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Reliable Facility Monitoring with Networked Temperature & Humidity Data Loggers

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How Important is Your Temperature & Humidity Data?

As important as your critical product and processes.

Veriteq's fail-safe and easy-to-install data loggers for temperature monitoring and humidity monitoring and validation never lose data and never let you down. Why? Because each data logger is powered by a 10-year battery and has on-board memory that records independantly of your network or power.

In Life Science facilities, Metrology/Calibration labs and Electronics manufacturing environments, temperature and humidity data loggers are often used for monitoring and alarming to safeguard products and processes. Additionally, reliable documentation is required for quality reviews and audits, as well as meeting regulatory and accreditation requirements.

Although most buildings are equipped with centralized systems for heating and air conditioning, most of these systems can't fulfill accurate, industry-specific monitoring, recording, and reporting requirements. Depending on the needs of the facility, the choices typically then come down to one or more of three basic methods: Manual "pen and paper" systems, Chart Recorders, or a secondary centralized hard-wired system.

Each of these methods offers various advantages and disadvantages particular to each industry. Consequently, facility managers often have to make difficult compromises to get the temperature monitoring system that fits both their needs and their budget.

However, systems that are based on a network or mechanical devices like chart recorders come with the inherent risks of lost and inaccurate data. Veriteq's monitoring system combines all the advantages of other methods with none of the downsides.

Traditional Monitoring & Recording V. Networked Data Loggers

Manual Data Collection: More common than you'd think

Surprisingly, manual humidity / temperature monitoring and data collection methods are still in wide use today. Such methods typically involve one or more operators recording initialed readings on a regular basis from a fixed read-out device (such as a digital thermometer or hygrometer). These readings are usually entered on a prominently displayed chart next to the area of interest, such as a refrigerator, freezer, or chamber.

Recording temperature and humidity readings in this manner has some obvious advantages: there is minimal equipment to purchase, there is next to nothing to maintain.

However, manual systems can be very expensive to operate and are often unreliable. Most problematic however, is the time lost to manually gathering temperature and RH data.

One hospital estimated labor costs of 3,000 hours per year of valuable nursing time was taken up performing routine checks on monitored environments. The same hospital frequently had to deal with missing data that impacted their need to meet regulatory requirments. Critical products were at risk by this unreliable, error prone system of monitoring temperature and humidity.

In this instance, the risk to product increased during off-hours, when limited resources resulted in missed temperature checks. In such cases, problems can undetected for days, resulting in serious damage. For the above reasons, many Life Science facility managers can easily justify the costs of a move from manual methods to an automated system.

Chart Recorders: Old technology at New Market prices

viewLinc is Veriteq's networked data logging (Net/DL) system. The viewLinc software connects to Veriteq data loggers that record autonomously and can be connected to an existing computer network for display and alarm.

Each data logger is a completely independent data collection device with integrated temperature or temperature and humidity sensors, memory, clock, and 10-year battery. The loggers interface to an existing network either through a computer on the network or through a device server.

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Networked data logging systems like Veriteq's differ from conventional centralized monitoring systems in that they employ a highly distributed architecture. While each module is independent and capable of collecting data on its own - without reliance on a network or power connection - it's data is also highly accessible - on a historical and real-time basis - to permit central monitoring and alarming. This architecture makes data logger based monitoring systems exceptionally easy to install, scalable, accessible, reliable, and cost-effective. The following summary discusses these points further:

Networked, Battery Powered Data Loggers: Easy, Scalable, Smart

A key advantage of Veriteq's viewLinc system is how easily, quickly, and inexpensively the data loggers can be deployed and later expanded as required by the needs of your monitored environment. Users can start small and grow a system gradually, avoiding the delay of approving large capital expenditures. And with Veriteq's OPC servers, our data loggers can even connect to other Windows-based monitoring systems.

Veriteq's data logger based system is easily scalable according to user requirements, from a single data logger and workstation location to a system of an unlimited number of data loggers and multiple monitoring stations. In addition, Net/DL systems are flexible: modules can be easily relocated without difficulty, allowing measurements to be taken precisely at the area of interest, rather than on a distant lab wall.

Centralized vs. Distributed Monitoring & Alarming

Centralized monitoring saves operational costs and guarantees better system operation, as monitoring can be more easily carried out by a smaller number of dedicated personnel. Net/DL systems have the same advantages as hard-wired centralized monitoring systems: remote monitoring, alarm notification, automatic data collection and archiving.

However, because our system uses your existing LAN, information can be easily disseminated at each workstation rather than only at a central location. In addition, viewLinc can be easily interfaced with the network's e-mail system to deliver alarm messages and status information remotely.

Redundant Data Storage: Never lose data again

Each Veriteq data logger records redundantly, collecting and storing data in the on-board memory. This is crucial in applications where missing data can have expensive consequences. With viewLinc, not only is data collected locally and independently within each data logger, the data is regularly backed up across the network to one or more remote locations. Even if your whole network is down or if there is a power outage, you'll never lose data.

Efficient Data Retrieval:On-demand Reporting

With the viewLinc Net/DL system you can set up automatic regular downloads of data logger information to one or more central locations. This data then is safely archived and accessible and can be used to create detailed reports on demand.

Cost-Effectiveness: Scale the system to match your needs

Throughout the system, user-friendliness, reliability, scalability, and network accessibility are the key factors that reduce the running costs and give a higher return of investment for Net/DL systems. In addition, most users also have discovered that Net/DL systems are very affordable, since companies already have many components of the system in place (such as a Local Area Network and existing PC's).

The No-compromise Data Logging Solution

When it comes to deciding on the monitoring and data collection needs of your facility, choosing an appropriate type of monitoring system involves a number of factors and compromises. Such compromises include initial cost, operating costs, implementation schedule, and functionality.

However, with the improvement of networking technologies, many of these compromises need never be made. viewLinc effectively leverages your existing network to provide flexibility, fast installation, suberb accuracy and total reliability.

>> For more information about our networked data loggers or to get a quote, please contact us.