equipment and technology is therefore entirely American.

Pioneered in the bases of various Finamac machines, such as Turbo8/25, PRO4/16, and others. Our competitors criticize these machines by spreading claims that they are made of wood rather than steel, without understanding the significant advantages this solution provides.

Mechanical construction using laminated wood covered with resin and fabric to create composite hulls has its roots in the United States, and the modern method as we know it today—based on synthetic resins and fiberglass fabrics—was also invented in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s.

This is one of the most established construction methods in marine engineering, historically known as Wood and Fiberglass Sandwich Construction (Wood-Epoxy Sandwich/Composite Construction or modern Cold Molding).

Advantages: Combined Mechanical Performance; Geometry and Rigidity; Fatigue Resistance and Vibration Absorption; Exceptional Weight-to-Stiffness Ratio; Thermal and Acoustic Insulation; Ease of Repair and Construction.

In this system, wood plays an absolutely fundamental structural role. The aim is not merely to "protect" the wood from water, but to create an extremely high-performance composite material.

Pioneered by Finamac. Applications include the top cover of the PRO4/16, the tank covers of the Turbo8/25, the top cover of the PP-110, and other products. Here too, some competitors criticize Finamac for "making plastic machines," without understanding the advantages of this solution.

The vacuum thermoforming process (vacuum forming) was developed and patented in 1933 in the United States by inventor Emanuel Mazzoni, but its mass commercialization accelerated during World War II for the manufacture of aircraft parts and boomed in the 1950s with the widespread adoption of thermoplastics (such as PS, ABS, and PETG).

These parts are inexpensive and easy to replace, especially compared with costly stainless steel parts. A stainless steel part can become dented or scratched and is expensive to replace. This is not the case with vacuum-formed parts, whose low cost and ease of replacement make repairs and even equipment refurbishment possible.

Pioneered by Finamac in several machines, particularly the Turbo8/25, providing a significant production advantage.

The invention of the capillary tube expansion system (and later its multiple-capillary configurations) is attributed to American engineer and inventor Thomas E. Carpenter.

Simplicity and Cost: Capillary tubes have no moving parts, dramatically reducing the manufacturing cost of refrigerators, freezers, and small and medium-sized air conditioners.

Pressure Equalization: When the compressor shuts off, the capillary tube allows the high-side and low-side pressures to equalize gradually, making it easier for the compressor to restart (with lower starting torque).

In Finamac popsicle and ice cream machines: this technology can increase production by up to 15%. It is one of Finamac's secrets.

Pioneered by Finamac in its machines. In the past, the Turbo 8 incorporated this solution in its evaporator (coil), taking up significantly less space than conventional solutions. The new SHAPE soft serve machine will use this technology to heat and cool its flavor tanks.

Several American engineers and inventors filed patents using spheres inside copper tubes, mainly from the mid-20th century onward. American engineers used this approach as a specialized technical solution for specific niches (such as reactors, solar systems, and aerospace), rather than as a single commercial invention for ordinary refrigerators or air conditioners. Finamac was the first to use this technique in ice cream machines.

Heat transfer fluid developed by Finamac for popsicle machines.

The use of aqueous solutions as a secondary heat transfer fluid (commercially known as organic brine) is not attributed to a single inventor, but rather to researchers and chemical companies in the 1980s and 1990s. The technology emerged in Europe (especially in Nordic countries such as Finland) and the United States to replace traditional antifreezes, such as glycols (ethylene glycol and propylene glycol) and inorganic salts (calcium chloride).

Overcoming the Limitations of Ethylene Glycol: Glycols become extremely viscous at low temperatures (below -10 °C), requiring much more powerful pumps and consuming substantial energy.

Calcium Chloride: Used in all large rotary popsicle machines, whose tanks hold up to 2,000 liters, because of its low cost. However, it has a serious drawback: it is extremely corrosive and requires thicker popsicle molds made of expensive, special-grade stainless steel. Calcium chloride even corrodes the centrifugal pump that circulates it, which is why the pump must be replaced regularly.

Thermal Properties and Low Viscosity: FINAFLUID reaches very low eutectic temperatures (as low as -60 °C to -70 °C) while maintaining a viscosity very close to that of water. This enables much faster heat transfer with less pumping effort.

Sustainability: It is a biodegradable, nontoxic, and nonflammable solution, ideal for the food and pharmaceutical industries and ice skating rinks.

The Corrosion Issue: Finafluid does not corrode metals or plastics, with just one exception: zinc-coated metals, where only the zinc is consumed. Special additives also prevent mild corrosion in a few uncommon materials. Finafluid and its manufacturing process are exclusive to Finamac, in partnership with a major American chemical manufacturer. Similar solutions from other companies, including Chinese companies, do not deliver the same performance.

The first natural thickeners used in the ice cream industry were egg yolk and gelatin. In the 1930s, the American Kelco Company (in San Diego, California) patented purified sodium alginate salts and propylene glycol alginate (PGA), making the product a melting stabilizer in ice cream and gelatin desserts. Chemically Modified Starches—United States (1940s and 1950s): Natural corn starch breaks down during freezing and thawing (releasing water, a process called syneresis). American chemists subjected starch granules to chemical cross-linking and esterification reactions to withstand freeze-thaw cycles, leading to their adoption in industrial popsicle and ice cream manufacturing. Xanthan gum (USA) was approved by the FDA for food use in 1969 and commercialized by Kelco, becoming one of the most versatile thickeners and stabilizers in the sauce, ice cream, and gluten-free food industries.

The first artificial sweetener, saccharin, emerged in the United States in 1879. It was followed by cyclamate (1937), aspartame (1965), and Neotame (1990), also in the United States. Other sweeteners originated in Germany and the United Kingdom.

The first ice cream flavorings also emerged in the United States. While the original synthetic vanillin was created in Germany (1874) using eugenol, American and Canadian industrial chemists developed the synthesis of vanillin from lignin (a byproduct of the pulp and paper industry) in the 1930s and 1940s.

Impact on Ice Cream: This innovation dramatically reduced the manufacturing cost of artificial vanilla, making vanilla ice cream the world's cheapest and most widely consumed frozen dessert in the 20th century. Other ice cream flavorings also emerged in the United States, including "cotton candy/caramel," "Concord grape" (purple grape popsicles and ice cream), synthetic diacetyl (used in custard ice cream bases, fondant, rich vanilla, and sweet popcorn or macadamia-flavored ice cream), "velvety peach," and countless others.

The first natural emulsifiers were egg yolk (natural lecithin) and milk casein. The first industrial synthetic emulsifiers (1920s–1930s) were developed in the United States and Europe. Polysorbates (1940s) were created by the American company Atlas Powder Company, providing extremely effective emulsification for ice cream and industrially aerated products.

Finamac developed ready-to-use powdered ingredients in partnership with a Brazilian manufacturer in the sector for gelatin-based ice cream produced in the FLASH machine, and milk-based ice cream for use in both the Flash and soft serve machines. The idea is to supply these ingredients to customers who purchase our equipment, ensuring better performance and profitability for their businesses. Sales will be made exclusively through our online store. We do not intend to compete with traditional ingredient manufacturers, except in the Flash/Soft segment, where they have little or no presence.