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 2025-07-01

Proper storage of products in the life sciences and food industry is directly linked to maintaining your own and your customers’ quality standards and complying with applicable laws. In this text, we highlight how monitoring the storage climate, together with measures such as temperature mapping and temperature alarms, help protect sensitive products.

Shelving systems, packing and picking, inflows and outflows, fill rates… Facility managers, operations managers and warehouse managers have many factors to consider to create stable and efficient storage of sensitive products. One important aspect is that climates are adapted to different products. Therefore, it is crucial that monitoring systems are installed, for example, in cold rooms where temperature-sensitive goods are stored.

Challenges in life sciences

In life sciences – such as the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology and laboratory operations – many temperature-sensitive goods require perfectly temperate climates. These range from vaccines to biological samples, which can also be sensitive to light and humidity. Here are some common challenges:

• Temperature deviations: many substances need to be stored in environments with strict temperature monitoring, e.g. within ranges such as 2-8°C or around -90°C. Even small deviations can render some products unusable.
• Impact of humidity and light: some chemicals and biological materials degrade in high humidity or UV exposure.
• Refrigeration and freezer failures: technical failures or power outages can lead to the loss of sensitive products.
• Cross-contamination: improper separation can negatively affect sensitive materials.
• Requirements from authorities: life science is heavily regulated by e.g. GMP, GDP, EMA, which places demands on documentation and traceability.

Challenges in food

Food products are sensitive to both temperature and humidity. Improper storage can quickly cause bacterial growth and spoil the goods. An effective solution is to install a cold room monitoring system. Here are some common challenges in the food industry:

• Inadequate cold chains: food must be kept within precise temperature limits at all times throughout the supply chain.
• Wrong humidity: low humidity dries out foods, while too high humidity levels can create mold and bacteria growth.
• Poor air circulation and gas environment: many foods require a modified atmosphere (e.g. low oxygen content) to keep longer.
• Poor stock management: without proper rotation (first in, first out), older products can sit around for too long.
• Traceability: regulations such as HACCP and EU regulations require control and documentation at every stage.

How to ensure optimal climate conditions

Protecting sensitive products requires both reliable technology and clear procedures. Here are some measures you should implement:

1. Monitoring with temperature alarms: install data loggers with temperature (and humidity if needed) sensors connected to a monitoring system. The system logs data continuously and alerts automatically in case of anomalies, via SMS and/or email.
2. Quality assured equipment: use calibrated measurement technology in cold rooms, freezers and other storage environments. Calibration ensures that your equipment gives reliable readings.
3. Temperature mapping: performs mapping in both winter and summer to identify temperature variations within storage areas.
4. Backup and emergency solutions: install backup power systems such as UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and have access to dry ice or cooling gel in case of emergency.
5. Organized and hygienic storage: apply good storage practices (GSP) – label clearly, separate incompatible substances, keep clean and prevent pests.

Published 2024-11-22

Setting up ventilation is important to ensure a good indoor climate and to keep operating costs down. But, as many of us know, it is often a time-consuming process, especially when it comes to large systems where several technicians often have to work together to measure flow and pressure several times in different places in the buildings to achieve optimal ventilation adjustment.

Thanks to the Celsicom V600, these problems are a thing of the past. In fact, with the help of the meter, a ventilation technician can perform really big adjustment jobs all by himself.

Adjustment of ventilation with Celsicom V600

All you need to set airflows in a system is our new tuning instrument, an optional airflow meter and a mobile phone or tablet. Here is our step-by-step guide to setting up ventilation with the Celsicom V600:

• Remove the sliding cover of the Celsicom V600 and scan the QR code inside with a mobile/tablet
• Create an account on the Celsiview cloud service webpage that appears on the screen
• Add the Celsicom V600 and choose the instrument for your measurement
• Identify the weakest point of the ventilation system, i.e. your reference device
• Enter the K-factor and projected value for reference actuators and other actuators
• Connect the calibration instrument to the reference device and the measurement is underway.
• Celsicom V600 guides you through the entire proportional adjustment process
• The mobile/tablet displays the current adjustment values for each sensor
• If a pressure change occurs in the system, new values are calculated – in seconds!
• Finally, raise or lower the reference actuator to 100% (as designed) and the values of the other actuators will be automatically adjusted

“No need to go back and check measurements”

This is how ventilation adjustment works with Celsicom V600. One person who has discovered the advantages of the new adjustment instrument is ventilation technician Tor Halvorsen at VXPro AB. Tor has used the instrument for several large adjustment jobs and believes that it facilitates and improves his job in several respects.

– I don’t have to spend time doing my own calculations, nor do I have to go back and check the reference device. In the past, it often took at least three trips to get all the values right. Now I get it right straight away,” says Tor, adding that the Celsicom instrument makes him more efficient.

– It saves at least a third of the time. Up to half in some cases. Depending on the accessibility and complexity of the systems.

Impressively accurate alignment

In addition to the time savings, the Celsicom V600 and Celsiview allow Tor to perform large adjustments with impressive precision. He often exceeds the requirement of six percent accuracy in the adjustment between the sensors by far.

– “I often get down to three percent accuracy, which benefits everyone. The tenants get a comfortable indoor climate and the property owners lower energy consumption,” says Tor Halvorsen, who sees how the smart measuring instrument allows him to “do more in less time”.

– This is a great solution that gives me more capacity every day of the week!

Discover other Celsicom meter boxes

The Celsicom product family also offers measurement boxes for accurate measurement and analysis of other quantities such as temperature, humidity and differential pressure to ensure safe and optimal environments in many different industries.

Companies operating in sectors such as construction, real estate, moisture damage management and the food industry benefit greatly from Celsicom’s flexible and precise measurement boxes. Whether you need to ensure indoor air quality, monitor workplace conditions or meet critical environmental parameters, Celsicom can help you do so with the highest accuracy and reliability.

Curious about the user-friendly, reliable and versatile Celsicom? Read more here!

Published 2023-10-19

There are many places in a church that can be exposed to moisture, causing damage to walls and ceilings, furnishings and decorations, textiles and books. An increasing number of parishes and pastorates have started to systematically log humidity and temperature – often remotely – to avoid costly moisture damage and minimize heating costs. In Örebro parish, for example, there are clear benefits from remote monitoring of the indoor climate in churches.

Mold and other microorganisms are common in churches. Cleaning up microbial growth takes a lot of time and money. To counteract this, the Church of Sweden has been working actively for many years to ensure a good indoor climate in church buildings. As part of this work, a comprehensive handbook on the facts and detection of moisture in different environments has been produced.

Increased need for metrology

“Moisture, or water, is the single most important factor in determining whether a church building is affected by mold. Keeping moisture and water loads in check prevents damage,” the manual states. At the same time, it notes that mold problems do not seem to be going away but rather the opposite: climate change, with increasing rainfall and warmer climates, is predicted to give churches more work in controlling and managing moisture levels.

The handbook is aimed at those who both plan and carry out the operation, maintenance and supervision of churches in parishes and pastorates. It is divided into the following seven inspection rounds: the crawl space, soil and drainage, the façade, the attic, the roof, the interior of the building and in connection with surveying.

Not everything can be seen or smelled…

There are many sources of moisture, such as rainfall and soil moisture, leakage and humidity. Discoloration, stains and flaking plaster and paint can indicate moisture damage. Similarly, an unusual, pungent smell can reveal the presence of mold. But in a remarkable number of cases, mold growth is fairly anonymous. The mould cannot be seen or smelled until the growth is well advanced. If microbial growth is suspected, the Church of Sweden therefore recommends that adequate measuring equipment be used to measure and monitor the presence of temperature and relative humidity (RH) in several places in the church.

So what causes moisture problems in churches and where should measurements be taken? Open doors (e.g. during summers), leaks and exhaled air from visitors during services are some sources of warm air meeting cool surfaces (such as church walls) and causing condensation. Surfaces made of organic material or soiled by carbon particles from burning candles are a good breeding ground for microbial growth.

Moisture alarm from microclimate measurement

In a church there are many microclimates. These are small, confined areas where temperature, air circulation and humidity may differ from the climate in other parts of the space. These microclimates, which may have elevated moisture levels, are found under pews and pulpits, behind altarpieces and fixtures placed/attached to an exterior wall. One microclimate that’s important to keep an eye on is the storage of mess kit, alba, smock and other garments. Textiles are sensitive and should ideally not be exposed to relative humidity higher than 50% RH. Many churches use the mobile-connected Celsicom TH600 to measure moisture in these and other spaces. If the moisture value is exceeded, the user receives an automatic alarm via SMS or email. By also using the Celsicom TC602 measurement box, you can perform additional measurements and correlate these with measurement data from the TH600 in the Celsiview cloud service. It gives you the RF value of a surface in real time, allowing you to quickly see if the surface is so cold and damp that there is a high risk of mold growth.

Moisture content in exposed wooden structures

Water leaks and warm air entering roof and floor structures can result in damp environments and a breeding ground for mold. With the help of the Celsicom MM611B connected measuring box, churches have the opportunity to quickly and easily measure the moisture ratio continuously. They monitor the water content of exposed wooden structures such as roof and floor joists and can detect at an early stage any damage caused, for example, by water ingress.

Temperature measurement that saves costs

Energy saving is a priority for many businesses. Churches are no exception. In many cases, intermittent heating is used. That is, church buildings are basically only heated for services, weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies. The Celsicom TH600 is a perfect measurement solution in this context as well. The measuring box tells you how long it takes to heat the church. This can help churches ensure perfectly timed, comfortable indoor climates for different services while reducing heating costs.

Move and measure wherever you want

The Celsicom family of measurement boxes are all small and compact, reliable and battery-powered. It only takes a few minutes to activate a box to start measuring. The boxes can be placed almost anywhere and are easy to move when a new measurement need arises.

Measurement solutions for moisture control in churches

More facts about moisture

Various factors affect the humidity measurement. If you want to find out what these are and what you need to consider when using humidity measuring instruments, read more on our Facts about humidity page.

Published 2023-09-29

Radon is a radioactive gas produced when the element radium decays in the ground. So-called radon daughters then bud off and attach to dust that we breathe in and get into our lungs. Radon provides the highest exposure to ionizing radiation (high energy electromagnetic radiation).

There may be radon in the ground under and around a building. It is the most common source of radon. Otherwise, radon can be measured in building materials such as concrete, bricks and aerated concrete and in domestic water. Especially in rock drilled wells or cold springs. High radon levels in municipal water are unusual.

Reference levels and risks

The reference level for radon in Sweden is 200 becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). At higher radon levels, property managers should act quickly and take measures to reduce the levels as much as possible.

Long-term exposure to elevated radon levels increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Smokers are particularly at risk of being affected. An estimated 500 lung cancer cases per year can probably be attributed to radon in homes, according to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.

How to detect radon

Radon cannot be smelled or seen. Measurement is the only way to detect and map the presence of radon in a building. You should measure continuously between October 1 and April 30, i.e. during the heating season. The measurement should be carried out for at least two months – around the clock in different weather conditions to capture variations in temperature, wind conditions, ventilation systems, air circulation and so on. The longer the measurement period, the more accurate the readings.

It is good practice to carry out radon measurements at regular intervals. In particular, you should measure radon if it has been 10 years since the last measurement and if the building has been rebuilt or renovated.

Four different measurements of radon

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has produced method descriptions for radon measurement in homes and workplaces. These descriptions emphasize that all spaces should be used as usual during the measurement. For example, the heating and ventilation settings are just as usual. There are essentially four different types of measurements, all performed over different periods of time: long-term measurement, follow-up measurement, short-term measurement and instantaneous measurement. These methods are described here in brief.

Long-term measurement is the overall method for radon measurement in homes and workplaces. It is done with tracer film canisters deployed to capture radon daughters (see explanation above) over a measurement period of at least two months. The results of the measurement are then sent to a lab for analysis.

Follow-up measurements are made in cases where long-term measurements are believed to have overestimated the radon level in, for example, a workplace. As a complement, a follow-up measurement is then carried out for at least seven days and five working days in order to also obtain measurement data during evenings and nights (when many people usually reduce or turn off ventilation, which can lead to an increase in radon levels) in order to obtain a more accurate picture of radon levels.

Short-term measurement is an option in cases where a long-term measurement cannot be carried out for some reason. Can be selected to measure radon levels in workplaces with temporary work periods. The measurement shall last for at least five working days. Short-term measurement can also be used to provide an indication of whether an ongoing radon remediation project is progressing according to plan.

Instantaneous measurement is a direct measurement of radon levels during working hours. The measurement is made over a short period of time, usually a few hours. The measurement uncertainty for instantaneous measurement is greater than for the other measurement methods.

“Stable and reliable radon values within one hour”

For several years, Celsicom has developed and launched a range of smart measurement boxes for different measurement sizes. One of these is the Celsicom THR600 radon meter (read more below).

– It is a great complement to the long-term measurement of radon. The box is easy to set up. And you have stable and reliable radon values within an hour. This allows you to quickly implement radon remediation measures,” says Stefan Carlsson, CEO of Celsicom.

He adds that the Celsicom box is also a very valuable tool during remediation.

– You can follow the process hour by hour and see if your actions are effective. Simply ensure that the remediation is proceeding according to plan and the radon levels are gradually decreasing.

What you need to start measuring radon

Discover other Celsicom meter boxes

The Celsicom product family also offers measurement boxes for accurate measurement and analysis of other quantities such as temperature, humidity and differential pressure to ensure safe and optimal environments in many different industries.

Companies operating in sectors such as construction, real estate, moisture damage management and the food industry benefit greatly from Celsicom’s flexible and precise measurement boxes. Whether you need to ensure indoor air quality, monitor workplace conditions or meet critical environmental parameters, Celsicom can help you do so with the highest accuracy and reliability.

Curious about the user-friendly, reliable and versatile Celsicom? Read more here!

Published 2024-08-08

Construction of the West Link is taking place under and above ground around Gothenburg. At the Kallebäck exit west of the E6, concrete engineer Frida Mesch and her colleagues at NCC are busy casting in and outside the southern tunnel mouth of the rail link. They use around 30 concrete computers to keep track of the strength at all times.

There is a flurry of activity when we meet Frida Mesch in Kallebäck. Excavators are used to prepare the ground and rebar is laid down for future pours. Frida is a fairly new concrete engineer. It was mostly a coincidence that I chose this particular career. After high school, Frida trained as a flight instructor. Largely to get flying hours and then be able to further train as a pilot. But after a while she got tired of it and was tipped off by a staffing agency about a position at a company that manufactures concrete pipes.

– I really liked it there, but after a while I felt that I wanted to develop myself further. When I was on maternity leave and was actually looking for courses for my partner, I found out about a course at Yrkesakademin to become a concrete engineer,” Frida says and continues:

– I was already working with concrete and thought it was a fun material. So I became interested in learning more. I have always been insatiable on learning new things.

Thesis on the concrete computer

At the end of her training, Frida had an internship at NCC. It was then that she discovered the Celsicom remote monitoring system and the Celsicom TC603 concrete computer.

– Someone in our project had heard about Celsicom and thought we should use it for our castings. But none of my colleagues knew exactly how the monitoring system worked, so it was my job to find out,” says Frida.

This resulted in Frida doing her thesis on the concrete computer from Celsicom and the associated cloud service Celsiview where all measurement data is saved and documented during both ongoing and completed casting. In order to clarify various issues during the thesis, Frida received valuable help from Fredrik Andersson and Stefan Carlsson at Celsicom AB.

“Everything is very simple”

A clear advantage of Celsicom’s concrete computer emerged during the thesis work, says Frida:

– Simplicity. Everything from settings to use is very simple. When you look at other concrete computers, you’re a bit intimidated by how technically complicated they look.

Her evaluation of the standard recipes in Celsiview showed that there is not much difference in the strength calculation if you have a slightly different recipe but it still contains the same cement as a base, Frida says and elaborates:

– You don’t need to make strength calculations yourself. The system does that for you. And the strength calculation is always based on empirical measurements of conditions in and around the concrete, whether I calculate it myself or let the computer do the job. In the end, whatever the method of calculation, you still have to drill out a core and test it to know exactly.

This and other knowledge of the Celsicom monitoring system is of great use to Frida in her daily work at NCC. She and her colleagues use no fewer than 32 concrete computers to pour floor slabs, walls and roofs for the area at the southern tunnel mouth of the West Link.

Clients receive detailed documentation

Frida praises, among other things, the possibility to get the current status of an ongoing casting.

– For example, if I cast something the other day and want to check the strength, I can go into the mobile and get a message very quickly. It’s incredibly convenient.

The concrete computers are also used to measure the temperature of the cooling water to and from the concrete. The temperature difference in these water flows must not be more than four degrees. If this happens, it can cause stresses in the concrete, which can lead to cracks.

– Another great advantage of the Celsiview cloud service in particular is that the client receives very detailed and good information about the castings when we hand over our final documentation. They can enjoy professional overviews with clear and attractive charts.

Challenging and fun material

There’s no mistaking that Frida Mesch likes working on the West Link. When she started her internship a few years ago, no concrete had been poured in the Kallebäck area.

– It’s been great to see it all come together.

She describes concrete as a challenging material that can behave in different ways. It’s important to “keep your wits about you”, as Frida puts it, otherwise it’s easy to make mistakes and, for example, to end up with a cast that you have to repair.

– The big challenge is to get the perfect cast without a single air bubble. It is very difficult but at the same time a fun challenge.

– “I’m really keen to build my own house. If I had the money for it, I would start right away,” says Frida Mesch with a laugh.

Briefly about the West Link Project

The West Link is an approximately eight-kilometer double-track railway for commuter and regional trains in the Gothenburg area. More than six kilometers of railway tracks will run in a tunnel under central Gothenburg. In the north, the tracks go underground in the Gullbergsvass neighborhood (near Skansen Lejonet) to come up in the Kallebäck area south of Gothenburg. Three new stations will be built along the new underground route: Station Centralen, Station Haga and Station Korsvägen. Construction of the West Link started in 2018 and is originally scheduled for completion in 2030.

Published 2024-06-25

Since 2016, energy engineer Billy Axelsson has been using data loggers from the Celsicom measurement system to remotely monitor various indoor climates in Kil municipality’s buildings. The loggers enable more efficient work and reduce energy consumption and the risk of costly breakdowns.

Billy Axelsson works at the property unit with responsibility for energy and ventilation. It is a small job considering that the municipality operates on about 60,000 square meters in about 50 buildings. These buildings house commercial kitchens, schools, nurseries, leisure facilities, care homes – and a range of other businesses.

An important part of the real estate unit’s work consists of remote monitoring of various climate parameters in different environments, in order to analyze important measurements on a daily basis and schedule measures or, if necessary, respond immediately. Measured variables such as temperature and humidity are monitored with data loggers from the first generation of the Celsicom measurement system (the loggers are connected to base stations) and data loggers from the second generation of the same system (these loggers have their own connection via the Narrow Band Internet of Things on their own frequency in the mobile phone network). In total, there are 107 measurement sites in 27 buildings.

Celsicom – an important backup
The fact that Celsicom was chosen eight years ago was mostly a coincidence.

– We have some comprehensive systems for monitoring and controlling heating and ventilation in our buildings. But I felt the need to have some kind of backup to be able to have continuous control and get alerts. “At one point I bought a thermal imaging camera from Nordtec and was a bit curious about what other fun things you had,” says Billy.

That’s when he discovered and chose to test Celsicom. Since day one, the remote monitoring system has greatly facilitated the work of the real estate unit. Above all, the ease of getting started and using the Celsicom logs is appreciated. The automatic limit alerts via SMS or email are also praised. And the fact that the purchase of each logger – including the subscription cost for storage and analysis in the Celsiview cloud service – is a modest investment.

Automatically alerts in good time
The real estate unit has found a variety of applications for the Celsicom loggers. Here are some examples of what they are used for.

– If a chiller breaks down or starts leaking refrigerant, the chiller can continue to run while the temperature starts to rise. This can quickly be seen from diagrams in Celsiview.

– Another great advantage is the possibility of receiving an alarm if, for example, a large meat fridge breaks down. Then you have to act quickly to avoid having to throw away goods worth SEK 100,000 the next day.

Celsicom loggers are also used in schools to ensure a good indoor climate in classrooms, to monitor temperature and humidity in music rooms and to prevent damage to stringed instruments. The remote monitoring also covers four pellet plants. There, Celsicom loggers simply alert you if pellet levels are approaching a critical level and it’s time to refill.

Preventing an expensive mishap
– I have also made a little invention of my own with one of the latest Celsicom loggers that has moisture ratio sensors (Celsicom MM611B). I’ve connected it to a screw in a wooden plank lying on the floor of a basement where we have very little supervision. And last winter there was a water leak from the heating system! I was alerted within an hour that the moisture content was too high in the wooden plank and was able to go there to quickly fix the flood and leak. It could have been really expensive if I hadn’t had that monitoring,” says Billy.

Celsicom also eliminates time spent traveling around checking conditions in different properties.

– Instead, I always have updated readings via the Celsiview cloud service on the home page of my computer. I can quickly see if something seems strange and can easily see how things are developing, and then decide whether I or someone else needs to go to the scene.

Good information and data
Celsiview is also a good tool for sharing information and providing input for various improvements. For example, staff in commercial kitchens can log in and have a ‘watch’ function to check temperatures in cold rooms and freezers in real time for their own control.

One of the property unit’s major challenges in the future is to make operations more efficient by, for example, reducing electricity and district heating. It’s about reducing energy use as much as possible without sacrificing a comfortable indoor climate. In this respect too, deployed Celsicom loggers are valuable tools.

– It is very easy to quickly see on your mobile phone, tablet or computer where the temperature is a bit too high and can be turned down to reduce heating costs. “In an electrically heated school that is in storage, I have Celsicom connected to the heating system to be able to keep the temperature as low as possible without it freezing in the winter,” says Billy Axelsson and notes:

– We save a lot of money by having sensors monitoring the radiator groups.

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 2022-12-19

Our compact, robust Celsicom meter boxes give you full control of moisture on construction sites or after water damage in a property. You can view updated measurement data directly on your phone at any time.

Remote monitoring of building moisture

The Celsicom TH601A and TH601B measurement boxes provide you with convenient and reliable monitoring of moisture remaining in wood materials and concrete slabs on construction sites. By logging in to the Celsiview cloud service on your mobile phone, tablet or computer, you can quickly access current measurements.

The TH601A is equipped with a 0.4 meter external cable sensor while the TH601B has a 2.0 meter external cable sensor. Both are robust measurement boxes that can measure moisture in harsh environments, such as a concrete slab using the RF method, for a long time. A specially adjusted sensor can be purchased for the 75-95 %RH range to achieve maximum accuracy.

Remote monitoring of dehumidification

The measuring boxes are also ideal for accurately monitoring the moisture situation after water damage in different types of properties. Depending on the extent of the water damage, the moisture monitoring boxes are installed in the concrete structures. You can then easily follow the dehumidification process remotely on your phone, tablet or computer.

By setting alarm limits, you will automatically receive a text message or email when dehumidification is complete. You can also look at the dehumidification curve to estimate when moisture values are expected to be reached and thus plan further restoration work. All this avoids unnecessary trips to measure and document progress on site with portable moisture meters, saving you time and money.

What you need to start measuring building moisture