There are numerous uses for autonomous data loggers, one of which being environmental monitoring: they can be taken to various locations that cannot be accessed easily with bulky temperature monitoring equipment such as mountains, deserts, jungles, mines, caves and other similar places. Data loggers, especially portable ones, can also be used in industrial and scientific surroundings – in factories and laboratories where temperature monitoring is highly wanted.
Another use for temperature data loggers is monitoring sensitive shipments and products, primarily fresh and prepared foods and other consumables, pharmaceuticals, organs ready for transplant and various chemicals which react to elevated temperatures and need to be kept in order. Exposing the aforementioned items to temperatures outside their designated ranges for a certain period of time can result in them being unusable. Therefore, portable data loggers are placed inside insulated containers or directly attached to products and items so as to monitor the temperature of the product being shipped. Also, the placement of data loggers and sensors is critical to the perseverance of the product: several studies have confirmed that temperatures inside a shipping container (an insulated box, a refrigerator truck or a refrigerated container) rely heavily on the proximity of the container to exterior walls and roof and to the location in regard to them.
Modern data loggers also come equipped with the ability to measure temperature in real time. This information can then be used to check whether the product has been exposed to temperatures higher than prescribed for too long. Analyzing these scenarios of high temperature exposure, the outcomes may be that shelf life of products has been reduced and therefore they need to be sold at a faster pace, perhaps the cooling equipment has failed during the shipping of a product but persons cannot pick up the slight difference in temperatures, or the shipment has gone bad and is unusable because of critical oscillations of temperature.
All of this data coming from monitoring temperature can prove to be extremely useful as to reduce costs, prolong shelf life and avoid any damage to the precious goods so that they can be usable and in top condition upon arrival.
