He says "There are many temperature critical goods which can be completely ruined by low temperatures. However, some of the damage that the cold can inflict is not always visible, so we have been working flat out supplying customers with temperature logging systems that can raise alarms and provide a 24/7 record of temperature."Gemini's Tinytag loggers are small, low-cost and extremely easy to use, which means that they can be quickly placed in important locations to monitor and protect valuable goods. Configuration by PC takes just a few seconds and the loggers can then be left in position to monitor temperature or other parameters such as humidity.

An enormous variety of goods are affected by the threat of low temperatures. For example, vaccines must be transported and stored according to manufacturers' recommended temperature range of +2°C to +8°C until the point of administration. Any deviation from these conditions may result in a loss of vaccine potency which would incur a substantial financial loss.

Fresh goods such as salads, vegetables and horticultural products are also damaged by low temperatures. However, there are a large number of products for which the cold or humidity can cause serious harm but which do not display visible symptoms - these include pharmaceuticals, foods and food ingredients, and even fireworks and ammunition.

Several versions of the Tinytag loggers incorporate a red light which flashes when an alarm condition is reached. However, they can also be configured to trigger an external alarm.
The latest versions are available with radio telemetry so that live data from any number of loggers can be displayed on a single PC. This provides an opportunity for an entire facility to be fitted with a complete wireless real-time monitoring and alarm capability.

Nigel hopes that many more facilities will take advantage of logging technology and he says he is "very much looking forward to being able to issue a similar warning when high temperatures are the main concern."