Mitigating stability risks through container validation for blood transportation
Temperatures looking lost? Chilly and Billy can map out your space!
We haven’t heard from Billy in a while, turns out, he’s lost in a warehouse! He discovered a cold spot whilst out exploring, and the icy cold temperatures reminded him of his Antarctic home, he’s wandered off and accidentally lost track of Chilly.
Let’s discover how through the use of temp mapping, we can reunite Chilly and Billy.
The main aim of a temperature mapping report is to identify any variation in a controlled temperature storage area, including hot and cold spots. This is conducted through the measurement of temperature and/ or humidity distribution.
Billy has already given us one clue, he’s found a cold spot, and by completing a temperature mapping report Chilly should be able to find his friend.
Along our journey to find Billy, we’ll also discover why temp mapping is so valuable to various sectors.
The importance of temp mapping
It is essential for a number of industries to implement temperature mapping, this includes the likes of the pharmaceutical and medical industries. It is critical in such sectors to maintain a pre-set temperature standard at all times, in order to preserve product quality and safety of their products throughout the supply chain. Temp mapping is also required to help organisations comply with regulatory guidelines and industry relevant quality standards.
Temperature mapping helps to ensure temperatures remain consistent throughout environments such as freezer rooms, cold rooms, temperature-controlled storage areas, and warehouses, by identifying any variations that can compromise product integrity, such as drafts, windows, heaters, etc.
Turns out Billy is a secret aviation aficionado, and has managed to get lost whilst looking around a warehouse that stores raw materials for the aerospace industry. It’s a blessing in disguise that Billy has managed to find a cold spot in the warehouse, because it gives the team a chance to install temperature monitoring devices to ensure a controlled consistent temperature in the future. They can’t be relying on Chilly and Billy to be finding the cold spots every time!
Let’s just hope that whilst Billy is lost, he doesn’t meddle with anything else as the materials and products used within the aerospace industry are high value, and a product failure could be hugely costly.
What does a temperature mapping report include?
In order for a temperature map to be performed effectively, temperature and humidity monitoring devices need to be located throughout the space, in this case, a warehouse.
These data loggers can provide an extensive range of information, that is culminated in a temperature mapping report, which Chilly is now using to find Billy. In order to give Chilly a better understanding of their temperature mapping report, let’s dig a little deeper into what’s included.
Usually a temperature mapping report will consist of a report summary, dispersion chart, data overview, excursions, cold spots, hot spots, stability spots, calibration certificates, as well as a summary:
Excursions:
Excursions include any recorded temperatures during the study period that either went under or over the set temperature limits. These excursions might require further investigation to fully evaluate the overall impact on the storage area.
Hot spots:
As the name suggests, the hottest locations in the storage unit.
Stability spots:
Stability spots are areas within your storage unit that have been identified as the highest stability (lowest spread), and the lowest stability (highest spread) of temperatures.
Logger analysis:
The average temperature of each logger for the entirety of the study, tracked every minute, so you’re left with a complete overview of storage conditions.
All of this information is provided by the devices, located around the space, such as the SenseAnywhere AiroSensor, and generated with just a few clicks, luckily for Chilly and Billy.
The number of devices required will depend entirely on the model you use, and the size of your space. To find out what exactly is disclosed in an AiroSensor temp mapping report, check out our previous blog.
When to perform temp mapping
There are a number of reasons why temp mapping is required, this could include anything from the installation of new equipment, to the relocation of old equipment, change in seasons, servicing, and more.
New Equipment:
For many industries it’s a prerequisite that you have to map any new equipment upon installation.
Relocated Equipment:
The movement of units, such as fridges and freezers can often significantly impact the temperature, so temperature mapping is done to ensure temperature control.
Seasonal Conditions:
Seasonal changes can affect larger storage locations, such as warehouses. So testing is required numerous times throughout the year to ensure optimal performance.
Turns out that the cold spot Billy has found is right next to a window, which is causing a draft in the warehouse. The cool breeze is reminiscent of the icy cold chill from the Antarctic. This area was flagged on the temperature mapping report as the coldest spot within the storage unit. Other causes of cold spots can include factors such as metal pipes causing condensation, vents causing air blows or the frequent opening and closing of a door.
Thankfully, with the help of our team at Withnell Sensors, Chilly has installed SenseAnywhere AiroSensors. This continuous monitoring data logger that can ensure that the cold spot is paid special attention to in future monitoring activities... and it took less than 10 minutes! Thanks to the highlighted cold spots in the temperature mapping report, Chilly knew the exact location to put the probes, loggers, sensors.
Check out what Chilly could use to produce the report by exploring our range of temperature mapping equipment.
Challenges and solutions of temp mapping
As chilly has found, temperature mapping reports do not come without their challenges, with factors such as temperature fluctuations and equipment performance risking the integrity of the measurement data:
Temperature Fluctuations:
It can be something as minor as the frequent opening and closing of a door that can impact the temperature throughout the space.
Equipment Performance:
It is crucial to ensure that you use good quality, reliable data loggers for your temp mapping. Using a calibrated data logger will help to deliver confidence in the equipment you have used for your mapping.
Seasonal Factors:
Seasonal factors are much more prevalent in storage units like warehouses, rather than fridge freezer units. The temperatures inside a warehouse for example, will fluctuate more than outdoor temperature variators. It may require the altering of heating, ventilation, HVAC systems or air conditioning to maintain the integrity of the controlled temperature environment.
Data analysis:
It’s vital that a temperature mapping report is easy to understand so that any rectifying actions can be taken promptly. Luckily, if like Chilly, you choose Withnell to support your temp mapping projects, then you’ll have access to our expert advice and support.
Space Constraints:
In some cases, it may be difficult to place temperature monitoring equipment in prime locations for temp mapping.
Regulatory Compliance:
Different industries have specific regulatory requirements for temperature mapping, and ensuring compliance with these regulations adds complexity to the process. Failure to meet regulatory standards can result in product recalls, fines, or other serious consequences.
Chilly and Billy's strategies for overcoming temp mapping challenges
Challenges such as space constraints, calibration and regulatory compliance can all be combatted through using Withnell Sensors Temperature Mapping Services. Not only do Withenell Sensors provide an array of temp mapping equipment, but also the services.
Choosing Withnell for your temperature mapping needs
Installing a full warehouse of temperature mapping equipment, can often come at an expense, for those customers who aren’t looking to invest in a full installation, can opt to rent temperature validation equipment from Withnell Sensors. Rental equipment can also come in use, when additional equipment is required, for example, if your storage volume increase suddenly, e.g. at the point of commission of a new research project
If you’d prefer to have expertise/specialist engineers perform a temp mapping report on your behalf, to ensure that your cold and hot spots and pinpointed exactly and an effective strategy to monitor these areas in the future to ensure no degradations to products then get in touch with our engineers.
Both our rental equipment and the equipment we house to perform external temp mapping services are calibrated in our ISO accredited laboratory to bring our customers UKAS accredited products and services.
When choosing temperature mapping equipment from Withnell, you can rest assured that it is of the highest standard. This pertains to both the rental equipment, and the data loggers and thermocouples that we sell.
Want to get the snow-ball rolling? Then get in touch with Withnell Sensors today to see how we can support with your next temp mapping project.
