Published 2025-12-23

Digital sensors are becoming increasingly common in metrology. But what exactly is a digital sensor, how does it work and what are its practical benefits? Here we cover the basics.

What is a digital sensor?

A digital sensor is a sensor that measures, for example, temperature or humidity and sends the measured values as digital information to an instrument or a data logger. The sensor processes the measurement data itself and sends ready-to-use values, providing fast and reliable readings in the instrument. Analog sensors instead send a continuous current or voltage signal that the instrument must interpret.

Why do digital sensors provide better accuracy?

What makes digital sensors particularly accurate is that both the measurement and the interpretation take place in the sensor. With analog sensors, accuracy is determined by both the instrument and the sensor, and measurement data can be affected by electrical noise or voltage drops on the way to the instrument before the signal is interpreted. Because digital sensors send ready-to-use values, measurements remain stable all the way from sensor to instrument.

Digital technology also allows for higher resolution, often with more decimal places. The result is more reliable and comparable measurements, reducing the need to re-measure.

What are the main benefits of digital sensors?

• Easy integration and more stable measurement
  The instrument automatically recognizes the sensor type and receives ready-to-use measurement values directly. This provides higher accuracy and reduces the risk of both misalignment and incorrect readings.
  
  
• Flexibility
  Digital transducers can be seamlessly integrated into instruments and measurement systems that support different transducer types or multiple measurement channels. Most of Testo’s digital transducers use the same type of connector, making it easy to connect and switch between different transducer types in the same instrument.
  
  
• Easy identification
  Digital sensors have unique serial numbers, which simplifies tracking and management of the measuring equipment. Each transducer is calibrated as a separate unit and has its own calibration document (easily accessed by scanning a QR code on the transducer once it has been calibrated with us).
  
  
• Calibrate without pausing measurements
  Since digital sensors are calibrated separately, you can send the sensor for calibration without having to send the entire instrument. Therefore, by replacing the sensor, you can continue your measurements even when a sensor needs calibration.
  
  
  

Measuring instruments for digital sensors

Published 2023-10-19

It is important to inspect certain critical environments at regular intervals in order to detect and remedy any mold problems in good time. In crawl spaces and attics, it is common for moisture to cause microbial growth. Here, experienced moisture consultant Kim Olmås explains how mold develops, how to detect it and what measures you should take.

Crawl spaces and attics should be inspected at least once a year. The best way to detect moisture is to measure. These measurements should be taken at times when the risk of high moisture levels is greatest. Grounds are usually wettest in late spring, summer and fall. In attics, moisture is usually highest in late fall, winter and early spring. If you want to keep an eye on moisture all year round, it is best to get one or more connected measuring boxes from the Celsicom remote monitoring system.

We caught up with Kim Olmås, a certified moisture expert and construction doctor with extensive experience in the industry, to sort out some basic questions about moisture and mold.

How does moisture occur in crawl spaces and attics?

– In crawl spaces, it’s about warm, moist outdoor air finding its way in and meeting a colder foundation. This raises the relative humidity (RH) and can cause microbial damage to organic matter and emissions from chemical decomposition processes. The soil surface also gives off moisture, just as rain and groundwater can do,” says Kim Olmås and continues:

– In attics, it is mainly warm, humid air from inside the house that comes up through leaks in attic floors, penetrations and attic hatches. The warm, moist air raises the RH value in the cooler attic space or condenses against a cold roof, which also raises the humidity.

External leakage can also cause elevated RH values and microbial damage such as mold, bacteria and rot as well as emissions from chemical decomposition processes. High moisture levels are often due to the inability of the house’s ventilation system to remove the moisture generated by washing, showering, cooking, sweating and exhaled air. Outside air and water leaking into the attic also contribute to moisture.

On which surfaces does mould occur?

In crawl spaces, it is common to see growth on the blind floor (underside of the floor joists) in the form of white, gray or black patches, or on the ground surface. In attics, mould can grow on the inside of raw board, roof trusses, floorboards and loose items such as fabric and cardboard boxes.

– But not all the growth is visible and it can be very moldy without you noticing,” says Kim Olmås.

– Also use your nose to identify, as far as possible, unusual, pungent smells that may reveal microbial growth in the space in question. However, the best way to really know is to do a moisture measurement yourself or with the help of a moisture consultant or submit material samples for analysis by companies such as Botaniska Analysgruppen and Pegasuslab.

What can be damaged by damp and mould?

– Crawl spaces initially produce mold, bacteria or blue stain fungi that grow on the surface and give off odors, emissions and endotoxins (harmful bacteria). However, if it is really damp, i.e. if the moisture content of the wood is up to 26-30%, rot fungi appear which break down the wood and reduce its strength. There may also be mold on the ground.

The same development of mold growth is common in attics. There is also a risk of damage to furniture (organic material) and insulation from microbial growth.

What are the critical levels and how to act?

– In crawl spaces, the critical RH value is 75%, which corresponds to about 17% moisture content in wood. At the same time, we know that already moisture-damaged or contaminated surfaces can develop microbial growth much earlier,” says Kim Olmås:

– To combat mold, a crawl space dehumidifier is usually installed and set to a maximum of 60 percent relative humidity, which is the limit for rust on metal. Dehumidifiers are the most effective measure, but they require some action and supervision.

When installing a dehumidifier, you will need to seal all outdoor air vents in the foundation (to prevent outdoor air from leaking in), clear the soil of organic material and apply a vapor barrier to the soil surface. The dehumidifier may require filter replacement and other services after a certain period of time.

In principle, the same moisture values apply to attics. However, dehumidifiers are not often installed in attics. Instead, the focus is usually on reviewing the ventilation of the house and ensuring that the moisture produced indoors is transported out of the house via the ventilation system.

– It may also be necessary to seal the top of the attic so that warm, humid air cannot penetrate so easily. In addition, it may be a good idea to review how the attic is ventilated. Too much attic ventilation tends to increase the moisture level and thus also increases the risk of moisture-related damage.

Kim Olmås is pleased to note that more and more property owners and operators have begun to check moisture and mold more frequently.

– The most critical aspect of moisture damage is that it can affect the indoor environment and make people living there sick. Often caused by mold and emissions from both microbial growth and chemical degradation processes.

Measurement solutions for crawl spaces and attics

Published 2025-01-29

With money borrowed from his family in Lebanon and help from his wife Rita and brother Salem, Nasif Fadel started a small bread bakery in the Gamlestan district of Gothenburg in 1992. Today, Liba Bröd has around 100 employees and sells more than 20 products. In environments where Testo loggers carefully monitor the climate, the development of the versatile thin bread continues.

A lot has happened since Nasif and Salem first spent many nights designing their own baking machines and experimenting to create the perfect flatbread. Today, the company is run by his son Elias Fadel, and in modern production facilities in Gamlestan, several varieties of flatbread are baked, as well as pinsa, hamburger and sausage rolls, pita bread and breadsticks. The range also includes bagels and waffles, which are made in an external bakery.

Large volumes of thin bread
Next door to the production premises is a large and attractive café. Liba Bröd also runs a café in the Frölunda Torg shopping center in southwest Gothenburg. In addition to pizzas and pies, the café offers visitors a wide range of delicious cakes and tempting cookies in the form of crispy, sweet pastries. All this is also baked in Gamlestan. But the main product is still the flatbread – which is produced in ever-increasing volumes.

– We consume about 150 tons of flour a week, which is used to make two million loaves of bread. Annual production is around 100 million loaves,” says Ingis Onsér, Quality and Food Safety Manager at Liba Bröd.

Extensive quality work is carried out throughout the production and storage areas. For example, all finished bread passes through a metal detector to detect metal chips that may be present in flour and sugar added during baking. Metal fragments can also occur when rollers in production rub against each other.

Carefully controlled climates
Monitoring temperature levels in production as well as in refrigerators and freezers is an important part of Ingis Onsér’s job.

– I go on the computer every day and check the temperature levels everywhere.

A total of 14 data loggers from the remote monitoring system testo Saveris 2 (now replaced by testo Smart Connect) continuously record and save all measured values. These are loggers of the models testo Saveris 2-T2 (now replaced by testo 162 T2) and testo Saveris 2-H2 (replaced by testo 162 H2) to ensure that raw materials are stored in the right temperature rooms and to maintain an optimal climate in the bakery.

Automatic alarm at critical values
– It’s nice to know that I don’t have to be on site 24/7 to keep an eye on the fridges and freezers. The Saveris system does that for me. And if something happens, such as temperatures approaching critical limits, I get an email alert. That’s something I really appreciate,” says Ingis Onsér and continues:

– On one occasion, a freezer in the café broke down. The system quickly alerted us that the temperature had started to rise and we were able to act immediately.

Something that Ingis also appreciates with the measurement system is the ability to easily get graphs over different periods and time intervals. The graphs give a good picture of how different freezers are doing and how the temperatures are affected by when the freezers are defrosted from time to time and also how warm summers have affected the climate in the freezers.

Nordtec’s calibration technician Ingemar Bergstedt installs a Testo logger for reference measurement at Liba Bröd.

Calibration of loggers on site
All data loggers are calibrated at regular intervals to ensure that Ingis and his colleagues know how “correct” their measurements are compared to values from high-accuracy reference equipment. Liba Bröd has previously calibrated itself but has recently chosen to let Nordtec’s calibration technicians come to the plant and calibrate all loggers on site. A flexible solution that means that all operations can continue as usual while the measuring equipment is calibrated.

– “We calibrate our loggers to meet the criteria for our FSSC 22000 certification, but most importantly to keep track of all measurements and guarantee safe products,” says Ingis Onsér.

– We have previously calibrated ourselves once a year, but have now chosen to hire Nordtec to get a more thorough review and control of all loggers.

Ingis Onsér really likes her job. She describes it as fun and challenging. Things are happening all the time, she gets to make quick decisions and be part of an ongoing, incredible development of Liba Bröd.

What makes Liba Bröd so special?
– You can use our flatbread for so many things. From pizzas and wraps to bread to complement your lunch or dinner.

How do you prefer to eat a Liba Bread?
– I divide it, add butter, cheese and ham. Then I put everything in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before putting the loaves together. It’s delicious!

Published 2022-12-12

In winter, indoor air often becomes dry. This can cause physical discomfort for people and lead to static electricity that disrupts production processes. To detect and overcome dry air, it is useful to measure, and preferably log, air temperature and humidity over a longer period.

Cold air can hold less moisture than warm air. Therefore, the air becomes drier in winter. And when we bring in this cold air and heat it, the indoor air becomes dry. This low humidity can cause discomfort in the form of dry skin, irritated airways and eyes, fatigue and headaches.

Static electricity – an annoying saboteur

Dry indoor air can also result in static electricity, which occurs at the surface of materials when there is either a deficit or excess of electrons. We can then experience unexpected and unpleasant shocks. The voltage can be high but the current is very low. Therefore, these shocks are often harmless to us. However, there is a risk of equipment and processes being affected.

Electronics and printed circuit boards are sensitive to static electricity. In addition, static charge attracts dust and other unwanted particles, which can have a negative impact on production processes. Lower production rates, sudden and costly downtime, the need for extra maintenance and, in the worst case, replacement of parts are examples of some common failures. Disruptions in production can also ultimately lead to lower product quality.

Moisture – an important measurement parameter

This diagram shows how people and materials are affected by ambient humidity.

For us humans, it is about avoiding ill health. For materials, this may involve avoiding disruptions in manufacturing processes or storing in a climate that provides the best durability.

Humidity levels can fluctuate rapidly, a 10°C drop in outdoor temperature can reduce indoor humidity by almost 15%RH. Measurement provides knowledge of the situation and the ability to influence it.

Cold outside means dry inside

The table shows what happens when humid outdoor air is brought in and heated to 22°C. For example when outdoor air with 80 % humidity and a temperature of -5 °C enters and is heated to +22 °C, the relative humidity drops dramatically to only 14 %RH. An average humidity in the Sahara is around 25 %RH!

Data loggers that give you control of the dry air.

Published 2022-08-11

Ocab has been around since 1964 and is a nationwide company with broad expertise in remediation, moisture and the built environment. Since its inception, the business concept has been to help customers save value in the event of damage caused mainly by fire and water. Ocab is constantly exploring new technologies and methods. For some time now, around 100 measuring boxes from the Celsicom Easy Connect monitoring system have been tested in the Stockholm area.

The opportunities that come with the product are fully in line with Ocab’s strategic focus on digitalization and sustainability.

– We see great potential in the new meters. They can contribute to savings in terms of time, costs and the environment, which is of course very interesting for us and our clients,” says Thomas Karhu, production manager in dehumidification at Ocab in Stockholm.

What are the main clients and most common assignments?
– Insurance companies are our biggest customers, with fire and water damage being the most common.

Ocab’s mission is to ‘save the world’. What does it mean?
– Basically, it means that through quick and effective action we can save economic values and possessions of high personal value that cannot be replaced. But there is an additional perspective: cleaning up and dehumidifying instead of disposing or demolishing is saving existing resources, which is both sustainable and cost-effective. Preserving rather than throwing away and demolishing is in everyone’s interest and we are actively working on new and improved methods that make this increasingly possible. Specifically, we can dry the structure of a water-damaged floor at a fraction of the cost of demolishing it.

What are the most common types of moisture damage?
– The most common moisture damage today occurs in kitchens where there are usually more machines installed than in the past. In businesses, coffee machines and water machines are often the ones that start leaking. In private homes, water damage is caused by dishwashers, ice machines for freezers and poorly drained sink pipes. Waterproofing damage in bathrooms is also a major problem.

How to prevent water damage?
– Above all, it is about complying with the laws that exist. If you do this, there will be less water damage. Specifically, the sink cabinets should be made watertight by inserting a watertight base into the cabinets. This makes it easy to see if water is accumulating inside the cabinet and prevents the water from running under the cabinet and damaging the structure. Furthermore, there should be no pipe connections in walls and floor structures, only solid pipes.

What is your background in the water damage industry?
– I have been working on this since 1996. I am a trained builder and have then further educated myself in techniques for moisture measurement in new constructions and existing environments.

What makes the job interesting and exciting?
– It’s a varied job and there is always something new to develop. It never gets boring!

What are the technological developments in the sector?
– It has been rather stagnant. In recent years, there has been more environmental thinking and the production of more energy-efficient dehumidifiers. In the case of monitoring drying processes, remote sensing technology has been available but has been less effective and complicated to install.

What made you discover the Celsicom boxes?
– Stefan Carlson from Celsicom came here and showed me one of the new meters, which made me very interested. The boxes are a great fit for us and our industry. They are also easy for our technicians to install. No weirdness at all, just as it should be.

What are the 100 measurement boxes you have bought used for?
– We use them exclusively for dehumidification of water damage. We have installed all measurement boxes and are now fully testing this. If the outcome is good, we will definitely continue to use them.

What is the best thing about Celsicom Easy Connect boxes?
– It is just as the name says. They are super simple. It was just a matter of scanning and we had the measurement boxes uploaded to the server. The only thing you need to do beyond scanning the meter is to enter the damage address for each meter.

How do measurement boxes make your job easier?
– During dehumidification in a water damage, we normally need to perform so-called intermediate measurements to know the status of the drying process. We can now save that trip and time as the status is quickly checked via mobile phone. The customer gets quick feedback by sending them a screenshot. We can also check that a dehumidifier is up and running and working properly by simply following the curves of the drying process – directly on the mobile phone.

Does Celsicom Easy Connect enable you to get more business?
– Yes, I think so. If we see that the result of using the Celsicom boxes is what we want, it should free up many hours for our humidity technicians, which in turn means that we can take on more jobs with the same number of technicians.

Finally, is there any technical solution you would like to see in the future?
– Being able to “invite” customers to see the status of their items would be a good feature. It would also be an advantage to be able to control and switch off the electricity on our dehumidifiers via Celsicom Easy Connect.

– A dehumidifier that is running may give wrong values when a final measurement is made and therefore the dehumidifier should be switched off three days before the measurement. If it can be switched off remotely, we would further reduce the need for transportation, which in turn is an important aspect of our sustainability work.

Published 2022-08-10

One thing is certain: without Credin, many breads and cakes would not be as fresh and tasty. With customized margarines, tasty coffee bread fillings and easy-to-use bread and cake mixers, Credin helps many bakeries to ensure a consistent and high quality of their baked goods.

Kent-Inge Ohlsson, marketing and category manager, and Josefine Kaspersson, quality engineer at Credin, talk about the development of premixes, challenges in production and the company’s future plans.

What is the story behind Credin?
– Credin was founded in 1930 in Juelsminde, Jutland, Denmark, by Herbert Schou, son of Einar Viggo Schou. “While his father ran Palsgaard A/S and pioneered the industrial production of emulsifiers (a substance that binds oil and water) for the margarine industry, Herbert started the company Credin, whose business concept was bakery ingredients in the form of premixes for cakes and bread to make life easier for bakeries,” says Kent-Inge Ohlsson.

When did Credin see the light of day in Sweden?
– Birger Norlander from Värmland came to Gothenburg as a pastry chef in the 1940s. He eventually found employment at Bakels, which produced margarine and bakery ingredients. In 1987, Birger and his sons started Norlander Food.

– Palsgaard A/S was also one of the partners. However, it wasn’t until 2019 when Norwegian Orkla Food Ingredients, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Orkla Group, acquired the company (then called Zeelandia after a previous acquisition) and we were named Credin Sweden. The Credin Group has been owned by Orkla since 2002.

What is the size of production and who are the main customers?
– At present, we have a production of around 8,000 tons in Stenkullen outside Gothenburg. Production also takes place in our sister companies’ production facilities in Poland, Denmark and Portugal.

– We sell mainly to industrial and artisan bakeries in the Nordic and Baltic countries, but also to delivery bakeries (who in turn sell to stores and hotels, among others) and store bakeries of the major food chains.

What is your best seller?
– Our largest product segment is margarine of various kinds, both in liquid and solid form. There we also have the only branded products in the bakery market – Vera, Rex and Vetelyx. The biggest products are tailor-made margarines for various industrial customers. Developing fats and other products that match the challenges and needs of individual customers is one of our great strengths and it is a growing market for us.

Do you carry out active product development?
– Absolutely, product development is very important for us. Based on insights into trends and consumer behavior, we have recently developed a completely new bread base that is unique in the market. It is high in whole grains and plant-based products, which are increasingly demanded by today’s consumers.

– They also want to know where things come from. That’s why we use storytelling, telling you that the flour, for example, is from a farm on Gotland and showing you what the farmer and his mill look like. This makes it more small-scale and genuine and gives the product ‘life’.

How important is it for you to keep track of temperature and humidity?
– For our products to work as intended, they must have a certain structure, the right melting point and, of course, be food safe. For this reason, we have to control both temperature and moisture content,” says Josefine Kaspersson.

Are there any products that are particularly sensitive?
– Our margarine production requires extra supervision. Different types of margarine have different properties and different functions in a bakery. To get the structure and consistency we want in different types of margarine, we need to have clear control over the temperature of the process.

How do you use measuring instruments in production?
– For example, we have handheld thermometers like the testo 106. They are convenient to use to quickly check the temperature of different samples, analyses and raw materials, as well as at certain points in our processes.

Credin also has remote monitoring loggers testo Saveris 2-T1 and testo Saveris 2-T2 (now replaced by testo 162 T1 and testo 162 T2) deployed at various points in production to check the temperature of the surrounding environment, as these values have a major impact on the products.

What are you focusing on for the future?
– We have a clear focus on both growth and product development. We want to grow profitably and to do so we need to be responsive and meet the needs of the bakery industry. To achieve this, we continuously hire new people in our product development department. It is the fastest growing department in our company,” says Kent-Inge Ohlsson.

Do you focus on any particular product segment?
– What we will continue to focus on is coffee bread fillings, which is a very important product group for us, along with bread bases and margarine and fat, which is by far our largest product group. In the latter segment, we have developed our own brand called Functional Fats, consisting of liquid fats that we can customize to give bread and baked goods different properties such as greater volume and longer freshness.

Finally, which pastry do you prefer to eat with a cup of coffee?
– In January and February it’s all about the semlor. It is probably the most delicious pastry in the world! The rest of the year I prefer to eat a cardamom bun. It beats the cinnamon bun by a tiny, tiny, tiny nose length.