Published 2025-11-03

At Arlanda Airport, Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) works to ensure that pharmaceuticals and other sensitive goods are stored in the right temperature environments before and after air freight. Temperature mapping in terminals and trailers has helped WFS create stable storage and transportation climates that future-proof cargo handling.

The right temperature can be the difference between effective medicines and unusable goods. The air freight company WFS, which handles pre- and post-transports at Arlanda Airport with great precision, knows this. Its customers are both airlines and freight forwarders. Goods arriving by plane are transported to companies and organizations that have ordered the goods, while freight to be transported by air is collected and delivered to the airport on time.
– Often you don’t know today what will happen tomorrow. It could be someone calling in the morning and saying: “We have 100 pallets that need to be picked up for a cargo flight tonight. Can you do it?” Then you just have to get moving,” says Anders Schedin, Transport Manager at WFS.

Meticulous preparation for shipping

In WFS’s terminal at Arlandastad, extensive and important preparatory work takes place. All incoming goods are x-rayed, labeled and carefully checked. Not least if it involves dangerous goods such as explosives and radioactive goods. About six hours before the flight is due to take off, the goods are transported to WFS’s terminal at Arlanda Airport. The terminal is divided into three zones: an area for ordinary goods, a room with a controlled room temperature of 15-25°C and a refrigerated area that maintains 2-8°C.
Under careful procedures, the goods are passed through the terminal and packed for air transportation. Often, goods are placed on thin aluminum pallets with mesh covers (called ULDs – Unit Load Devices), which are then rolled into the cargo holds of the aircraft. On arrival, the opposite is done: aluminum pallets are reloaded into standard pallets for road transport.

Tough storage requirements for medicines

Around half of the air freight handled by WFS consists of pharmaceuticals. And the volumes are growing rapidly all the time. It involves shipping both finished medicines and ingredients for the production of new medicines. The requirements of both the Medical Products Agency and the pharmaceutical companies are strict: all pharmaceutical products must be stored at the right temperatures around the clock. To meet these requirements, envirotainers are sometimes used, which are special refrigerated containers that maintain stable temperatures throughout transportation.
– Previously, short deviations during transhipments were accepted. But after Covid, the World Health Organization (WHO) has tightened the rules. Nowadays, sensitive medicines are never allowed to be outside their temperature ranges, says Anders Schedin.

Mapping provided control and insights

Ensuring unbroken cold chains requires accurate measurement data. Here the cooperation with Nordtec plays a central role. Nordtec’s field technicians have calibrated the sensors in the refrigeration units inside WFS’s trucks (at measuring points -15, +4 and +20 °C), and have carried out mappings in the terminals and in a trailer. In the terminal at Arlandastad, mapping has been done in a warehouse with room temperature. And in the WFS terminal at the airport, both the room temperature warehouse and the cold room have been mapped.
The mappings provided WFS with new, valuable insights. In one cold room, it was discovered that temperatures rose sharply when doors were opened. The solution was to adjust the sensitivity of the units and install curtains. These measures have created a more stable climate for the goods. The results were also an eye-opener for Schedin and his team.
– Even if a cold room feels cold, it doesn’t always mean that the temperature is right everywhere. Thanks to the mapping, we now know where in our spaces it is best to place goods,” he says.

Time-pressured assignments every day

WFS’s day-to-day operations continue to be characterized by flexibility to solve a wide variety of transport missions. One day it may be vaccines for aid organizations, the next it may be emergency spare parts for a power plant. The time window is often minimal. At the same time, regulatory and customer requirements are tightening further. This makes it more important than ever to have complete control over the climate in all storage and transportation areas. Therefore, temperature mapping continues. The next step will be a mapping of the new cold room that WFS has set up in the terminal in Arlandastad.
– There are so many incoming refrigerated goods that we need to unload and temporarily store goods in Arlandastad before they can be transported to the airport for further shipping,” says Anders Schedin.

“We could work as usual”

He appreciates the cooperation with Nordtec in several ways. Both for the professional support and constructive dialog.
– “We have gained a completely different understanding of the freight climate thanks to Nordtec. They have explained in an educational way why we need to make certain changes and – not least – what we need to do to achieve good temperature safety in important areas,” says Anders Schedin and concludes:
– “At the same time, Nordtec has understood that we cannot close the business for a whole week when they carry out mappings. They have also solved this very well. Operations have continued and we have been able to work just as usual during the mappings.

Published 2026-03-23

Every week, up to a thousand pallets of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals pass through logistics company Ahréns Åkeri’s terminal in Södertälje. To meet strict requirements and minimize the risk of damaged and unusable medicines, the company has hired Nordtec to take a comprehensive approach to monitoring and controlling key temperature-sensitive environments.

– The authorities’ requirements regarding temperature control and unbroken cold chains have been tightened in recent years, but this has not really affected us because we have set very high standards for ourselves from the start.

That’s what Mertzi Palmroth says. He is Pharma Manager at Ahrén’s Åkeri, a family-owned logistics company that provides air and sea transportation for leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. The transportation starts at the manufacturers, where Ahrén’s specially trained drivers pick up the goods and drive them to Ahrén’s terminal in Södertälje. At the terminal, a handful of people work continuously to receive deliveries and plan further transportation.

The goods are either shipped by air via, for example, Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, or the products are loaded into sea containers and transported to the nearby port of Södertälje or Norvikshamnen in Nynäshamn. The aim is to ensure that the medicines do not stay long at the terminal.
– “We store some products for a short time, but our ambition is to send all goods on within 48 hours,” says Mertzi Palmroth.

Terminal with controlled temperature zones

The 1,200 square meter terminal has an ambient temperature of between 2 and 25°C. Inside the terminal there is also a 120 square meter cold room with a capacity for about 100 pallets where the temperature is kept between 2 and 8°C. All extra temperature-sensitive goods are handled there. An important part of the logistics is the design of the terminal flow.

The unloading quay is directly adjacent to a lock that leads straight into the cold room. This is one of several special solutions that allow Ahréns to maintain unbroken cold chains all the way from the pharmaceutical manufacturers to the terminal and on to end customers around the world.

Switched to testo Saveris 1

Ahréns changed its temperature monitoring system about a year ago. The reason for the change was that the company wanted a more cost-effective solution and access to Swedish support.

Since Nordtec has been helping Ahréns with calibrations for a long time, it was natural to contact them and ask for suggestions for a solution. As a result, there are now five temperature sensors in the terminal and six sensors in the cold room. All are linked to the advanced but user-friendly testo Saveris 1 monitoring system.

Simple and good alarm functions

The new system has brought a number of benefits to Ahréns.
– To begin with, everything is in Swedish, which makes it easy to get started and work with the system. Then we have got much better alarm functions. Many of our operators are connected and receive direct notifications via SMS and email if there is any deviation. If perhaps a temperature has exceeded a threshold value, in the event of a sensor failure or if there is a power failure,” says Mertzi Palmroth and continues:
– “In addition, we have a backup system that runs on ordinary batteries. So even if we have a power failure in the building, the system still logs and alarms using battery power for many hours. Our previous system was completely power dependent. So if there was an outage, we would have had to stand with pen and paper to keep track of the temperatures. The new system not only simplifies day-to-day work, but is a real help in the event of a crisis.

Calibration for compliance with regulatory requirements

For pharmaceutical logistics, calibrated measuring equipment is a regulatory requirement from the Medical Products Agency. Nordtec is responsible for Ahrén’s annual calibrations.
– It’s very easy to work with Nordtec. All we really need to do is open the doors and they do the rest. Their technicians calibrate all the sensors on site in one day and deliver the certificates shortly afterwards.

In addition to calibrations, Nordtec has also performed summer and winter mapping of both the terminal and the cold room. The mappings have given Ahréns black and white where it is coldest and warmest in their spaces. And that there are no critical temperature levels anywhere.

Special solution for passive containers

Ahréns has a freezer container that has also been mapped by Nordtec. The container is used to freeze cold packs that are then placed in packaged pharmaceuticals for transport in so-called passive containers. That is, transport containers without their own refrigeration units.

The refrigerated clamps are first frozen in the container for four days at -20°C. Then the cold packs are moved to the cold room for a few days, which activates the gel in the packs and can ensure stable temperatures even during longer air transportation.

“Meaningful and exciting work”

In addition to regular calibrations and mappings, Ahrén performs its own functional checks on a daily basis.
– We perform a range of tests. For example, we can pull out a sensor to see that the system continues to send alarms. This gives us peace of mind knowing that everything is working properly.

Pharmaceutical logistics is an industry where conditions are constantly changing. Today, Ahréns has the capacity to meet demand and at the same time the opportunity to expand if necessary. Unexpected and sudden global events often have a direct impact on operations. In such cases, it is important to be able to adapt and act immediately.
– No two days are the same. The external environment affects air transport all the time. If routes are canceled, we need to find other solutions quickly.

It is these changing challenges that make the job so stimulating, says Mertzi Palmroth.
– People around the world are constantly dependent on medicines. Therefore, we are constantly facing new logistical challenges. This is what makes my job so meaningful and exciting.

Published 2025-01-22

Does the data logger have no Wi-Fi connection after calibration?

Then you probably need to reset the logger. It is easy and does not take very long. This guide applies to loggers in the testo Saveris 2 and testo 160 product series.

This is how you do it:

1. Log in to your cloud account – www.saveris.net for testo Saveris 2 or www.museum.saveris.net for testo 160.
2. Connect the logger to your computer via the USB input.
3. Open the configuration assistant in the cloud account (symbol designed as a logger with a +)
4. Do the following in this step:
   • Make sure that the batteries are inserted correctly.
   • Enter your SSID (name of your company’s Wi-Fi network) and password.
   • Save the logger configuration (select the device you want to save to – preferably “SAVERIS”, do not change the file name and click “Save”).
   • Remove the data logger from the computer and look at the display (if your logger has one). It should say “Config Valid”.
   • Wait for the radio symbol at the top of the display to first flash and then become steady.
   • When the radio icon is ready, the cloud symbol next to it should start flashing and then remain steady.
   • Confirm that the radio and cloud symbols are constantly lit on the logger display. If you have a logger without display, just skip this step.
5. Refresh the page in your browser (click on the circular arrow to the left of the address bar at the top). Wait for about 10 minutes and then refresh the web page again.
6. Done! The data logger is connected to your network and ready to start measuring again!

Can’t connect the logger to your Wi-Fi network?
Call or email us and we will help you!

Tel 031-704 10 84
mattias.toreskog@nordtec.se

Published 2025-05-30

Regular calibration of measuring instruments is a quality assurance and at the same time a regulatory requirement in some activities. But at what temperature or humidity values should you calibrate your loggers and instruments? Here we give you tips on how to choose the right calibration points and tell you about our standard calibrations adapted for different industries.

What is a calibration point?

A calibration point is a specific measurement value – such as a temperature or humidity value – where you check and document how accurately an instrument measures compared to a high-accuracy reference equipment. Calibrating an instrument at one or more specific points allows the user to keep track of the instrument’s “correct” readings.

Who is responsible for selecting calibration points?

The choice of calibration points is always your responsibility as a customer. You can never leave that decision to the calibration laboratory. In the event of an audit or official inspection, for example, it is important to be able to show that the selected points are relevant to how and where the logger or instrument is used in your business.

Think about your own business:

• Where is the instrument used?
• What temperature or humidity levels are critical?
• At what values is it important that the measurement is extra accurate?

Example 1: Are you using a thermometer just to check that chicken is sufficiently cooked (+72°C)? Then it is often sufficient to calibrate the instrument at that temperature.
Example 2: If you measure the temperature of food in different environments (e.g. -18°C, +5°C and +120°C)? Then you need to calibrate at several points within that range.
Example 3: Do you use humidity loggers in construction projects or for indoor climate control? Then you should choose calibration points that reflect critical moisture levels in your business (e.g. 33% RH and 75% RH).

This is why we have developed standard points

Many customers in the food, construction and real estate sectors use loggers and instruments in similar conditions. To make it easier for them, we therefore offer calibration at two to three standard points that match the most common needs of each industry.

✅ It saves time
✅ It makes it easy to comply with industry requirements
✅ It provides calibration certificates that you can present at audit

Our standard calibrations

• -18, ±0, +60 °C (food industry)
• ±0, +20, +60 °C (construction and building industry)
• 11, 75 %RH at 23 °C (manufacturing and building operations)
• 11, 40, 75 %RH at 23°C (manufacturing and building operations)

Can I get help to choose?

Yes! Our calibration experts are happy to answer questions and provide advice on calibration points, whether they are standard points or you are considering choosing your own measurement points. All to provide you with calibrated measurement equipment that meets both internal quality requirements and external regulations.

To sum up:

✔ Choose calibration points that match how the instrument is used
✔ You are responsible for the choice of points – not the calibration lab
✔ Our standard points fit common measurement needs in different industries
✔ Not sure? We answer questions and guide you!

👉 Learn more about our calibration services

Do you have any questions?
Email Lab and Calibration Manager Maria Almestål and she will get back to you as soon as possible.
maria.almestal@nordtec.se

Published 2026-06-08

Do you have several measuring instruments and several sensors that fit all of the instruments? Then it can quickly become difficult to keep track of which sensor belongs to which instrument – especially when you send them in for calibration.

A simple tip is to label each measuring instrument with its own letter or number and then label its associated sensor with the same designation. This makes it clear which ones belong together and reduces the risk of confusion.

Why is it important?

During calibration, the sensor and instrument are calibrated together as a unit. Even if several sensors fit the same measuring instrument, small measurement deviations in both sensor and instrument can affect the measurement value. To ensure reliable measurements, it is therefore important that the measuring instruments are used together with the same sensors with which they have been calibrated.

Simple labeling tips

• Mark instruments and sensors with the same letter, number or color
• Document which devices belong together in a simple list or logbook
• Store sensors together with their instrument if possible

This saves time, reduces the risk of mistakes and contributes to a smoother handling of future calibrations.

Published 2025-12-22

Did you know that you don’t have to keep track of emails, PDF files or folders with calibration certificates?

When you submit an instrument or sensor to us for calibration, we produce a calibration certificate or certificate of calibration for the device. Each instrument or transducer is provided with a QR code that gives direct access to this document. When you need your certificate or proof, just scan the QR code and get the current calibration document on your mobile or tablet. Simple, quick and easy.

With the QR code you always have your calibration documents at hand. It facilitates both day-to-day work and audits or inspections where documentation needs to be presented quickly.

The documents are also sent to you by email as encrypted and locked PDF files when we send back your calibrated measuring instruments.

Learn more about our calibration services

The Access calibration portal

Do you have many different instruments and need a system to structure your calibration data? Then we recommend you to explore the features of Access. Our web portal for calibration services provides you with a structured overview of serial numbers, transducer numbers and calibration certificates for each instrument. A convenient solution for companies with many measuring instruments that need easy access to calibration documents, gathered in one instrument database.

You create an account in Access when you order calibration. Click in the box “I want an account!” in the order form.

The Access calibration portal

Any questions?
Email our calibration department and we will get back to you as soon as possible:
kalibrering@nordtec.se

Published 2025-02-04

There is no measuring equipment that measures exactly right. All instruments and sensors give more or less accurate readings. A common concept in this context is permissible deviation. Do you know the permissible deviation of your meters? What does the term actually mean? And how important is it for your daily measurements? In this article, we will clarify this and give some basic advice on how to think about the choice of measuring equipment in terms of accuracy.

Allowable deviation = instrument accuracy

All manufacturers carry out extensive quality checks and tests on measuring equipment before it leaves the factory. One important aspect is the permissible deviation. It is a measure of how accurate a measurement you can expect from the instrument or sensor. Put another way, it is the manufacturer’s promise of how much the readings can deviate at most. This is often stated in terms of accuracy in the manufacturer’s technical specification for the measuring equipment. For example, if you measure 20 °C with a temperature gauge that has an accuracy of ±1.5, this means that the temperature value can be between 18.5 and 21.5 °C – which is fine in many cases.

How accurate measuring equipment do you need?

This may sound strange coming from a company selling measuring equipment, but… don’t be blinded by the accuracy value and avoid buying unnecessarily sophisticated instruments, data loggers and sensors. Most people can live with the knowledge that the measurement accuracy is within a certain margin of error. If you measure the indoor temperature, it often doesn’t matter much if the temperature shifts half a degree up or down (unless temperature measurement is an important part of saving energy costs).

However, in some activities and environments, the manufacturer’s data is too imprecise and insufficient. In the medical, food and manufacturing industries, varying levels of temperature and humidity are critical to maintaining smooth processes and high product quality. This, together with strict industry requirements, means that operators in these fields need to calibrate their instruments and sensors at regular intervals (usually once a year), to keep track of the accuracy of their measurements.

Interconnected measuring equipment affects accuracy

Please note that not only measuring instruments but also sensors and some accessories have different accuracy. And if measuring equipment is paired, it will affect the accuracy of your measurements. For example, let’s say you use a temperature gauge that has an accuracy of ±0.2°C and pair it with a sensor with an accuracy of ±0.5°C. By adding these values, you get a total accuracy of ±0.7°C on your measurements. If you also choose to connect an extension cable to your measuring equipment, you should check the accuracy of the cable and its impact on your measurement results.

The exception is digital sensors

The above is not true when using digital sensors. The measuring instrument used with a digital sensor will only have a display function and the accuracy of the instrument will not affect the measurement result. In other words, what you need to keep an eye on is the accuracy of the sensor.

Fixed accuracy for temperature sensors

Some sensors always have a specific accuracy. No matter how it is made or by whom. For example, type K Class 2 thermocouple sensors have a fixed value of ±2.5 °C.

Order calibration to find out more precisely

To really know how accurate your instruments and sensors are, you need to calibrate them. We offer accredited calibration of the most common measurement quantities both in our lab and at your site. In some cases, a calibration may show that your measuring equipment actually has a higher accuracy than the technical specification. Good information for those who want to ensure flawless production and high quality. Indispensable for you in a business that needs to be able to demonstrate calibrated measuring equipment to comply with standards and legal requirements.

When purchasing measuring equipment, you can choose between calibration at fixed measurement points or selecting your own points (these should be measurement points that are common and important in your business). We usually recommend the latter option as it is usually the most relevant.

Is there something you are wondering about or want to know more about?
Email Lab and Calibration Manager Maria Almestål and she will get back to you as soon as possible.
maria.almestal@nordtec.se

Published 2025-02-24

The video shows you how to fill in our form and send your measuring equipment for calibration.

Here we tell you how to order calibrations from us. Watch the video above (if the video looks blurry, you can increase the resolution by clicking on the gear and selecting the highest resolution) or scroll down and read our step-by-step guide. Carefully fill in all the necessary information in all steps to ensure fast and accurate calibration of your measuring equipment.

Step-by-step guide to send your measuring equipment for calibration

1. Visit our web portal Access: https://kalibrering.nordtec.se/ (on nordtec.se – click on Calibration and then Book calibration)
2. Click on: “Order calibration/service”
3. Select: “Calibration/service”
4. Fill in the form: Mandatory information is marked with an asterisk. Note! Be sure to include both the delivery address and the invoice address.
5. Select the service further down in the form: “Calibration”
6. Calibration order:
   • Select “Calibrate according to previous certificate/proof” if you want us to calibrate the measuring equipment at the same measuring points as last time. Fill in the number of your current certificate/proof and click “Add”.
   • Select “Add additional calibration” if you want to define measurement points for measuring equipment to be calibrated. Fill in all details carefully.
7. Accept the conditions and click on: “Place order” (the web order will then be sent to the Nordtec calibration department).
8. Print web orders: It is very important that you have the order in paper form (see next step).
9. Pack the equipment:
   • Use shock-absorbing materials to avoid shipping damage.
   • Note! Put the printed web browser in the package.
10. Send as a business package to:
    Nordtec Instrument AB
    Elof Lindälvs gata 13
    414 51 Göteborg

Important to consider:

• Please label the package clearly with “Calibration”.
• Always send as a business package (private packages will not arrive).
• Don’t forget to include the web order in the package, so we know who the measuring equipment comes from and can perform the correct calibration as quickly as possible.
• If you have missed to fill in important information or notice an error in the order – write a clarification/addition on the printed web form.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs):

How long does the calibration take?
A standard calibration takes up to 10 working days from the time we receive your measuring equipment until we send it back to you.

How do I get my equipment back?
We will send measuring equipment back to you for a fee. Please make sure to fill in the correct delivery address when ordering calibration. You can also choose to be notified by us to come and collect your calibrated equipment yourself.

What happens if something needs repairing?
You can fill in the order form if you want us to repair a minor error detected during calibration.

Can I get express calibration?
We offer express calibration at an additional cost. This means that we calibrate and send the measuring equipment back to you 2-3 days after we have received it. You can choose express calibration after clicking on “Book calibration” and then “Order calibration/service” on our website.

Undrar du över något?
Mejla till labb- och kalibreringschef Maria Almestål så återkommer hon till dig så fort som möjligt.
maria.almestal@nordtec.se

Published 2024-02-09

Djurfarmacia in Trollhättan delivers large quantities of medicines to private individuals, animal breeders, veterinarians and animal hospitals around the country. To ensure that the cold chain is maintained throughout and the right temperature vaccines and medicines reach their recipients, extensive validation of the climates of different transport boxes is carried out.

Djurfarmacia operates a pharmacy, a veterinary clinic, wholesale trade with pharmacies and distribution to a variety of target groups: private individuals, animal owners, animal breeders, food producers and animal health care providers.

The company started in 2007 and has had an impressive growth journey. The current turnover is 420 million and the business employs 46 people. Virtually the entire workforce is involved in the extensive distance selling of no less than 17,000 items in the Trollhättan warehouse.

– We account for a very large share of deliveries to, among others, pig producers in Sweden. We also carry a significant amount of medicine for sheep and cattle across the country. Vaccination is known to reduce the use of antibiotics. Prevention rather than treatment, which we are good at in Sweden. “Our deliveries of vaccines in particular make us a significant player in food supply,” says Christina Molin, CEO of Djurfarmacia.

Temperature logs and calibration
Djurfarmacia has been working with Nordtec for several years. Nordtec has installed around 20 data loggers from Testo for temperature monitoring in various spaces and performs calibration of all measuring equipment on site at the animal pharmacy once a year. In order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the Swedish Medical Products Agency and to be able to guarantee the delivery of reliable medicines, Nordtec has recently been hired for an extensive validation assignment.

– We do this to demonstrate that we know how to pack to maintain the right temperatures. Our distance selling license from the Swedish Medical Products Agency requires that all medicines are at the right temperature from us until they are handed over to customers. That’s why we do this kind of survey from time to time,” says Christina Molin.

Mapping of 36 transport boxes
The validation involves Nordtec’s delegates, calibration manager Maria Almestål and calibration engineer Linda Wiman, together with Linda Henriksson and Rickard Fredriksson at Djurfarmacia, packing no less than 36 transport boxes of different sizes. The drawers are filled with a variety of products and freezer bulbs. A sensor connected to a data logger is placed in a pharmaceutical package in each box, which is then placed at normal room temperature, or in a hot or cold room to simulate transportation with different ambient conditions. After 48 hours, the logs should be read to see if the temperatures in the transport boxes are still within the prescribed ranges of either +2 to +8 °C or -20 to -30 °C (depending on the medicine). This is the most comprehensive validation that Djurfarmacia has done so far.

– 12-18 pallet cages loaded with pharmaceutical packages leave our loading dock daily. The purpose of this validation is simply to ensure uninterrupted cold chains – even after longer transports of up to three days,” says Christina Molin, adding:

– We want to ensure that the medicines are transported in the right conditions to our end customers, regardless of the season and the ambient temperature.

What is your biggest challenge ahead?
– To continue to offer efficient and secure deliveries to our customers. Our goal is not to grow but to keep our customers by offering them a high level of service and safe transportation.

– We moved two years ago and doubled our space, but we already need more space and are planning an extension in a few years. Our wholesale business, as well as our other activities, is growing steadily. We have increased by 10-15% every year, although, as I said, this is not our target. This is clear evidence that our knowledge and service is appreciated and important.

Published 2024-01-31

Lasse Andersson likes to think a few times and create special solutions for cooling. Measurements and calibrations of instruments have been an important part of his long career. In retirement, Lasse now helps the defense industry and the military with cooling installations and measurements – often with Testo instruments from the 1990s.

– I have always been interested in specialized facilities.

Lasse Andersson notes this more than once during our conversation. We meet him at his villa in Gråbo near Lerum a few miles outside Gothenburg. Here, Lasse and his wife Eva run the company LA TestTechnik, which has existed since 1992.

But let’s start at the beginning: at a young age, Lasse trained as an electrician at the SKF ball bearing manufacturer’s vocational school (his father was a firefighter and the family lived in a villa in the industrial area). Later, Lasse also took further training in heat engineering.

He got his first job at Wållgrens Kyl, which in the 1970s was one of Sweden’s largest refrigeration companies.

– There I started my career in refrigeration and measuring things, as Lasse himself puts it.

For 15 years, Lasse installed and serviced hundreds of cooling systems in places like Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and Medicinareberget (center for research, healthcare and business in medicine and biotechnology). Even then, it was often a question of specialized facilities. For example, low temperature machines that would be able to freeze blood plasma to temperatures of around 90 degrees below zero.

Test environments at institutes and universities
During a trade fair at the Swedish Fair in Gothenburg, Lasse entered a stand where the German manufacturer Weiss was showing simulation facilities for test environments in industry, healthcare and the military. Lasse established a good contact with Weiss, which resulted in him being asked to set up a subsidiary in Stockholm for the German company.

This was followed by many years of installations and measurements at plants around Sweden. These include a large number of test environments for the Rise research institute in Borås and academic institutions such as KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) in Stockholm and Linköping University.

– At Linköping University, I once did a job in a plant growth chamber. A light source was installed that would simulate natural daylight at a certain intensity for a number of hours before the ‘sun went down’ in the test environment,” says Lasse.

At the beginning of his career, there was not much interest in measurement in the industry, Lasse recalls. Neither instruments nor measurements were very sophisticated.

– It wasn’t a matter of logging and documenting measurements; you put in a sensor, got a value, wrote it down and that was that.

This changed when Lasse started working with Weiss who used and advocated Testo measuring equipment. Lasse then found out and contacted Nordtec, which at that time was already the main Swedish distributor for Testo.

Accurate measurement and documentation
Driving the development of more sophisticated and accurate measurement were pharmaceutical companies such as Astra and also many pharmacy companies. They required documentation verifying that medicines had been stored in controlled environments with constant temperatures.

When Weiss closed its Swedish subsidiary in the early 1990s, Lasse switched to representing them through his and his wife’s own company.

– Many of the Testo instruments I use today are actually from that time. And they still work perfectly well,” says Lasse.

A large black instrument case includes the testo 452, testo 601 and testo 701 for measuring temperature, humidity and pressure. These models have long since been discontinued but still deliver reliable measurements. As with any instrument, regular calibrations are important. Lasse submits his meters for calibration at Nordtec at regular intervals.

Special cooling for the radar in Jas Gripen
– This means that the meters work exactly as they should and what I measure seems to be correct. What is also positive about these instruments is that many sensors can be connected to them and that they have analog outputs, allowing the meters to be easily adapted for different measurements.

Lasse Andersson is now retired, but he doesn’t seem to have any plans to slow down and stop doing what he enjoys so much: figuring out ingenious cooling solutions. Nowadays he mainly performs more or less secret jobs at Saab and various defense facilities around the country.

This includes work on cooling radar technology in the Jas Gripen fighter plane. This technology is located in the nose of the plane and Lasse has designed a special solution that cools the radar sensors and prevents them from overheating. Lasse also works with cooling systems on mobile radar units, such as the famous Giraffe model. The tasks are varied to say the least. He installs, replaces hoses and, if necessary, installs additional pumps to ensure efficient cooling. Measuring temperature and pressure are recurring tasks.

Although Lasse likes to use his older Testo measuring instruments, he also has more modern equipment. For example, he appreciates the testo SmartProbes wireless sensors, which are easy to use and allow him to access current measurements on his mobile phone at any time. He uses these sensors for measurements inside military operation tents and communication centers (in the form of expandable containers). In these environments, there are high climate requirements in terms of temperature, airflow and light in order to conduct efficient and safe operations.

What is it that makes you dedicate a whole professional life to these cooling and measuring jobs?
– It’s far from a normal job where you walk into a pizza maker’s shop, screw together a fridge and you’re done. It is a bit more complicated than that. And this is exactly what I like. “You often have to think a bit more and come up with a solution for a particular application,” concludes Lasse, packing the well-used Testo instruments in his bag for next week’s secret military job somewhere in Sweden.