Why is Thermal Mapping Necessary?

Thermal Mapping is a practice designed to help companies monitor and maintain the confines of an overall environment. This process is intended to prevent temperature and humidity fluctuation in a controlled area like a warehouse, refrigerator, or vehicle.

Where is Thermal Mapping Necessary?

Temperature mapping can be conducted in any environment where the quality of a product is significantly affected by any fluctuations in either temperature. These inconsistencies can cause discrepancies in the final outcome of the product which would deem the product non-useable. This can prove to be an expensive affair for the manufacturers, not to mention a danger to the public health.

For example, if a pharmaceutical company has only[Ma1]  mapped a few areas of the warehouse, they may fail to identify temperature abnormalities in other areas. Drugs placed in those overlooked areas could be distributed with harmful side effects due to improper storage and can be rendered ineffective.

Why is Thermal Mapping Necessary?
Thermal mapping should be standard practice in company guideline to detect and correct areas
with inconsistencies to ensure proper storage conditions and regulatory compliance. Thermal
mapping can aid in the prevention of product and monetary loss, as well as improve overall
quality of the product and build public safety.

What are the tests performed during thermal mapping?
A risk assessment is preferred before performing thermal mapping in order to identify issues that
might prop up; the process also helps identify the tests required for the validation study. You
identify the required tests for your thermal validation study based on your risk assessment.

Common tests for refrigerators, freezers, and incubators include:

• Temperature Distribution Test (Empty Chamber)
• Temperature Distribution Test (Loaded Chamber)
• Pull-down Tests
• Door Open Tests
• Power Loss Tests
• Alarm Tests
• Recovery Time Tests

Common tests for Autoclaves, Dry Heat Ovens, Decryogenation Lines, Pasteurizers, etc., include:

• Temperature Distribution Test (Partial Load)
• Temperature Penetration Test (Loaded)
• Pull Down Tests
• Accumulated Lethality (F_o and F_H) Tests

Other tests to consider based on your risk assessment include:

• Compressor Switch Over Tests
• Compressor Failure Tests
• Fan Failure Tests
• Emergency Generator Cutover Tests
• Routine Use Tests

Temperature mapping is important for businesses and organizations dealing with temperature sensitive products, like biochemical products (medications and vaccines). Verifying that the refrigeration systems maintain an acceptable temperature level for each specific product at all times is what temperature mapping is all about, and this is supported using ongoing monitoring systems.

To summarize, temperature mapping provides information on warmer and colder areas within temperature-controlled environments. They supply details on the overall operation of the systems. After temperature mapping of a system, monitoring equipment can be installed to provide real-time feedback on system operations and its stability for product protection for the entire season.