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 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.