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Calibration Of Temperature Sensors: A Paradigm Shift

Calibration Of Temperature Sensors: A Paradigm Shift
Temperature instrument calibration in critical applications is a necessary part of operations. Whether it be food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, or other regulated industries, we do it to keep products safe, quality high and auditors happy.

However, standard operating procedures (SOPs) have not evolved substantially over the past decades. The task often boils down to inefficient, costly, time-consuming manual labor. Considering current events with staff shortages, mobility and site access restrictions for contractors, things certainly became even more complicated.

Let’s imagine for a minute, there was a way to resolve these inefficiencies without compromising safety, legal standards, or SOPs. Picture a fully automated in-line temperature calibration monitoring solution for hygienic applications that solves the impossible trinity of regulatory compliance, risk and invest.

Aimed at applications such as UHT treatment, sterilization-in-place, medical autoclaves or similar, Endress+Hauser has developed such a solution, leading customers to rethink their approach to old-fashioned instrument calibration management.

Memograph M RSG45 Advanced Data Manager with touch display for aseptic environments

By fully embracing the automation paradigm of Industry 4.0 and principles of Good Manufacturing Practices, this smart integrated solution solves the most common pains in said processes while giving operators maximum flexibility and control. The fully FDA-compliant combination of sensors and data management system helps to

  • reduce the risk of undetected instrument errors,
  • eliminate the risk of handling mistakes or manipulation,
  • increase process safety and repeatability,
  • free up valuable resources and precious staff time,
  • gain remote, 24/7 access to verified batch data and calibration certificates.

In other words: A smart temperature data loop that virtually eliminates any risk of undetected failures by autonomously performing true self-calibrations and documenting the results in a tamper-proof, audit-ready system. It can be run as an isolated on-premise solution, integrated into common DCS system architectures, or provide a secure uplink to cloud-based asset management systems.

The system consists of the patented self-calibrating iTHERM TrustSens TM371 compact thermometers with Heartbeat Technology and Memograph M RSG45 advanced data manger, available as a preconfigured package for specific applications, e.g. UHT.

Endress+Hauser Netilion: The Value app shows the process temperature curve

This in-line system based on the 4 to 20 mA and HART signal protocol is loop-powered by the Memograph M RSG45 and can easily scale to up to 20 instruments per data manager. All calibration events are safely stored inside the transmitters and in the form of time-stamped calibration certificate PDFs in the data manager for later retrieval in compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 regulations.

The data manager also features an integrated web server and Ethernet uplink to accommodate fast integration into all major control system architectures or the Endress+Hauser Netilion cloud ecosystem. The system is also capable of performing a fully automated 4 to 20 mA loop check, saving precious time.

After initial commissioning the system runs fully automated without the need of

  • on-site personnel for manual interventions
  • shutting down the process,
  • performing calibration interval routines based on questionable risk-assessments, or
  • dealing with paperwork
System information flow and secure data custody chain

Yet, should plant SOPs or indeed force of habit still dictate a periodic manual recalibration, the iTHERM TrustSens with QuickNeck process connection technology facilitate the fast and safe removal for external on-site or lab calibration.

Over time, the affordable bundle generates a comprehensive data set that enables full traceability of all performed self-calibrations, batch quality and audit-ready documentation. This data trove opens up further optimization avenues to operators by providing a big picture of process health and performance.

Depending on process intensity and calibration cadence, the meta-data trail and diagnostic information obtained can quickly be leveraged to identify efficiency bottlenecks, making for a relatively immediate ROI. The system ultimately contributes to lowering OPEX such as energy cost by fine-tuning product heating cycles or steam generation for SIP runs, leading to considerable savings, less waste, and a lower carbon footprint.

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Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement and automation technology for process and laboratory applications. The family company, headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland, achieved net sales in 2022 of approximately 3.3 billion euros in net sales...

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