Lakewood, Colorado, August 1, 2017 – When planning a temperature mapping you should always start by reviewing the layout of the area that is going to be mapped. The purpose of performing the temperature mappings is to verify that the conditions that your critical products are being stored at are the correct conditions and if all the areas aren’t sufficiently mapped, the products could be damaged.
The critical things to look out for when designing the mapping layout are:
- Areas that are near windows, doors, ceiling fans, heaters, and air conditioning units. Machines could lead to temperature fluctuations due to poor air circulation. Racking or shelving could also lead to the same issue.
- The data loggers need to be placed in a 3D pattern. The temperature differences between the different heights of the area could be significantly different, and require that different products be stored in each area.
- Racking that is greater than 16 ft. high should be monitored at top, middle and bottom, while racking that is <16 ft. high should be monitored at the top and bottom. The logger columns should be placed 15 to 20 ft. apart to sufficiently monitor the areas.
- Both the logger and the placement diagram should be given a unique identifier to help streamline the documentation of logger information (serial number, model number, etc.) in the temperature mapping protocol.
By taking these items into consideration, your temperature mapping will capture all the critical data that will provide you with the conditions in your storage areas and allow you to make adjustments to the storage locations or HVAC system if needed.
If you require assistance in designing your temperature mapping layout, contact our Validation experts!