Monitoring Sensors for Temperature-Controlled Supply Chain

We know, globalization is changing the traditional way of logistics management. It’s pushing operators and businesses to achieve absolute efficiency. Due to this, new technology is emerging, which is initiating our shift into a fully connected world. Now, with the IoT sensors coming to the cold chain industry. Can it revolutionize the way we track and monitor the cold chain logistics?

An adequately managed cold chain system can track and ensure the quality of goods from manufacturer to end-user. Cold chain logistics management is sometimes susceptible to mechanical breakdowns, traffic delays, theft, human error, and numerous other factors. With the emergence of IoT cold chain monitoring systems, issues can be handled in real-time, with an entire infrastructure reacting as a single unit. With the increase in the use of IoT sensors for monitoring, the cold chain has become ‘intelligent’ thanks to smart sensors and it’s capabilities.

IoT sensors come in all shapes and sizes like temperature sensor, humidity sensor, tilt, or any other IoT sensor; they all have an enormous range of use cases. In this article, we take a look specifically at how temperature and humidity sensor technology is positively impacting the supply chain, and more specifically, the “Cold Chain.”

Cold Chain Logistics Management

Managing and monitoring of cold chain can be a complex operation. It involves the oversight of a temperature-controlled supply chain, typically used to help ensure and extend the shelf life of products requiring considerable transportation.

These products can include everyday groceries, food, and beverages. But often consist of more fragile items, ranging from chemicals to pharmaceuticals and even medical transplants. Things such as these require strict attention and accuracy in all transport phases so as to prevent from product’s risk and compromise the supply chain.

Monitoring Sensors for Temperature-Controlled Supply Chain

Bluetooth beacon comes with a built-in temperature and humidity sensor. These beacons can carry additional sensors like humidity, shock, tamper, etc.

With which they can collect vital data useful to the management of the supply chain.

The temperature sensor has a range of 0°C to +65°C with an accuracy of ±0.5°C. and a range of -40°C to 125°C with accuracy of±1.0°C.

This ability is essential in various processes, including the cold chain in which sensors for temperature, humidity, shock, and moisture should be tracked.

How does it work?

When using BLE for cold chain management, the Bluetooth beacons can be strategically mounted throughout locations, to broadcast low energy Bluetooth signals in a given range.

They can also be positioned directly on the goods and assets.

For example- they can be attached or mounted to freezers and refrigerated trucks.

A gateway device will be installed in the warehouse or even in the vehicle. When needed to collect data,

They need a gateway hotspot that will be installed in the vehicle which receives the sensor readings and uploads them to a cloud using data plans or Wi-Fi. the sensor will receive the signal and track the asset’s condition back into the tracking platform.

Such gateway hotspots can be dedicated devices or smartphones.

It is quite incredible to see how technology has improved. Just a few years back, data or temperature loggers were the only way for cold chain monitoring. Today, the advancement to Bluetooth temperature sensors makes “touchless” data collection widely implemented in a temperature-controlled supply chain.

Cold Chain Monitoring Solution

With a smart IoT ecosystem for cold chain supply systems, you can quickly monitor, locate, and address any potential errors. Temperatures and humidity can be measured to exact degrees and correlated with acceptable norms for any given cargo. This allows the system to generate alerts for the driver and other stakeholders when there is an issue.

IoT monitoring sensors can distinguish between being in transit and being stolen, even to the point of activating a ‘lockdown’ mode to reduce theft. And if cargo is stolen, recovery is rapid as it can be tracked to within inches of its location. Products like food, pharmaceuticals, and other perishable supply chains can reach their destination without damage, even in extreme conditions.

Final words

Eelinktech’s advanced wireless temperature trackers can improve the efficiency and ease with which you monitor temperature-controlled storage spaces. Our end-to-end GPS Temperature Trackers is used by many logistics companies to track, protect, and control the refrigerated goods and optimize the usage

As more organizations and businesses discover the benefits of IoT-enabled cold chain solutions, there will be a push towards adopting technology to improve accuracy and safety.

Whether you want to build or buy, Elinktech can support your quest for temperature monitoring, supply chain, and retail management, with embedded, cellular, and packaged solutions. Contact us to learn how our products, services, and our support teams can assist your business goals.