Temperature mapping is the process of using data sensors to create a comprehensive picture (or map) of the environmental conditions of a space. This process, also known as thermal mapping when you additionally map temperature and humidity, is an important part of many businesses.

For companies that deal with very sensitive products, temperature mapping is of critical importance. Industries with products that can be very sensitive to temperature and other environmental conditions include the pharma, food and beverage, healthcare, aerospace, medical device, and precision manufacturing industries, to name a few.

When handling, storing, transporting, or creating temperature-sensitive products in these industries, a change in a few degrees can be devastating. It can mean the difference between a safe and effective product and one that puts people in harm’s way. This is the main reason that temperature mapping for sensitive products is so vital. Here are a few more things you should know about temperature mapping and sensitive products.

Mapping protects assets

Any product is an asset to your company and some assets have to be protected more than others. Products sensitive to temperature and other environmental conditions are among these types of assets, and temperature mapping can help a great deal with this.

Temperature mapping ensures you have a comprehensive knowledge of the temperature in a space. It first helps ensure that the space is suitable for your sensitive products. Is the heating or cooling system up to par? Are the walls insulated enough? Are there external factors that affect the temperature in a certain area? These are all questions that temperature mapping can help you answer about your space.

Once you know the space will work, you can use the space for your sensitive products, confident that the products will not go bad, spoil, become weakened or defective, or fall out of compliance. If those conditions should befall your product assets, they may have to be destroyed or at least reworked.  Large fines  from regulatory agencies may be incurred as well. Protecting assets from these situations is something every business that deals with sensitive products must do.

Mapping may be required by regulators

While keeping consumers safe and protecting your company’s assets are good enough reasons to engage in temperature mapping, some industries have additional incentive to map temperatures.  Some industries are heavily regulated by the government in order to protect consumers and, in these industries, temperature mapping may not just be good practice, it may be mandatory. As Dickson mentions in this guide, regulated industries sometimes face specific temperature mapping requirements.

If the required environmental factors aren’t met by companies, government agencies, specifically the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in many of these industries, can issue citations and fines. These can range from simple warnings to major fines and even shutdowns if the conditions aren’t corrected. This isn’t something that any company wants and, luckily, temperature mapping can relatively easily help companies prepare for regulatory scrutiny

Mapping can prepare you for any situation

Temperature or thermal mapping gives you an idea if an area will work for your needs under normal conditions, and that’s a great benefit to this process. An even greater benefit though might be temperature mapping’s ability to get you prepared for any situation or eventuality. This helps protect your assets and keeps you on the right side of regulators, no matter what happens.

Using temperature mapping, companies can find out what happens in a space when changes happen. For example, during a normal workday, what happens when a door is opened or left open? What happens when the space is filled to capacity? What happens when it is nearly empty? These are day-to-day questions that can help companies with sensitive products run much more efficiently.

In addition to normal changes, companies can also gauge what happens during larger unexpected changes. What happens if the power goes out? What if the HVAC system fails? How do extreme conditions outside the space affect the conditions inside the space? Answering these questions will help companies prepare for situations that may arise and allow them to meet the challenges when they are presented.

Mapping sets up monitoring needs

A key distinction to make about temperature mapping is that temperature monitoring and mapping are two very different things. Mapping uses more monitors and is done over a set period of time in order to create a comprehensive map. Monitoring uses fewer monitors but is done in perpetuity to protect assets and stay compliant.

Successful temperature mapping is a key first step in the environmental monitoring process. In the industries we’ve discussed that deal with sensitive products, monitoring is a fact of doing business. In order to engage in temperature monitoring in the most effective and efficient way possible, temperature mapping should happen first in most cases.  

Temperature mapping will tell you many things that relate to your ongoing monitoring plan. It will tell you everything from how many data loggers you need to monitor the space effectively to where they should be placed. It will also help you put a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that temperature monitoring can be successful for the business.

Conclusion

Temperature mapping is something that should be standard practice for industries that deal with sensitive products. Sensitive products have different requirements than other products both for the product itself and because they are usually highly regulated. To make sure these sensitive products stay safe and effective, temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors are often key.

Temperature mapping helps protect a company’s sensitive assets, helps them stay compliant with the federal government, prepares them for any situation that may come up, and sets companies up for long-term success with regular temperature monitoring. That’s what you need to know about temperature mapping and why it’s so important when dealing with sensitive products.