The ever-increasing role of connected devices in Cold Chain monitoring

Running a successful cold chain operation is a fight against time and temperatures. You may be moving food products like fresh agricultural produce, seafood, photographic film, pharmaceuticals, etc. A cold chain involves the temperature-controlled movement of items well before they pass their shelf life. A successful cold chain includes uninterrupted yet connected operations like storage and distribution by deploying equipment and logistics.

The uncomfortable truth about cold chains is that they are susceptible to mechanical failures, delays, human error, including other issues. Effective use of IoT cold chain temperature monitoring devices can bring efficiencies and help maintain the moved products’ uniform quality. Another uncomfortable truth is that the United Nations claims that almost 1/3rd of the world’s food production perished during movement from farm to fork.

We are witnessing human history’s most efficient transportation techniques. Still, a long way needs to be covered before they can fulfill their aspirations. We have shifted away from the use of only ‘ice’ as a mode for keeping items cool. We are successfully able to move human blood and other life-saving supplies across continents. IoT is set to bring about a seesaw change in cold supply chains.

Dawn of a change with emergence of IoT

The deployment of IoT makes cold chain sensors intelligent. The cold cargo is equipped with sensors that record and monitor the temperature throughout the chain. They keep a tab on the temperature as per range requirements and keep the items within acceptable temperature limits. In case of any breaches in temperatures, the IoT cold chain sensors enable monitoring devices to send notification alerts to the stakeholders. The driver is the closest person in the chain of command, can heed the notification and immediate action. Sensors also track the GPS related movement of goods and stay connected to the overall network running the supply chain ecosystem.

A rather common temperature range for a cold chain in food, as well as pharmaceutical industries, is 2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F). As the temperature moves out of these specified ranges, the IoT cold chain temperature monitoring devices kick into action. Monitoring for items exposed to the risk of contamination and deterioration due to microbes is highly-automated. The IoT devices log the temperature movements almost every minute. The logged figures are stored for a long time period in case tracing is required in the future.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107947/cold-chain-logistics-market-size-worldwide/

Eelink DB01 BLE temperature and humidity beacon

Bluetooth cold chain monitoring device accelerometer manufactured by the Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co Ltd is your one single best choice device. It covers all aspects of cold chain and covers you from the risk of any unforeseen risks like mechanical breakdowns, temperature fluctuations, and also provides unexpected fall detection. It has a temperature sensor, humidity sensor and an accelerometer. Its life is boosted with low energy consuming long-range Bluetooth 5.0 technology. And the interactive and robust intelligence software works non-stop. Hands down, it is best in class equipment and even gives the expensive sensors a run for their money. It is fully compatible with mobile OS like Android and Apple iOS. The battery lasts up to 3 years and the device also has an active tag. It can be easily configured for use with the BLE platforms Eddystone and i-Beacon.

As a quality manufacturer, the Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co Ltd has established a name for itself in GPS tracking and manufacturing of IoT devices. The DB01 BLE has the best in class Temperature & Humidity Sensors. Its long-lasting 3 year battery makes it a perfect choice for the most efficient and economic beacon. Eelink is one of the most popular manufacturers and suppliers of innovative products and solutions. They follow strict compliance with best industry standards in local as well as international markets.

The extended battery life translated less involvement of stakeholders to keep changing or recharging the batteries. The beacon can be easily connected using the USB port and data can be downloaded with ease. The beacon model DB01 BLE Temperature & Humidity Sensor Beacon is the most cost-efficient beacon in the market. The beacon has an advanced improved design that helps it record different aspects of the items being moved. It connects with various devices to reach out to the network. It provides real-time updates regarding movements, temperature, humidity, lighting level, and fall detection. Ait is also capable of recording and storing up to 54,000 history records. Even when it goes out of the network range, it does not stop its work. It keeps working towards maintaining optimum product qualities.

Bluetooth enabled accelerometer sensor is compliant with iBeacon and Eddystone (UID, URL, TLM) protocols. It collects and records the ambient environment changes i.e., temperature and humidity, and releases the corresponding digital signals to communicate with other devices on the network.

The temperature and humidity monitoring is key to a successful cold chain. The maintenance of specified temperature and humidity can make or break a supply chain. The beacon is also fitted with a unique LCD 120×120 display. Thereby, it is easy to view the collected data even when you do not have a compatible phone or a tablet. The temperature sensor quickly detects any changes in temperature that go beyond the specified range. And notifications in terms of alarms are sent out to nearby devices. These alarm notifications also report any change in humidity, light intensity, and vibrations notifications.

Cold chain sensors monitoring can be suitably done using the DB01 BLE temperature humidity sensor beacon. Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co Ltd is the manufacturer. It can effectively be deployed to monitor Greenhouses, cold warehouses, cold chain movement equipment, and logistics. It is compliant with other Internet of Things (IoT) cold chain temperature monitoring devices and overall Industry 4.0 applications. They can easily be used for monitoring in storage and warehouses. You can use the beacon for tracking humidity, temperature, luminosity, and accelerometer.

The robust capabilities of the beacon make it most apt for use with cold chain monitoring systems. As the products are transported to their destination through the cold chains, the success is ensured through the maintenance of specified temperature ranges. The beacon with accelerometers from Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co Ltd have very less power consumption. Their power requirements are in micro (µ) range (or even milli-amps). With a voltage supply of up to 5V, they can work easily for long durations. The devices even have battery consumption modes like “Power Save” as well as “Standard Operation” modes.

Device Features

The device comes loaded with features. And the list of most useful features of DB01 BLE temperature humidity sensor beacon is really long. Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co Ltd has managed to bundle the following into such a small device:

• Built-in Humidity and Temperature sensors – Having an extensive signal range, the beacon is very sensitive to ambiance changes and has an excellent accuracy.
• The built-in luminosity sensor maintains a check on the ambient lighting and sends out alarm notification signals as and when the defined range is exceeded.
• LCD display – This is a very useful feature where users can simply note the recording with click of a button. The easy viewing 120×120 LCD screen does not require to connect a compatible device to pull out data. Temperatures and humidity readings can be taken a right off the screen.
• Accelerometer sensor – Any unexpected tilts, undesirable vibrations, or spontaneous movements can be recorded with great effectiveness. The device’s high fidelity levels allow it to send out alarm notifications caused due to accidental falls.
• Smartphone connectivity – The device can communicate with the surrounding devices using more than one type of technology. You can connect using your smartphone’s Bluetooth connection and even share using other network signal technologies.
• Bluetooth 5.0 – The Bluetooth 5.0 enables the beacon to transmit over longer ranges and yet consume lesser battery. It has an extensive broadcast range of up to 500m.
• Waterproof and dust-proof IP65 – The device is IP65 water-resistant as well as dust resistant. It can handle itself well with accidental splashes.
• Host Connection allows for connection with up to 40 devices and easy sending data to the server
• Local data cache – You could easily export data in CSV format through USB Port
• Extended battery life – With a standby of up to 3 years, you only need to replace the 600mAh CR2450 Button Battery once in 3 years
• Notifications support alarms – These notifications include humidity, temperature, lighting alarm, tilt alarm, vibration alarm, and low battery alarm.