Published 2025-11-03

At Arlanda Airport, Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) works to ensure that pharmaceuticals and other sensitive goods are stored in the right temperature environments before and after air freight. Temperature mapping in terminals and trailers has helped WFS create stable storage and transportation climates that future-proof cargo handling.

The right temperature can be the difference between effective medicines and unusable goods. The air freight company WFS, which handles pre- and post-transports at Arlanda Airport with great precision, knows this. Its customers are both airlines and freight forwarders. Goods arriving by plane are transported to companies and organizations that have ordered the goods, while freight to be transported by air is collected and delivered to the airport on time.
– Often you don’t know today what will happen tomorrow. It could be someone calling in the morning and saying: “We have 100 pallets that need to be picked up for a cargo flight tonight. Can you do it?” Then you just have to get moving,” says Anders Schedin, Transport Manager at WFS.

Meticulous preparation for shipping

In WFS’s terminal at Arlandastad, extensive and important preparatory work takes place. All incoming goods are x-rayed, labeled and carefully checked. Not least if it involves dangerous goods such as explosives and radioactive goods. About six hours before the flight is due to take off, the goods are transported to WFS’s terminal at Arlanda Airport. The terminal is divided into three zones: an area for ordinary goods, a room with a controlled room temperature of 15-25°C and a refrigerated area that maintains 2-8°C.
Under careful procedures, the goods are passed through the terminal and packed for air transportation. Often, goods are placed on thin aluminum pallets with mesh covers (called ULDs – Unit Load Devices), which are then rolled into the cargo holds of the aircraft. On arrival, the opposite is done: aluminum pallets are reloaded into standard pallets for road transport.

Tough storage requirements for medicines

Around half of the air freight handled by WFS consists of pharmaceuticals. And the volumes are growing rapidly all the time. It involves shipping both finished medicines and ingredients for the production of new medicines. The requirements of both the Medical Products Agency and the pharmaceutical companies are strict: all pharmaceutical products must be stored at the right temperatures around the clock. To meet these requirements, envirotainers are sometimes used, which are special refrigerated containers that maintain stable temperatures throughout transportation.
– Previously, short deviations during transhipments were accepted. But after Covid, the World Health Organization (WHO) has tightened the rules. Nowadays, sensitive medicines are never allowed to be outside their temperature ranges, says Anders Schedin.

– We have a completely different understanding of the freight climate thanks to Nordtec. They have explained in an educational way why we need to make certain changes and – not least – how to achieve good temperature safety in important spaces.

Anders Schedin

Head of Transportation at WFS

Mapping provided control and insights

Ensuring unbroken cold chains requires accurate measurement data. Here the cooperation with Nordtec plays a central role. Nordtec’s field technicians have calibrated the sensors in the refrigeration units inside WFS’s trucks (at measuring points -15, +4 and +20 °C), and have carried out mappings in the terminals and in a trailer. In the terminal at Arlandastad, mapping has been done in a warehouse with room temperature. And in the WFS terminal at the airport, both the room temperature warehouse and the cold room have been mapped.
The mappings provided WFS with new, valuable insights. In one cold room, it was discovered that temperatures rose sharply when doors were opened. The solution was to adjust the sensitivity of the units and install curtains. These measures have created a more stable climate for the goods. The results were also an eye-opener for Schedin and his team.
– Even if a cold room feels cold, it doesn’t always mean that the temperature is right everywhere. Thanks to the mapping, we now know where in our spaces it is best to place goods,” he says.

Time-pressured assignments every day

WFS’s day-to-day operations continue to be characterized by flexibility to solve a wide variety of transport missions. One day it may be vaccines for aid organizations, the next it may be emergency spare parts for a power plant. The time window is often minimal. At the same time, regulatory and customer requirements are tightening further. This makes it more important than ever to have complete control over the climate in all storage and transportation areas. Therefore, temperature mapping continues. The next step will be a mapping of the new cold room that WFS has set up in the terminal in Arlandastad.
– There are so many incoming refrigerated goods that we need to unload and temporarily store goods in Arlandastad before they can be transported to the airport for further shipping,” says Anders Schedin.

“We could work as usual”

He appreciates the cooperation with Nordtec in several ways. Both for the professional support and constructive dialog.
– “We have gained a completely different understanding of the freight climate thanks to Nordtec. They have explained in an educational way why we need to make certain changes and – not least – what we need to do to achieve good temperature safety in important areas,” says Anders Schedin and concludes:
– “At the same time, Nordtec has understood that we cannot close the business for a whole week when they carry out mappings. They have also solved this very well. Operations have continued and we have been able to work just as usual during the mappings.

Do you want to quality assure measurements in different environments?

We offer accredited field calibration of measuring equipment – directly at your premises, without disrupting your business.

Contact one of our calibration technicians

Mapping in warehouses, premises and cargo areas.

In operations with warehouses, logistics centers and transports, as well as in pharmaceutical production, it is standard to carry out and document temperature mapping.

Learn more about mapping

Published 2026-03-23

Every week, up to a thousand pallets of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals pass through logistics company Ahréns Åkeri’s terminal in Södertälje. To meet strict requirements and minimize the risk of damaged and unusable medicines, the company has hired Nordtec to take a comprehensive approach to monitoring and controlling key temperature-sensitive environments.

– The authorities’ requirements regarding temperature control and unbroken cold chains have been tightened in recent years, but this has not really affected us because we have set very high standards for ourselves from the start.

That’s what Mertzi Palmroth says. He is Pharma Manager at Ahrén’s Åkeri, a family-owned logistics company that provides air and sea transportation for leading pharmaceutical manufacturers. The transportation starts at the manufacturers, where Ahrén’s specially trained drivers pick up the goods and drive them to Ahrén’s terminal in Södertälje. At the terminal, a handful of people work continuously to receive deliveries and plan further transportation.

The goods are either shipped by air via, for example, Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, or the products are loaded into sea containers and transported to the nearby port of Södertälje or Norvikshamnen in Nynäshamn. The aim is to ensure that the medicines do not stay long at the terminal.
– “We store some products for a short time, but our ambition is to send all goods on within 48 hours,” says Mertzi Palmroth.

Terminal with controlled temperature zones

The 1,200 square meter terminal has an ambient temperature of between 2 and 25°C. Inside the terminal there is also a 120 square meter cold room with a capacity for about 100 pallets where the temperature is kept between 2 and 8°C. All extra temperature-sensitive goods are handled there. An important part of the logistics is the design of the terminal flow.

The unloading quay is directly adjacent to a lock that leads straight into the cold room. This is one of several special solutions that allow Ahréns to maintain unbroken cold chains all the way from the pharmaceutical manufacturers to the terminal and on to end customers around the world.

Switched to testo Saveris 1

Ahréns changed its temperature monitoring system about a year ago. The reason for the change was that the company wanted a more cost-effective solution and access to Swedish support.

Since Nordtec has been helping Ahréns with calibrations for a long time, it was natural to contact them and ask for suggestions for a solution. As a result, there are now five temperature sensors in the terminal and six sensors in the cold room. All are linked to the advanced but user-friendly testo Saveris 1 monitoring system.

Simple and good alarm functions

The new system has brought a number of benefits to Ahréns.
– To begin with, everything is in Swedish, which makes it easy to get started and work with the system. Then we have got much better alarm functions. Many of our operators are connected and receive direct notifications via SMS and email if there is any deviation. If perhaps a temperature has exceeded a threshold value, in the event of a sensor failure or if there is a power failure,” says Mertzi Palmroth and continues:
– “In addition, we have a backup system that runs on ordinary batteries. So even if we have a power failure in the building, the system still logs and alarms using battery power for many hours. Our previous system was completely power dependent. So if there was an outage, we would have had to stand with pen and paper to keep track of the temperatures. The new system not only simplifies day-to-day work, but is a real help in the event of a crisis.

Calibration for compliance with regulatory requirements

For pharmaceutical logistics, calibrated measuring equipment is a regulatory requirement from the Medical Products Agency. Nordtec is responsible for Ahrén’s annual calibrations.
– It’s very easy to work with Nordtec. All we really need to do is open the doors and they do the rest. Their technicians calibrate all the sensors on site in one day and deliver the certificates shortly afterwards.

In addition to calibrations, Nordtec has also performed summer and winter mapping of both the terminal and the cold room. The mappings have given Ahréns black and white where it is coldest and warmest in their spaces. And that there are no critical temperature levels anywhere.

Special solution for passive containers

Ahréns has a freezer container that has also been mapped by Nordtec. The container is used to freeze cold packs that are then placed in packaged pharmaceuticals for transport in so-called passive containers. That is, transport containers without their own refrigeration units.

The refrigerated clamps are first frozen in the container for four days at -20°C. Then the cold packs are moved to the cold room for a few days, which activates the gel in the packs and can ensure stable temperatures even during longer air transportation.

– It’s very easy to work with Nordtec. All we really need to do is open the doors and they do the rest. Their technicians calibrate all the sensors on site in one day and deliver the certificates shortly afterwards.

Mertzi Palmroth

Pharma Manager at Ahréns Åkeri

“Meaningful and exciting work”

In addition to regular calibrations and mappings, Ahrén performs its own functional checks on a daily basis.
– We perform a range of tests. For example, we can pull out a sensor to see that the system continues to send alarms. This gives us peace of mind knowing that everything is working properly.

Pharmaceutical logistics is an industry where conditions are constantly changing. Today, Ahréns has the capacity to meet demand and at the same time the opportunity to expand if necessary. Unexpected and sudden global events often have a direct impact on operations. In such cases, it is important to be able to adapt and act immediately.
– No two days are the same. The external environment affects air transport all the time. If routes are canceled, we need to find other solutions quickly.

It is these changing challenges that make the job so stimulating, says Mertzi Palmroth.
– People around the world are constantly dependent on medicines. Therefore, we are constantly facing new logistical challenges. This is what makes my job so meaningful and exciting.

Fully automated and highly secure system.

Continuous remote monitoring and documentation of climate parameters such as temperature, humidity and differential pressure can be a real challenge. The solution is testo Saveris 1 – a sophisticated yet very user-friendly monitoring system packed with features.

Read more about testo Saveris 1

Do you want to quality assure measurements in different environments?

We offer accredited field calibration of measuring equipment – directly at your premises, without disrupting your business.

Contact one of our calibration technicians

Mapping in warehouses, premises and cargo areas.

In operations with warehouses, logistics centers and transports, as well as in pharmaceutical production, it is standard to carry out and document temperature mapping.

Learn more about mapping

Published 2024-08-13

Published 2024-08-13

Three tips to save batteries in your WiFi data loggers

Tip 1. If your Saveris 2 or testo 160 logger is forced to search for WiFi networks that sometimes “don’t exist”, the batteries can run out unnecessarily fast. One solution to the problem of unreliable WiFi networks is to set the maximum interval (1 day) for transferring measurement data to the cloud service.

If you have made the maximum setting above, but have no WiFi network at all, you can connect the WiFi logger using a so-called “Hotspot” or “Internet sharing” from a mobile phone.

Instructions for transferring with Hotspot:

When it is time to read/transfer the measurement data, the Hotspot is started on the phone. Then press the refresh button on the logger to transfer the measurement data to the user account in the cloud. This can be done at any time and the result of the transfer can be easily checked directly in the mobile phone by logging in to the cloud service.

Tip 2. Choose the right number of channels. The more channels are activated, the more memory is used. Frequent measurement intervals fill the memory and shorten the available logging time. With many channels activated and frequent logging, you need to “refuel” the logger more often via WiFi or Hotspot.

In the example in the screenshot below, ppm CO2, Temperature and Relative Humidity are enabled in a testo 160 IAQ. This is easily changed with the buttons on the right. Red button deactivates the channel and green button activates it. ATTENTION! This can only be done in the Advanced cloud account.

Tip 3: Finally, you can use a power supply unit if there is a power outlet near the measurement site. With such a solution, it is ultimately the memory capacity of the data logger that determines how often it needs to be read out.

Published 2025-01-22

Does the data logger have no Wi-Fi connection after calibration?

Then you probably need to reset the logger. It is easy and does not take very long. This guide applies to loggers in the testo Saveris 2 and testo 160 product series.

This is how you do it:

1. Log in to your cloud account – www.saveris.net for testo Saveris 2 or www.museum.saveris.net for testo 160.
2. Connect the logger to your computer via the USB input.
3. Open the configuration assistant in the cloud account (symbol designed as a logger with a +)
4. Do the following in this step:
   • Make sure that the batteries are inserted correctly.
   • Enter your SSID (name of your company’s Wi-Fi network) and password.
   • Save the logger configuration (select the device you want to save to – preferably “SAVERIS”, do not change the file name and click “Save”).
   • Remove the data logger from the computer and look at the display (if your logger has one). It should say “Config Valid”.
   • Wait for the radio symbol at the top of the display to first flash and then become steady.
   • When the radio icon is ready, the cloud symbol next to it should start flashing and then remain steady.
   • Confirm that the radio and cloud symbols are constantly lit on the logger display. If you have a logger without display, just skip this step.
5. Refresh the page in your browser (click on the circular arrow to the left of the address bar at the top). Wait for about 10 minutes and then refresh the web page again.
6. Done! The data logger is connected to your network and ready to start measuring again!

Can’t connect the logger to your Wi-Fi network?
Call or email us and we will help you!

Tel 031-704 10 84
mattias.toreskog@nordtec.se