Pharmaceuticals

Data loggers play an important role in several areas related to pharmaceuticals. Let’s start with R&D and manufacturing. Here, data loggers are used to monitor operating conditions within individual process units, like reactors, ovens, and packaging machines. This monitoring data is used to painstakingly develop and characterize the manufacturing process during R&D. When pharmaceuticals are approved for sale, the same monitoring data is continuously collected during large-scale manufacturing to ensure that each step in the process is running in control.

After pharmaceutical products leave the factory, data loggers are used for monitoring conditions during transportation and storage, to make sure that conditions are appropriate for the product and its packaging.

Food and Beverage

Similar to pharmaceuticals, data loggers are used to monitor the temperature and humidity in areas where perishable foods are made, handled, and stored. Monitoring in this area was standardized by the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2011. The FSMA incorporates practices known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), a central principle of which is monitoring and control of the entire process of food production, transportation, and storage to minimize risk to the consumer.

This system-wide approach to food safety requires the widespread use of automated monitoring, specifically in environments where perishable foods are made and stored. Data loggers are ideally suited for this, and can be designed and implemented to ensure regulatory compliance.

Automotive 

Data loggers are seeing increasing use in the automotive industry. One example is the monitoring of emission levels from diesel trucks, which has been an area of focus for regulators. For large diesel trucks, the EPA currently requires the use of onboard control systems to monitor the health of devices that reduce the amount of particulates and NOx released into the environment, among others. In the future, this may expand to direct monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions.

During engine and vehicle testing, data loggers are used to monitor operating conditions including temperature, RPM, and fuel consumption, in order to precisely measure and control test conditions. Data loggers are also used to monitor fleet vehicles on the road, for example recording speed, throttle and brake settings, and GPS location.

Aerospace

In the manufacturing of aerospace equipment, the AS9100 quality standard requires monitoring of manufacturing environments, much like in the pharmaceutical industry. This includes tracking temperature and humidity levels in assembly areas, which is critical for the fabrication of composites and other advanced materials. The standard also calls for monitoring of utilities, such as the flow rates and pressures of process fluids. Data loggers can automate these tasks, improving both efficiency and reliability.

Data loggers are also used to measure and record various operating and environmental conditions while aerospace equipment is in the field, whether during development and testing or routine operation. Ambient conditions—such as air temperature, humidity, and pressure—are monitored to characterise the environment, while specialised loggers track internal parameters like operating temperatures, acceleration, shock and vibration, mechanical loads, and more.

Agricultural Technology

There are several areas in agriculture and horticulture where data loggers provide valuable information for improving productivity and reducing costs. One key use is monitoring weather and soil conditions to support informed decisions around planting, pesticide application, and irrigation. Weather stations equipped with remote data loggers can deliver important insights into the microclimate of specific locations. Monitoring concentrations of certain elements in the soil also enables targeted fertiliser application.

For livestock, data loggers can automate spot checks of temperature and humidity to help ensure animal comfort and health—whether in indoor or outdoor settings, incubators, or transport vehicles. They are also used to monitor animal feed storage, helping to prevent spoilage.

Water Treatment

In water treatment plants, data loggers are commonly used to measure water temperature, tank levels, pressure, and pH. Traditionally, specific water quality parameters—such as dissolved oxygen levels and total suspended solids—were monitored using manual, “static” lab tests, which introduced delays in the control feedback loop. These tests are now gradually being replaced, where possible, by submerged probes that provide real-time, continuous monitoring.

These specialised probes can be paired with a data logger that reads outputs such as 0–10 V or 4–20 mA electrical signals. This setup allows water treatment plant operators to take full advantage of modern data logger features, including remote data upload, customised alarms, and other advanced logging functions.