Previously, data loggers were primarily used in the food processing industry to monitor environmental conditions in warehouses, wine cellars, or during the transportation of foodstuffs. However, in this application, “Pures” grape juice cuvée from Reh Kendermann winery in Bingen am Rhein saw data loggers used in a completely different way. During the development of “Pures,” a white carbonated grape beverage, MSR145 data loggers were utilized to capture data inside a Champagne bottle as it was processed. These small data loggers, equipped with temperature and pressure sensors, supported product development and reliably recorded data on the sparkling wine bottles.

Measurement “In Vivo”

During the manufacture of the grape juice cuvée, the grape juice is carbonated and heat-treated. The primary factor affecting quality at this stage is pasteurization, an issue Johannes Grobeis, technical director at Reh Kendermann, handled with particular care. “Maintaining timing and temperature was very important to me. Low temperatures carry the risk of impairing product preservation, while temperatures that are too high can cause the caps to burst.” To obtain exact results, Johannes Grobeis wanted to place a data logger inside the bottle and then pasteurize the device along with the grape juice to record the critical parameters “in vivo.”

Since the logger had to fit through the neck of the bottle, its diameter could not exceed the bottle’s opening. At just 18.5 mm (3/4”) wide, the logger fits perfectly through the narrow opening.

Using the logger “in vivo” presented a range of challenges for the measuring device. The data logger not only had to be absolutely watertight, but it also needed to withstand temperatures of 72°C (160°F) and pressures of over 10 bar (145 PSI) during the development phase. The MSR145 mini data logger fulfilled these requirements. “Thanks to our special manufacturing procedures, we can insert-mold the logger, which is already designed to be watertight, inside a silicon sleeve with absolutely no bubbles. During hardening, the silicon becomes fully cured, making the device 100 percent watertight,” according to Wendelin Egli, CEO of MSR Electronics.

Benefits of the MSR145

“Based on the measurement results, we were able to verify and standardize the critical process parameters relating to process engineering and product safety within the shortest possible time and with minimum testing requirements,” Johannes Grobeis explains. “Because we had the ability to record data under real-time conditions, we only needed two large-scale tests before Pures was ready for the market.” For Johannes Grobeis, using the data logger was beneficial in every respect: “Using the ‘measuring probe’ not only saved us a huge amount of time, but we also obtained recordings made in the bottle under real-time conditions. With traditional systems that are incorporated into the bottle closure and actuated from outside, real-time measurements are not possible.”

This Application Note has been adapted from an article written by MSR Electronics GmbH. MSR is the manufacturer of the MSR145, their versatile universal data logger for long-term measurements.

For more information on the MSR145, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Measuring Temperature & Pressure In Sparkling Wine Bottles appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

A milk supply company was looking for a temperature monitoring solution to track shipments from the bottling plant to stores. During deliveries to distant receivers, including farmers’ markets and supermarket chains, the milk’s temperature needs to remain below 2-3°C (36-37°F) throughout transit. Naturally, milk is an extremely temperature-sensitive product, which begins to spoil if its temperature rises by more than a few degrees above this range, curdling in the container. If the temperature goes outside of the required range, the milk can be rejected by receivers as unsafe for sale due to health risk and must be discarded.

Since it could take several days for the fresh milk to reach store shelves, it was very important that the temperature history from the trip be quickly validated. And, the company’s products are often shipped to locations where proprietary software to review the temperature history was unavailable. With these issues in mind, the company wanted to find an accurate temperature measuring solution that would continually monitor their product in transit and provide immediate onsite proof of quality to receivers without the need for special software.

Installation

The milk company selected Halveon T-Stream Multi-Use data loggers for their refrigerated shipments to closely monitor milk temperature during transport. Drivers place the loggers into self-adhesive pouches and place them directly onto the crates, four per truck. During deliveries, the internal sensor in each unit accurately monitors the milk with a typical accuracy of 0.5°C and a resolution of 0.1°C. Their lightweight and compact design makes for an easy fit among the crates. The loggers come with a 6 point certificate of validation ensuring accurate measurements. They are powered by an internal battery with a life of up to 2 years and the loggers are IP67 rated for compatibility with the damp environment in the shipping compartment. Installed this way, the data loggers provide good coverage of the shipment and continually monitor the product throughout transit to the stores.

Usage

The data loggers start up with the push of a button and also have a view/mark button which can be used to bookmark readings at key points but continue to monitor until reaching the end of their journey. They also offer advanced alarm capabilities to immediately indicate on the display if the temperature has remained with the limits during the trip or if the product temperature got out of range. Drivers simply check the loggers during routine stops and look at the display to make sure everything is OK or if the limits have been exceeded. Users can also view the minimum, maximum and average temperature during the recording period using the buttons on the logger. The measurement interval (from 1 minute to 24 hours) and high and low limits can easily be configured using the T-Stream MU software on a PC during setup.  When the crates of milk arrive at the receivers, each data logger can be plugged into a USB port on a PC allowing a pdf report to be printed directly or the raw data can be transferred as a .CSV file.

Benefits

The milk company saves both time and product by using the portable T-Stream data loggers in the back of their milk trucks to provide effective and reliable monitoring for their temperature-sensitive product during transport. The compact data loggers come with free setup software and the built-in ability to generate reports for the receivers proving that the milk’s temperature has been successfully maintained throughout the trip. With this simple solution it’s much less common for receiver to get spoiled product and have to reject or discard it.

The ability of the T-Stream loggers to provide an immediate printed .pdf report when the shipment is delivered simplifies the process of providing both the shipper and the receiver with the required documentation of the safe transport of the milk. This allows the producer to comply with FDA regulations and satisfy the customer that they are getting a safe product. Looking to the future, the customer is investigating the potential of the Halveon T-Stream RM loggers to provide full time visibility via continuous live data updates during shipment using its cellular connection along with real-time SMS and email alerts for immediate notification of problems.

For more information on Halveon T-Stream loggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at 800-956-4437 or request more information.

The post Shipment Temperature Monitoring for Milk Crate Transport appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

The art of chocolate making is a delicate balance of science and craftsmanship. But behind the delectable treat lies a complex process known as cocoa bean fermentation. It’s an intricate dance between temperature, humidity, and time; one misstep can lead to a chocolate disaster. To ensure every batch is a masterpiece, a clever cocoa manufacturer turned to a secret weapon, the data logger, to monitor critical fermentation data.

Freshly extracted from pods, Cocoa beans undergo a fermentation process in wooden boxes or “sweatboxes.” This process is essential for developing the rich, complex flavors that characterize high-quality chocolate. However, control of the process is a delicate balancing act:

• Temperature Control: Excessive heat during fermentation can lead to undesirable flavors and dark blotches.
• Humidity Management: Insufficient humidity can hinder fermentation, while excessive moisture can promote mold growth.
• Oxygenation: Proper oxygenation is crucial for optimal fermentation, but not so much as to cause overheating.

The Challenge of Cocoa Bean Fermentation:

A cocoa manufacturer implemented a wireless data logging system to monitor and control these critical factors. This system consisted of temperature and humidity data loggers strategically placed within the cocoa bean fermentation boxes. With the ability to both continuously measure and record the environmental conditions, the data loggers offered 4 key features:

• Real-Time Monitoring: The data loggers continuously measured temperature and humidity levels inside the sweatboxes.
• Wireless Communication: Data was transmitted wirelessly to a base station and then to a central computer.
• Alarm Notifications: The system was configured to send alerts if temperature or humidity levels exceeded predefined thresholds.
• Data Analysis: Recorded data was used to analyze the fermentation process and identify areas for improvement.

Benefits of Data Logging:

By utilizing stand-alone data loggers, the manufacturer experienced 3 valuable benefits that helped them improve their process:

• Improved Quality Control: By ensuring optimal fermentation conditions, data loggers helped the manufacturer produce more consistent and higher-quality chocolate.
• Increased Efficiency: The ability to monitor the process remotely and receive real-time alerts streamlined operations and reduced the risk of errors.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: The collected data provided valuable insights into the fermentation process, enabling the manufacturer to make informed decisions and optimize their practices.

Conclusion:

Data loggers have proven to be indispensable tools for one chocolate manufacturer, ensuring that the delicate art of cocoa bean fermentation is carried out with precision and consistency. By monitoring critical parameters and providing valuable data, these devices play a vital role in producing the finest chocolate products.

For more information on Wireless Temp Monitoring, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLoggers Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Wireless Temperature Monitoring In Cocoa Bean Fermentation appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

Last year, the kitchen had several equipment failures in its coolers and freezers, which is always a risk with any refrigerated storage units. Food safety regulations state that once products go above the 40°F safe zone, staff only have about 4 hours to get it back to temperature before the food has to be discarded. These equipment issues inconvenienced the kitchen as staff had to move food between refrigerators to keep everything safe. After this, Chef Cornet called CAS DataLoggers requesting a continuous monitoring and alarming system which could also send automatic alert messages to his phone.

Installation

CAS DataLoggers provided the kitchen with 6 battery-powered T&D RTR-502B Wireless Temperature Dataloggers, one to monitor each storage unit. The kitchen contains 4 refrigerators and 2 freezers of different sizes spread out through a large room, and wired systems weren’t practical given the kitchen layout. Installation was easy—the loggers are attached to the outside of the front of the units using Velcro and their external sensors are inserted through a port or door gasket to measure the temperature inside of the units. Southern also installed a T&D RTR-500BW Wireless Ethernet Network Base Station to automatically collect the readings from the individual temperature data loggers. The Wireless Data Collector is located in a nearby room with backup generator power to support stable monitoring, even in the event that the facility’s power ever goes out.

Utilization

Before installation, the chef and his assistants had tracked temperatures using thermometers integrated into their storage units, as is the case in many industrial kitchens. However, the team could be occupied preparing food for long stretches of time, and they couldn’t check the temperatures as often as they wanted, nor on weekends when everyone was off. Now, using T&D’s Wireless System, Chef Cornet has set the Data Loggers to automatically take temperature readings once an hour, and to check for alarm conditions every 5 minutes. This way he is able to work knowing that an alarm will trigger whenever temperatures go outside safe limits, indicating that a cooler is failing and starting to warm up.

Chef Cornet also relies on the back-to-normal message the T&D system emails to his cell phone the moment that his storage unit temperatures are back to safe limits: “I live pretty far from work, on the other side of Vegas, so I like saving the trip when the fridges are actually working fine after hours and on the weekend.” In the event that temperatures don’t return to safe levels following an alarm–indicating a possible equipment failure–he can take action by transferring all product from the failed fridge. “The alarms are fast, they’re very reactive, so the food won’t be out of temperature very long and it can all be saved.”

The kitchen’s system is also set up to automatically send its recorded data to the T&D Webstorage Service once an hour. This free cloud storage service offers long-term file storage space for up to over 5 million readings. All the recorded data is viewable online where it can be saved, analyzed, and printed out. Chef Cornet can also track the temperature data from his mobile device so he can view it anytime from anywhere. Every Sunday Chef Cornet will download the data onto a PC, print it out, and store it in a binder. This helps achieve compliance with food safety regulations so he’ll have the data ready when the health inspector comes by and he can just hand all the data over: “They’ll love that and it’ll save us all a lot of time.”

T&D’s new wireless monitoring system really benefits Southern’s temperature monitoring needs. Each RTR-502B Wireless Data Logger includes an external sensor so that the kitchen doesn’t have to buy separate temperature probes. Chef Cornet called CAS DataLoggers needing an alarming solution and learned the advantage of the free T&D Webstorage Service, which collects all the temperature data and makes it available online. Now he has full documentation of his kitchen’s ongoing best practices, proving to inspectors that the facility is keeping up with regulations. Further, if the kitchen ever needs to be renovated and walk-in freezers, T&D’s durable data loggers are ideal for that setup too. Summing up the biggest advantage of his new system, Chef explains, “The biggest benefit is peace of mind–that’s for sure. When a few of my fridges were failing, we knew we had to have something reliable to cover us the next time. I definitely have peace of mind now, and now I can also show our good practices for the health department.” So now his alarming solution doubles as a compliance solution!

This Application Note has been adapted from an article written by TandD. TandD is the manufacturer of the RTR-502B and RTR-500BW, the ideal continuous food temperature monitoring solutions.

For more information on TandD’s RTR Wireless Data Loggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post A Las Vegas Kitchen Goes Wireless With Temperature Loggers appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

Perfecting Food Temperatures with a Grant Squirrel SQ16 Logger

CAS DataLoggers has just supplied a temperature monitoring solution for a large caterer utilizing sous vide (French for ‘under vacuum’) cooking as part of their food preparation process. This increasingly popular style uses thick vacuum-sealed pouches to slow-cook food at below-boiling temperatures from half a day to 3 days. Using sous vide, the business produces extra-tender meat including short ribs, chicken, and salmon as well as vegetables that keep their crisp texture. First, the food is vacuum sealed inside the pouches which are then placed in a water bath held at a precisely controlled temperature to cook them gradually. The combination of the low temperature, typically in the range of 130 to 185F, plus the vacuum sealing allows the food to cook evenly and locks in the juices.

Although it produces delicious food, sous vide is a very demanding all-day process requiring accurate equipment to continually monitor the food’s core temperature. Health and safety are also paramount since the technique uses such low temperatures. The food is cooked until pasteurized, but the time this takes varies with the food’s shape and size. For example, the chef cooks a few salmon dishes at 54°C (130°F), so he has to periodically check the temperature to ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly and safe to eat. He had heard about people using data loggers to monitor the sous vide process and called CAS to get more information.

CAS DataLoggers recommended the Grant Squirrel SQ16 Data Logger to monitor their sous vide process in real-time. The data logger features 8 input channels for use with a wide range of sensors including Type T and Type K thermocouple probes. CAS DataLoggers also supplied the kitchen with several Type T probes tipped with a needle point for easy insertion into the pouches. Staff cook these pouches inside a water bath which is set to the desired temperature. A circulator pump keeps the heated water moving to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the bath and cook the food more evenly. After removing the pouches, the chef then quickly chills them in a refrigerator while still under vacuum to eliminate any chance of contamination and spoilage.

After placing the food within the vacuum pouches, the chef fixes foam tape to the top of each bag and sticks the needle probe through the foam into the thickest part of the meat. This way, the pouches retain their seal, and the food cooks while the thermocouple probes log the core temperature of the meat. Using the Grant logger, it’s easy to monitor 2-3 pouches at a time during large orders and the wedding season.

The data logger is portable and lightweight so the chef can easily move it around to check the food’s current temperature in the different baths. Its standalone battery operation means it can be left on the countertop for days to log the temperature inside the pouches while kitchen staff prepare other dishes. Staff can set up the logger with a delayed start to automatically start at a specific time allowing them to get everything prepared ahead of time. The Grant logger’s internal memory stores millions of readings of data, easily enough for multiple runs.

The logger has built-in Bluetooth communications along with a mobile app allowing the chef to monitor the temperatures from anywhere in the kitchen. The data logger comes with SquirrelView set-up and analysis software for PC, which makes it easy to configure the logger and view recorded data to fine-tune his sous vide process. The software’s user-friendly, spreadsheet-style interface allows quick setup of the data logger, quick downloads, and direct export to Excel. Flexible data presentation allows the chef to quickly display and analyze real-time or historical data such as a line graph, bar chart, etc.

The Grant data logger is easy to use and helps ensure that the caterer’s product is high-quality. The supplied thermocouples are inexpensive and simple for staff to place into the pouches, while the logger is also ideal for providing health and safety assurances to regulators that the meat was cooked properly and free of health risks. Along with the logger and temperature probes, CAS DataLoggers also provided their catering business with free technical support so they could get up and running with their application.

For more information on Grant Data Loggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Sous Vide Cooking Using a Temperature Data Logger appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

Who Needs HACCP?

HACCP originally grew out of a need by NASA to ensure that food produced by Pillsbury was safe for space flights. Today it is mandated by the FDA and USDA for juice, meat, and seafood. However, any business that handles food should have a HACCP compliance plan to comply with regulations and ensure food safety. This includes:

• Restaurant
• Food manufacturing plants
• School cafeterias
• Nursing homes

What Are the Seven Key Principles of HAACP?

1. Conduct a hazard analysis for any biological, physical, or chemical hazard that can make food unsafe
2. Identify critical points in the process where control can prevent hazards
3. Establish limits for these critical points
4. Implement monitoring procedures at these points to collect relevant data
5. Create corrective actions to be taken when monitoring identifies issues
6. Establish verification procedures to make sure the plan is adequate and working as intended
7. Create record-keeping procedures for the hazard analysis, HACCP plan, limits and
   monitoring activities, corrective actions, and verification processes.

Benefits of HACCP Compliance

One of the key areas in a HACCP plan requires documenting food temperatures at critical points and setting alarms for unsafe conditions. This helps you:

• Avoid product recalls due to spoilage or contamination with the concurrent financial loss and reputational damage
• Prove your best practices to auditors
• Demonstrate your commitment to food safety

HACCP Compliance Made Easy with T&D Data Loggers

T&D temperature data loggers streamline HACCP compliance by automating several key tasks:

1. They continuously record temperatures around the clock, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and providing a complete electronic record.
2. These loggers can be programmed to send instant email alerts whenever temperatures deviate from safe zones, allowing for prompt intervention
3. Data is automatically uploaded to a secure, cloud WebStorage Service, which facilitates easy access and sharing with auditors during inspections.
4. The loggers can generate reports with charts and tables, ensuring a clear and organized presentation of temperature data.

These features combined make T&D data loggers a valuable tool for restaurants, schools, food processors, or any other business that handles food to ensure food safety and maintain HACCP compliance.

Features of T&D TR-7A Wireless Series

The T&D TR-7A series is a popular choice for HACCP compliance. These Wi-Fi data loggers offer:

• Wireless connectivity: View data directly from your phone or tablet without a network.
• Standalone operation: Runs on battery power for flexible placement.
• LCD display: Shows current temperature and battery status.
• Dual temperature sensors: Monitor temperatures in two locations simultaneously
• Optional humidity sensor: Track both temperature and humidity for comprehensive food safety monitoring.

Conclusion

T&D’s WiFi temperature dataloggers are an effective solution for achieving HACCP compliance. They simplify data collection, automate reporting, and provide peace of mind by ensuring food safety throughout your operation.

For more information on T&D Wireless Temperature Data Loggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post What Is HACCP And Why Do You Need It? appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

This article explores how a small coffee roaster utilized  wireless temperature monitoring to achieve consistent, high-quality coffee roasts.

The Challenge: Achieving Consistent Flavor

Creating unique coffee flavors involves experimenting with green coffee beans roasted at precise temperatures. Traditionally, this required trial and error with an industrial roaster set to a base temperature (around 220°C for a city roast). The roaster needed a user-friendly and affordable way to monitor temperature wirelessly with alarms to ensure consistent results.

The Solution: Wireless Temperature Monitoring

CAS DataLoggers provided a solution with the T&D RTR-505B-TC Wireless Thermocouple Data Logger. This device was installed near the roaster and connected to a heat-resistant probe placed directly within the coffee roasting beans. The probe continuously monitored high temperatures, transmitting data wirelessly to a nearby T&D RTR-500 Wireless Base Station. The data logger’s display provided real-time temperature readings, allowing the roaster to maintain consistent coffee bean roasting.

Benefits of Wireless Monitoring

• Alarm System: The data logger featured customizable alarms that alerted the roaster if the temperature deviated from the desired coffee roasting profile.
• Data Recording and Storage: The system measured, stored, and wirelessly transmitted temperature data to the base station at set intervals. The data logger’s memory could hold up to 16,000 readings – a substantial amount of roasting information.
• Compact and User-Friendly: The data logger’s small size allowed for easy placement on the roasting machine. Additionally, user-friendly software facilitated a smooth setup process.
• Wireless Data Transfer: After roasting, the data logger wirelessly transmitted information to the base station, even from distances of up to 500 feet indoors. The data could then be downloaded to a computer in just 2 minutes for further analysis. This wireless capability allowed for remote monitoring of current and historical data, which could be displayed in graphs or exported for further use.

Overall Impact

The wireless temperature monitoring system significantly improved the roaster’s workflow. He could now effectively monitor the roasting process, document temperature profiles, and replicate them for consistent results. The user-friendly interface and affordable price made this system an ideal solution for his small business.

For more information on the T&D RTR Wireless Data Loggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Mastering Consistent Coffee: How Wireless Temperature Monitoring Streamlines Roasting appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

Imagine the financial blow of losing over a million pounds of food due to faulty refrigeration. This is exactly what happened to Freirich Foods when improper storage conditions spoiled their meat inventory.

The Importance of Temperature Monitoring

Fortunately, such food spoilage disasters can be prevented with fridge and freezer temperature monitoring systems. These systems offer real-time monitoring and alerts, giving you peace of mind and ensuring the safety of your food inventory.

Benefits of Temperature Monitoring Systems:

• Real-time monitoring: Gain instant insights into your refrigerator and freezer temperatures, allowing for quick adjustments if needed.
• Alerts for out-of-range temperatures: Receive immediate notifications if temperatures fluctuate outside the safe zone, so you can take corrective actions before spoilage occurs.
• Peace of mind: Reduce stress and worry by knowing your food is stored under optimal conditions.
• Protection for your assets: Prevent costly losses due to spoiled food.
• Compliance assurance: Ensure your organization meets all regulatory requirements for food storage.

Invest in Temperature Monitoring Systems Today

Don’t let food spoilage eat into your profits! Our cost-effective and hassle-free temperature monitoring systems provide a reliable solution for protecting your inventory and ensuring food safety. Contact us today at 800-956-4437 or request more information to learn more!

The post Prevent Food Spoilage Disasters with Fridge and Freezer Temperature Monitoring appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

LOG-IC-360BT for Humidity and Temperature Monitoring

CAS DataLoggers provided its LOG-IC-360BT Temp+RH Data Loggers to a shipper exporting its fruit and vegetables to remote distribution centers and markets. Most of this product was extremely temperature-sensitive and could easily spoil. Therefore, it was essential to track these refrigerated shipments throughout the shipper’s cold chain to avoid any deterioration and ensure shelf life. In the event of spoilage, the shipper would have to mark the product as a loss and lose credibility with the receiver. With this in mind, the shipper needed a data logger with enough memory to store temperature and humidity recordings for verification upon receipt as proof of product quality and best practices.

The customer currently installed LOG-IC-360BT Humidity and Temperature Data Loggers inside each of their shipping containers, securing the recorders to the front of crates. During transit, the 2-channel data loggers record relative humidity and temperatures using their built-in sensors. Providing standalone operation, the loggers run on a built-in lithium battery with a 1-year life. Each data logger’s memory stores up to 16,000 readings onto the non-volatile flash memory and samples the inventory’s temperature and humidity every 30 minutes allowing over 300 days’ worth of recording. The data loggers are designed with an IP67 rating to stand up to the environment found in typical cold chain applications.

It’s easy for users to configure up to 4 alarm settings to match a shipment’s particular produce and storage conditions. Using the free LOG-IC 360 app, users can easily connect to the logger via Bluetooth from a mobile device to configure the alarm setpoints.

After each delivery is completed, users can immediately look at the display; a ü indicates that the shipment was OK an X indicates that an alarm has been triggered. In this case, they could connect to the loggers via Bluetooth from a smartphone or tablet and download the stored data which could then be printed and saved as a CSV file or printed as a PDF report. Using this data they could then determine when and for how long the device had been in alarm. Logged data could also be uploaded to the CAVU Hub cloud via the app and shared with other users such as the farmer or end user.

Warehouse personnel also find the LOG-IC 360 app easy to use for configuration and download. Configuration profiles with all of the settings can be created and they are quickly deployed to multiple devices. The ability for receivers to quickly confirm that safe temperature and humidity levels were maintained throughout the journey by looking at the display simplifies the receiving process.

LOG-IC-360BT has proved to be a low-cost solution for the customer’s perishable product consignments and is very affordable compared with other data loggers on the market. Now the shipper customer is notified whenever their product’s temperature and humidity goes out of specification and knows which parties are responsible. All relevant data can be printed out to show compliance. Additionally, the RH and temperature data can be analyzed to fine-tune the customer’s own product and delivery quality.

For more information on the LOG-IC 360BT Temp+RH data logger, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Proving Best Practices in Fruit and Vegetable Transport appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

CAS DataLoggers provided the data capture solution for an industrial plant manufacturing frozen food products. Operators needed to collect real-time data on frozen food storage temperature, current, and the distance traveled by moving carts.

The plant needed to ensure that its freezing food preservation process was meeting requirements and operating smoothly. To accomplish this, the customer needed a data logger with several input channels to record both analog and digital signals. Since some personnel don’t have time to retrieve data manually, they wanted a device that could transmit the data via Modbus.

Installation

CAS DataLoggers provided the plant with a Novus FieldLogger for the flexible collection of analog and digital data. The FieldLogger’s 8 universal channels can connect to every required sensor type in this application, including thermocouples, current sensors, and a string pot used to measure distance. The logger supports several types of thermocouples as well as Pt100, mA, mV, and higher voltages. Operators can configure each channel individually either as an input or output.

The compact FieldLogger has been installed on a DIN rail using the included 35mm mount within an ABS enclosure. While operating in standalone mode (recording data independently of a PC), the FieldLogger automatically takes a reading from each connected sensor according to the user’s preset sampling rate.

For alarm notification, the FieldLogger has 2 alarm relay channels which can be activated when any channel deviates from programmed acceptable conditions. These relays can also be used as digital outputs for connection to alarm sirens, etc.

Usage

The FieldLogger also gives plant personnel the choice of retrieving data using several different communication methods. Choosing Modbus now allows them to transmit data over the plant’s SCADA system by using the FieldLogger as a Modbus RTU device. The SCADA system functions as a Modbus master, able to read up to 64 registers from Modbus slaves (remote channels).
In addition to Modbus, the Novus FieldLogger also has an Ethernet interface and an RS485 serial interface. For online storage, the FieldLogger can also connect to a cloud server, giving users access to its data from remote locations whenever they want.

FieldChart, the FieldLogger’s free downloadable software, handles configuration, setup and data retrieval from a PC. Configuration is stored in the logger’s non-volatile memory. The data logger can also perform mathematical operations on the input channels.

FieldChart collects data for the PC, displays data in real-time, and provides trend and historical views. Users can zoom in and out, print graphs, and export to spreadsheets like Excel™.

Benefits

Using the Novus FieldLogger, the plant’s engineer now has real-time access to multiple measurement values whenever needed. The plant saves time by relying on Modbus for data transmission rather than having workers travel back and forth to the data logger to get the data. Just as easily, the engineer can create graphs of his measurements for analysis or presentation.

For more information on the Novus FieldLogger, frozen food storage temperature or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLogger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Automatic Data Retrieval of Frozen Food Storage Temperature Monitoring appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.