Case Study
In early 2025, one of Canada’s largest seafood distributors needed assistance with expanding its production capabilities.
This Ontario-based company, which has grown from a small local wholesaler to a major distributor of fresh and frozen fish and seafood products across Canada, needed a reliable compressed air solution for its new automated production line.
This seafood distributor faced several key challenges.
The seafood processing facility was operating with an outdated reciprocating piston-driven compressor for its existing production lines. This equipment was loud, unreliable, and required frequent maintenance. While adequate for sporadic air usage, it would not meet the demands of continuous operation for the new production line.
The customer was installing automated equipment designed to debride and debone whole fish in a single pass, performing cleaning and preparation steps that had previously been done manually. Before this upgrade, the facility processed fish that were already roughly cut and partially prepared. This new production line required constant, reliable compressed air to ensure optimal performance of the automated system.
The installation needed to accommodate a cold room environment, which presented unique challenges for equipment selection and installation. The compressed air system needed to operate reliably in low-temperature conditions while preventing moisture from freezing in the lines.
The customer’s new production line was scheduled to arrive in just seven weeks, and to ensure a seamless production launch, the compressed air system needed to be operational before the equipment installation.
After a competitive bid process, the customer ultimately selected Canex Technologies for several compelling reasons.
The customer had recently visited a fish processing facility in California, where they observed a Kaishan compressor system in operation and were impressed with its performance and reliability. Upon returning to Ontario, they reached out to Canex Technologies as the trusted Kaishan distributor to explore options for their facility expansion.
Unlike competitors who often experience extended lead times, Canex Technologies had the required equipment in stock and could deliver immediately to meet the customer’s tight timeline.
Rather than just supplying equipment, Canex Technologies offered a complete turnkey solution including design, supply, installation, and ongoing service support.
The customer was happy to discover they could obtain a far superior direct-drive compressor system for a price close to or just slightly higher than replacing their existing piston compressor. This exceptional value proposition made the decision to upgrade straightforward.
Canex Technologies designed and delivered a comprehensive compressed air system that directly addressed each of the customer’s challenges.
To replace the loud, unreliable piston compressor, Canex Technologies supplied a 30-horsepower Kaishan direct-drive rotary screw compressor. This quiet, reliable system operates at significantly lower RPMs than piston compressors and comes with an exceptional 10-year warranty on the air end compared to the typical 1-2 years on piston units.
The complete system included a wet storage receiver tank and integrated controls to ensure consistent air pressure and flow for the automated fish processing equipment. The direct-drive compressor provides the reliable, constant compressed air required for continuous operation.
To address the challenging cold room environment, Canex Technologies specified a Mikropor refrigerated dryer with special modifications to prevent moisture from freezing in the lines. The team implemented specific measures to ensure reliable year-round operation despite the low-temperature conditions.
With equipment readily available in stock, Canex Technologies delivered the complete system immediately to meet the customer’s tight seven-week timeline. The Canex team completed the entire project in under one week, with equipment commissioning accomplished in just one day.
In April 2025, the final installation delivered a complete compressed air system, featuring a 30-horsepower Kaishan direct-drive rotary screw compressor, wet storage receiver tank, Mikropor refrigerated dryer, and integrated piping and controls.
This reliable and quiet system now supports the seafood distributor’s new automated fish processing line. Requiring only minor periodic adjustments, it operates seamlessly in the cold room environment, enabling continuous production without disruption.
