Temperature monitoring systems
Monitoring temperature is a critical element in many different
segments of industry and business today. There are several means
of measuring temperature, each of which has its own pluses and
minuses. In the past you had to use a manual method, where an
employee used a thermometer to determine temperature and a piece
of paper and a pencil to record. This was time consuming,
expensive and of questionable accuracy.
When chart recorders were invented it was used for monitoring
temperature twenty-four hours a day. However it still required
an employee to change the chart every day or week and because it
was mechanical it often broke down requiring even more
maintenance.
The Data logger appeared in the late 80s. They were not
mechanical, which eliminated the ongoing maintenance and made
monitoring temperature easier and less expensive. They recorded
temperature in RAM memory and could do their work unattended.
They were also rugged so they would be put in places that were
inhospitable to humans.
Many businesses began using the data logger for monitoring
temperature. This worked fairly well as long as the temperature
they were monitoring didn't change frequently or require a
response to certain events. The big drawback to the data logger
is that the temperature can't be seen until it is downloaded
into a computer. The data logger hasn't, until recently, come
with a display.
There is now a new type of data logger available which does have
a display. This class of instrument, called data viewers
collects and stores temperature history, just like a data
logger, but it also displays the temperature on an LCD display.
This improves the utility of the device immensely. The most
useful and low-cost data viewer is the ThermaViewer,
manufactured by Two Dimensional Instruments, LLC.
This very useful instrument can be installed in minutes and
easily used by every employee. It doesn't require an IT
professional to set up or interpret. Once in place, it draws a
chart on the large LCD display that is very easy to read. It is
being used in laboratories and hospitals for measuring
temperature of refrigerators and freezers where drugs and
vaccines are stored. It is definitely easy enough for nurses,
orderlies, and maintenance personnel to use.