Although the Zamboni is the original ice resurfacer machine, all ice resurfacers work in pretty much the same way. Most of the action in a Zamboni takes place at the very back in a machine called the conditioner. First, a scraper blade shaves off the top layer of ice. An auger scoops up those ice shavings and dumps them into the dump tank. This process scrapes away the very rough top layer of the ice and also gets rid of some of the dirt that can get into a rink.
Behind the blade is the washer, which cleans the ice. It sprays water on the rink, digging dirt out of the grooves in the ice. A vacuum picks up the water again. A rubber flap at the back and two runners to the sides stop the water from spilling out before it can be vacuumed back up. The dirt is filtered out of the water, so it can be used to wash the ice again.
Behind the washer is a flat towel, spread on the ice. This towel is coated with hot water. This water melts and evens out any bumps left in the ice and then refreezes, leaving a smooth layer of ice behind. Because all of the work takes place in one small assembly, an ice resurfacer is quite dramatic to watch. It drives over rough, scraped up ice and leaves a smooth, flawless surface behind.
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