How ZOZEN Becomes a Top Firetube Boiler Manufacturer for Food Processing Plant?

For modern food processing plants, selecting the right boiler partner can determine whether production runs smoothly or constantly suffers from interruptions. Behind every sterilization line, blancher, dryer or CIP system is a need for clean, reliable and energy-efficient steam. In this context, ZOZEN has grown into a Top Firetube Boiler Manufacturer for food processing plants, combining mature firetube boiler technology with deep food industry experience and a broad range of thermal energy solutions.

The Role of Firetube Boilers in Food Processing

Food factories operate under strict hygiene regulations, frequent product changeovers and increasingly demanding energy and environmental standards. Their boilers must supply stable steam for cooking, sterilizing, drying and cleaning operations while responding quickly to changes in production load. At the same time, the equipment should have a compact layout to fit into constrained boiler rooms and be simple and safe for operators to manage in round-the-clock shifts.

Firetube boilers match these needs well. In a typical firetube design, hot flue gas travels through tubes that are surrounded by water inside the shell. Heat is transferred through the tube walls to generate steam efficiently. Because of their relatively simple structure, firetube boilers are especially suitable for low- to medium-pressure steam applications, and they are known for convenient operation and maintenance. For many food plants that focus on stable process steam rather than very high-pressure power generation, a properly engineered firetube boiler is often the most practical solution.

ZOZEN: From Modern Manufacturing Base to Leading Boiler Supplier

ZOZEN is headquartered in Wuxi, China. The company operates a modern manufacturing base of about 150,000 square meters equipped with advanced production and testing equipment. It has passed the ISO9001:2015 international quality system certification and has earned the “S” and “U” steel stamps from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). These credentials underline its capability in designing and producing high-quality pressure equipment.

The company’s main product portfolio covers several categories: steam boilers, hot water boilers, thermal oil heaters and circulating fluidized bed boilers. The technologies span gas-fired, oil-fired, biomass-fired and coal-fired solutions. With products exported to many countries and regions, ZOZEN is recognized not only as a Leading Steam Boiler Company but also as a Global Leading Thermal Oil Heater Manufacturer, able to support customers across a wide variety of process industries.

Firetube Boiler Technology Tailored to Food Plants

Within its steam boiler portfolio, the WNS series gas-fired (or oil-fired) boiler is ZOZEN’s flagship firetube product. This series adopts a horizontal internal-combustion structure with wetback design and optimized furnace geometry. Corrugated furnaces and high-efficiency threaded smoke tubes are used to enhance heat transfer and improve thermal efficiency.

The WNS firetube series is designed for high efficiency, with the ability to reach very high thermal efficiency levels when configured with economizers and condensers. This helps food manufacturers lower their fuel consumption and operating costs. Low-NOx burners and optimized combustion chambers contribute to cleaner flue gas, helping plants meet stringent emission standards. Intelligent control systems provide automatic ignition, real-time monitoring of water level, pressure and temperature, and multiple protection interlocks, so the boiler can operate safely with minimal manual intervention. The compact, horizontal layout and integrated design make installation easier in boiler rooms where floor space is limited.

Beyond standard packaged units, ZOZEN also offers the WNS series gas-fired (oil-fired) skid-mounted steam boiler, which extends firetube technology into a highly integrated, plug-and-play solution. All core components—including the boiler body, burner, pumps, valves and electrical control cabinet—are installed on a single skid frame, resulting in a compact structure and rational layout that significantly reduces on-site footprint. Users only need to connect water, electricity and fuel, and commissioning can typically be completed within a short time window, enabling rapid deployment for new production lines or plant expansions. The skid-mounted design also provides good mobility and flexibility, making it easier to relocate or reconfigure boiler capacity as food plants adjust their production plans.

For food processing plants, these technical features translate directly into production benefits. The boiler can deliver stable steam pressure and temperature, which is essential to keep pasteurization, sterilization and drying processes consistent from batch to batch. Quick response to load changes helps maintain product quality during production peaks or recipe changes. At the same time, high efficiency and low emissions support the sustainability goals that many food brands now consider central to their competitiveness.

Deep Experience in the Food Processing Industry

ZOZEN does not only provide standard boiler models; it also offers engineered solutions for the specific requirements of food producers. Over the years, the company has supplied systems to a large number of food factories around the world. In these projects, ZOZEN designs boiler rooms and thermal energy centers that match heat demand for various sections of the plant, taking into account production steam, hot water for sanitation and, where needed, high-temperature heat for special processes.

ZOZEN’s track record includes cooperation with many well-known food and beverage companies. For example, MCS Coca-Cola in Mongolia introduced three sets of 8 tph WNS series gas-fired steam boilers from ZOZEN. After installation, the three-pass firetube design with full corrugated furnaces and optimized burners significantly improved thermal efficiency and effectively reduced fuel consumption in the bottling plant.

Uni-President China Holdings Ltd. selected a 10-ton WNS gas-fired steam boiler from ZOZEN for its food production base. Customer feedback confirmed that the new boiler system brought a remarkable improvement in thermal efficiency and a noticeable reduction in energy and operation costs, leading other Uni-President production bases to adopt ZOZEN equipment as well.

In the beverage sector, a bottled water subsidiary of Yili Group purchased several 6 tph and 4 tph WNS series gas-fired steam boilers from ZOZEN. Since delivery, the units have operated stably for years, earning high praise from the customer for their performance, reliability and contribution to safe, efficient production of bottled water and beverages.

Project cases published by the company show that ZOZEN boilers are in operation in beverage factories, snack manufacturers, ingredient producers in different regions. These references reflect not only the technical suitability of the boilers but also the company’s ability to understand local standards, fuel availability and customer constraints.

Complementary Water-Tube Boiler Solutions 

Beyond firetube boilers, ZOZEN also manufactures water-tube boilers to form a comprehensive product portfolio. Water-tube and firetube boilers each offer distinct advantages suited to different operational requirements.

ZOZEN's water-tube boiler portfolio spans multiple fuel types and capacity ranges to serve diverse industrial requirements:

Gas/Oil-Fired Water-Tube Boilers: The SZS series features D-type double-drum structure with membrane water-wall construction (capacity: 2–110 t/h, pressure: up to 5.3 MPa). For combined heat and power applications, the ZZ series delivers superheated steam suitable for turbine-driven electricity generation (capacity: 20–130 t/h, pressure: up to 5.4 MPa).

Biomass-Fired Water-Tube Boilers: The SZL, DZL (third-generation), and DZW series provide chain grate or reciprocating grate combustion systems designed for biomass pellets, rice husks, wood chips, and agricultural residues.

Coal-Fired Water-Tube Boilers: The SZL series coal-fired water-tube boilers accommodate bituminous coal, lean coal, and anthracite through horizontal double-drum configurations suitable for regions where coal remains economically viable.

These boiler types serve wide-ranging industries including food processing, chemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, building materials, district heating, and manufacturing. The specific choice between firetube or water-tube structure—and the appropriate fuel type and capacity—depends on each project's actual working conditions.

ZOZEN's engineering team evaluates project-specific factors including steam capacity requirements, pressure parameters, load profiles, site constraints, fuel availability, operating costs, and emission regulations. This scenario-based selection approach ensures equipment recommendations match actual operational requirements, providing food processors and other industrial users with optimized thermal energy solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Quality Manufacturing and Lifecycle Service

Another reason ZOZEN is recognized as a Top Firetube Boiler Manufacturer is its focus on manufacturing quality and lifecycle support. The company has multiple automated production lines for coil pipes, convection tubes, threaded tubes, membrane walls and headers. These facilities help ensure dimension accuracy and welding quality, which are crucial to boiler safety and longevity. Each boiler undergoes strict inspections and tests, including non-destructive testing of welds and hydrostatic pressure tests, before leaving the factory.

ZOZEN also emphasizes service throughout the equipment life cycle. Services typically include pre-sale consultation and solution design, installation and commissioning guidance, operator training and after-sales support. The company provides online technical assistance and offers maintenance guidance to help customers reduce downtime. For food processors who often operate continuous production lines and cannot afford unexpected shutdowns, this combination of robust product quality and responsive service is particularly important.

Why Food Processing Plants Choose ZOZEN

When all these elements are considered together, it becomes clear why so many food processing plants choose ZOZEN as their boiler partner. The company offers mature and efficient WNS firetube boilers that are well suited to the steam requirements of food production. It combines these products with experience from numerous food industry projects, allowing its engineers to understand process details and provide practical, application-oriented advice. Its broader portfolio of steam boilers, hot water boilers and thermal oil heaters means that ZOZEN can design complete thermal energy centers rather than isolated pieces of equipment. Modern manufacturing capabilities, international certifications and strict quality control build confidence in long-term reliability. Comprehensive service support further reduces risk for operators.

As the food industry continues to pursue higher safety standards, stricter environmental compliance and better energy efficiency, the demand for reliable and efficient boiler systems will only increase. ZOZEN, with its strong firetube boiler technology, extensive application experience and integrated thermal energy solutions, is well positioned to remain a Top Firetube Boiler Manufacturer and a trusted Leading Steam Boiler Company for food processing plants worldwide. For more details on its products, projects and solutions, readers can visit the official website: https://en.zozen.com/.