Temperature Mapping: Summary

What is Temperature Mapping?

For businesses working with temperature sensitive products, such as foods and
pharmaceuticals, temperature mapping is vital for verifying the efficacy of temperature
controlled storage systems, such as cool rooms, fridges and warehouses.

Temperature mapping is the process of mapping the differences and changes in temperature
which occur within a single temperature controlled system due to influences like opening
doors, proximity to cooling fans, personnel movement, and the quantity of products being
stored at any given time. Temperature mapping locates the points of greatest temperature
fluctuation and difference then analyses the causes of these. Temperature mappers create
worst case conditions to verify that a system maintains the correct temperature levels in all
situations when influenced by external factors such as weather, and internal factors such as
airflow restrictions and the operation of the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
(HVAC) systems. The effects of temperature difference are then calculated to make sure the
system consistently meets the applicable industry standards.

Why is Temperature Mapping Important?

The temperature of different spaces within cooling rooms, industrial fridges and other
controlled temperature environments can vary by up to 10C. Typically, the central space
within a chamber will maintain the most constant temperature, while the corners and areas
surrounding the fans and access points will fluctuate. There is also external seasonal weather
influence to take into account, especially in warehouses.

Temperature mapping is important for businesses and organisations dealing with temperature
sensitive products, like biochemical products such as medications and vaccines, and all kinds
of fresh and treated foods, especially fruit and vegetables, frozen foods, dairy and meat
products. Verifying that the refrigeration systems maintain an acceptable temperature level
for each specific product at all times is what temperature mapping is all about, and this is
supported using ongoing monitoring systems.

Once the mapping has ascertained where the points of temperature variation lie within a
temperature control system, then monitoring can be installed so that owners and users can
prove their adherence to the related health and safety standards. It is also important that any
backup systems be rigorously checked, according to the same principle of testing in extreme
cases, to be sure that the chambers will work in less than ideal circumstances.

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The Temperature Mapping Processes:

When undertaking temperature mapping, it is important to know that different equipment will
give varying results. Check that the equipment being used has sufficient accuracy ratings to
give reliable data. For example, better equipment will provide readings that are accurate
within plus or minus 0.3C, whereas budget equipment may only have accuracy ratings of
within 2.0C. For products that must be stored within a limited temperature range, this budget
equipment cannot provide sufficiently specific temperature data.

For warehouses, having information about the buildings external conditions is vital to
effective temperature mapping and monitoring, as warehouses typically have more directly
external faces and walls than cool rooms and fridges, which mostly operate within an internal
environment. It is common for warehouses to be mapped over a full year to make sure that all
external conditions are accounted for in the data. This will also help determine where to place
the permanent monitoring systems, as some parts of the chamber may be more influenced
during specific seasons.

For temperature controlled rooms such as cold rooms and fridges, it can be sufficient to map
the system once, based on the fact that the external environment is a controlled one.
However, it is advisable to make sure that the HVAC systems of these buildings or
environments are not heavily influenced by other external forces which could change their
temperatures significantly. The mapping of a cool room in a warehouse should take into
account the fluctuation in the warehouse temperatures and conduct the tests during its most
extreme levels.

Load testing is another important part of the temperature mapping process. Load testing
investigates how expected product levels interact with individual temperature controlled
chambers. Things to take into account are whether the product will arrive in the required
condition or if cooling is necessary, as this can dramatically alter the temperature in the
chamber. Testing should verify whether the chamber can cope with the maximum specified
load arriving all at once to then be cooled. If it can operate properly in this situation, as well
as operating effectively at full capacity, the chamber can be considered sufficiently load
tested.

It is also advisable to test the systems performance by simulating failures, to ascertain

whether the system could be used even while experiencing some equipment failures.

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Temperature Monitoring:

Once the mapping process has been completed, sensors should be installed to allow for
continued surveillance of the areas that have been identified as being most influenced by
temperature change. The stable areas should also be monitored to help with trouble-shooting
if any parts of the system stop operating properly. Having on-hand data about whats really
going on inside temperature controlled spaces is vital to businesses for protecting their
product investments.

Monitoring systems should be planned and documented according to the scientific rationales
shown by the temperature mapping procedure. This development strategy should then be
reviewed and approved by the system owners as well as by an independent quality unit before
being installed. Sensors should be placed around the products, around major potential
temperature influences such as doors and cooling fans, and at different heights, especially in
larger chambers.

Different countries have different temperature control standards, so when planning the layout
of the monitoring system it is helpful to refer to the relevant guidelines. These will
recommend the minimum number of sensors to install according to the volume of the
chamber being measured.

Sensor equipment can be effectively split into zones according to areas in the temperature
controlled space which are affected by similar influences. For example, in a square or
rectangular chamber, the zones in corners away from doors will behave much the same as
each other, as will the zones adjacent to doors or fans. If the monitoring devices are zoned,
the operational data can be compared to provide averages and overall information on how the
system typically functions.

One recommendation for sensor placement is to install each sensor in individual containers of
thermal fluid. This mimics the protection given to products by their packaging, and slows the
sensors response to brief temperature interruptions, like personnel movement and product
removal or loading. This makes the sensor more accurate in terms of how small temperature
shifts actually affect the products. Again though, it is important to test to make sure that the
mitigating effects of the thermal fluid match the effects of the products packaging materials.

In summary, temperature mapping provides information on warmer and colder areas within
temperature controlled environments, and supplies details on the overall operation of these
systems. After temperature mapping a system, monitoring equipment can be installed to
provide real-time feedback on system operations and its stability for product protection.

Please contact: coolpac@coolpac.com or phone 1300 266 555 if you require any further
information.

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