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Vacuum Chambers

Brooke Loeffler · May 15, 2020 ·

What is a Vacuum Chamber?

Scientifically speaking, a vacuum is a space of such extremely low pressure that there is no matter present to affect the processes that occur there. Outside of the cold vacuum of space, a vacuum can be created right here on earth. Using a vacuum pump, air and other particles can be removed from a rigid space to create a man made vacuum chamber.

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Counter top vacuum chamber

Vacuum chambers are made of extremely durable and rigid materials so they do not implode due to extremely low internal pressure. Common chamber materials include: glass, high density ceramics, acrylic, brass, aluminum, and different types of steel. These chambers are equipped with strong seals and gaskets to ensure no unwanted matter leaks back into the chamber. Because some materials can expand to several times their normal size within a vacuum chamber, the chamber needs to be considerably larger than the materials placed inside.

Industries that Use Vacuum Chambers

From small counter top chambers to the massive NASA testing chamber in Ohio, vacuum chambers are an extremely diverse family. They not only vary in size, but also in testing capabilities. Some vacuum chambers are programmed to simply recreate the same internal environment over and over again. Others are more adaptable and can be connected to various equipment that control changes in humidity, temperature, and other atmospheric conditions. Let’s take a closer look at the industries that utilize vacuum chamber technology.  

Manufacturing

Vacuum chambers are an extremely versatile tool in the manufacturing community. They are used to conduct rigorous product testing to ensure materials are safe and flaw free before use. Any material that needs to be leak free and resistant to certain environmental conditions needs to be run through a vacuum testing phase. 

Vacuum chambers are also helpful during the manufacturing process itself. Removing excess moisture and gas microbubbles is an essential step for a myriad of materials. These chambers are also used to deposit protective films and finishes.

Aerospace

Every bolt, panel, electrical component, composite fiber, and seat cushion on an air or space craft must meet extremely stringent safety standards. The structural integrity of these components can be examined in safe and controlled conditions with the help of vacuum chamber technology. Researchers can simulate every conceivable atmospheric or environmental condition to ensure that every piece of the craft is safe and reliable. 

Food/Beverages

The goal of an efficient cold supply chain is to ensure that temperature sensitive products are protected from spoilage on their journey from farm to table. Vacuum chambers crucially remove excess moisture and gas that contaminants need in order to thrive. They also speed up the cooling, freezing, and drying process to protect the cellular integrity, taste, color, and appearance of the food we all enjoy.

Bio/Pharmaceutical

Vacuum chambers fill a wide range of needs in the biological and pharmaceutical industry. Drying, degassing, sterilizing, cooling, distilling, and crystallization are all used on a daily basis to create, preserve, study, and transport medicines, equipment, vaccines, and other important lab samples.

Vacuum Chamber Applications

North Slope Chillers graphic on vacuum chamber applications

Drying

Removing moisture from a product can greatly increase its shelf life. Vacuum drying is extremely effective, and can remove more moisture than simple dehydrating. This drying can be done aggressively or gently depending upon the application.

Coating

Vacuum coating is the process of depositing a thin film or coating on a surface. Inside a chamber, a partial vacuum is created. Here, only a few ions and electrons remain inside the chamber to create electrical conductivity that attracts the film to the material’s surface.

Degassing

Vacuum degassing is the process of using a vacuum chamber to remove gas bubbles that are trapped within a substance. It is most commonly used to remove trapped air bubbles from resins, silicones, rubber compounds, and other epoxies. 

Product Testing

Vacuum chambers create ideal conditions that mimic specific environmental and atmospheric conditions. Before materials and products can be used in extreme environments such as at high altitudes, deep ocean, or in space, they must be rigorously tested to ensure their safety. There are many conditions that can be manipulated for testing within a vacuum chamber including: humidity, temperature, pressure, atmospheric altitude, and even radiation levels. These chambers allow manufacturers to also test a material’s overall integrity including flexibility, structural deficiency, permeability, bond strength and more.

Crystallization

Some industries produce and transport chemicals and other materials in crystalline form because they are much more stable than liquids. Crystals form when a saturated solution (of liquid and a large amount of dissolved solids) leaves behind structural solid deposits. These crystals usually take time to form, from hours to millions of years. The modern industrial machine doesn’t have time to wait for mother nature’s crystallization process. Vacuum chambers are used to rapidly remove liquids from a saturated solution and create crystal deposits.

Distillation

Vacuum distillation removes and separates liquids from their surroundings so they can be used for other purposes. Liquids can be vaporized in the extremely low pressure of the chamber, extracted as a gas, and then re-condensed for further use.

Sterilization

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other contaminants need a certain environment in which to thrive. By removing all air pockets and moisture within a vacuum chamber, one also removes the possibility of microbial contamination. Vacuum chambers are used to sterilize a wide range of laboratory equipment and devices before they are packaged and distributed. 

Cooling

Vacuum cooling is a rapid evaporative cooling process that is used for perishable products that are highly porous and have a naturally high water content. As the pressure within the chamber is lowered, a small amount of moisture from within the material is also released. As the water evaporates, heat is also lost. Vacuum cooling is an efficient and cost effective way to quickly cool flowers, fruits, and vegetables inside and outside to increase their shelf life.  

North Slope Chillers Vacuum Cooling Solutions

North Slope Chillers vacuum cooling solutions

North Slope Chillers is proud to offer several levels of portable, compact, and powerful recirculated cooling. With 3 different performance levels available, we offer cooling ranges from 85°F all the way down to -112°F. Easy to install, remove, and relocate, you will be happy to have a fluid chiller unit that is painless and simple to use. Contact us today at (866) 826-2993 [email protected] to find the perfect cooling for your vacuum chamber needs.

How Do Freeze Dryers Work?

Brooke Loeffler · Apr 28, 2020 ·

Cold and Dry

When most people think about freeze drying, Neapolitan astronaut ice cream bars are usually one of the first things that come to mind. And yes, it’s true that freeze dried foods are a NASA staple. But freeze drying is so much more than that. Let’s take a closer look at the scientific process and applications of modern freeze drying.

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What is Freeze Drying?

Simply put, freeze drying is the process of removing moisture from a substance without damaging its basic composition. Moisture not only adds weight but also provides an environment for microorganisms to grow and cause spoilage. Removing moisture greatly increases the shelf life of a substance, as well as reducing its size and weight.

Freeze Drying vs. Dehydration

 Freeze drying may sound similar to the dehydration process, but is actually different both in execution and the final product.

Different Execution

The dehydration process turns liquid water into water vapor with the application of some form of heat. Ovens, food dehydrators, or even sun rays are frequently used to evaporate water into the ambient air. This heat, no matter how subtle, causes chemical reactions to occur within the substance being dehydrated. These chemical reactions cause a change in appearance, taste, and smell (such differences are noticeable when comparing a grape to a raisen).

Freeze drying skips the liquid water phase all together. Substances are frozen and then de-pressurized to induce sublimation. Sublimation is different from evaporation because the water will transition directly from a solid ice state to a gaseous state. This process prevents the substance from breaking down on a cellular level and helps retain its composition until it can be re-hydrated.

Different Results

North Slope Chillers graphic on the difference between dehydration and freeze drying

Dehydration removes around 90% of a substance’s water content. Because some moisture remains, bacteria and enzyme activity is only slowed down, but not halted altogether. This moisture reduction does cause some physical changes in color and appearance. The heating process does cause some loss of nutritional value but most foods retain about 60% of their nutrients. 

Freeze drying removes almost all moisture, typically around 99% depending upon the substance. Because of this, freeze dried materials have a much longer shelf life than dehydrated materials. The process also helps preserve its original color, appearance, and molecular composition. Freeze dried materials also retain almost all of their nutritional content.

The History of Freeze Drying

The practice of using the freezing process to remove moisture is an ancient practice of Incan communities living in the Andes Mountains of South America. Townspeople would take local potatoes up to extremely high elevations where they were covered with a cloth and left to the nightly freeze. Come daytime, they would walk on top of the cloth to press moisture out of the tubers and then repeat the process to create their staple dish of chuño. Communities along the Andean Plateau in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile, still practice this natural freeze drying to this day.

Chuño potatoes

A german pathologist named Richard Altmann began experimenting with laboratory freeze drying on plant and animal tissues starting in 1890. His practices largely went unnoticed until around the 1930s when other scientists began to improve the freezing equipment necessary for freeze drying.

The industrial boom of World War II drove freeze drying innovations even further. Because of insufficient cold chain security, penicillin and plasma shipments were freeze dried domestically so they could be shipped to field hospitals at the war front. From that time forward, freeze drying became a staple practice for military field rations and medicines.

Over the years, freeze drying has become an integral practice for the food and bio-pharmaceutical industries. Freeze drying preserves chemical stability and is frequently used to prepare medicinal tablets, vaccines, and other biologicals so they can be more stable at room temperature and transport more easily.

The 3 Stages of Freeze Drying

North Slope Chillers graphic on the stages of freeze drying

Freezing

The goal of the freezing process is to turn liquid water into a solid without bursting cell walls. This is accomplished by changing chilling speeds and temperatures in such a way that ensures ice crystals form at the right size and shape to preserve biological materials without damaging them. This freezing process can occur slowly (annealing) or quickly (flash freezing) depending upon the material. 

Sublimation (Primary Drying)

During the next phase, pressure within the freeze dryer is reduced to create a vacuum. The temperature is marginally increased so the ice will begin to sublime into a gas. About 95% of the moisture removal occurs during this primary drying period.

North Slope Chillers graphic on the process of sublimation

Desorption

The final phase of freeze drying involves breaking down the ionic bonds that are holding onto the last remnants of water molecules. In order to break these bonds, the temperature is raised higher than it was during the sublimation phase.

Freeze Drying At Home

Freeze drying has become a very popular practice for DIYers, homesteaders, and food prep enthusiasts. It is one of the best ways to store and preserve food and herbs for long term food storage. Freeze drying is no longer just an industrial process, and many are finding ways to accomplish it at home.

Counter size freeze dryer units are increasing in popularity, as are DIY methods involving stacked trays in deep freezers. Consumers are also using their domestic freeze drying prowess to preserve cannabis as more states have loosened restrictions. 

Industrial Cooling Solutions from North Slope Chillers

Here at North Slope Chillers, we specialize in portable industrial strength chillers that fit perfectly into any system without disrupting your current set up. With temperature ranges from 70° F all the way down to -112° F, our chillers can be incorporated into any cooling process. Contact us today at 866-826-2993 or [email protected] to find the perfect chiller for your needs.

Freeze-Drying for Cannabis Preservation

Brooke Loeffler · Apr 21, 2020 ·

Freeze drying, invented in Paris in 1906, is a very gentle dehydration process used to preserve high quality foods. During WWII, the process was implemented to preserve blood serum. Since then, freeze drying has become a critical process for preserving foods, pharmaceuticals, and a wide range of other products–even cannabis. Cannabis growers are turning to freeze dryers to help them process their crops in response to the rise in the demand of dried cannabis flowers.

Learn more about Cannabis Extraction

Freeze Drying Cannabis: Basic Science and Benefits

Freeze-drying occurs when the solvent (usually water) and/or suspension medium is crystallized at low temperature and removed by sublimation (the direct transition from a solid state to gaseous state without melting). The technical term for this process is Lyophilization.

Three Stages of Freeze Drying Cannabis

There are three stages in the freeze drying process: freezing, sublimation drying, and desorption drying. The freezing phase is the most important part of the freeze-drying process. Rapid freezing is critical and helps eliminate the formation of large ice crystals, which deteriorate the final product quality. 

During the drying phase, a high vacuum reduces pressure, and heat provides energy needed for the ice to sublime. This initial drying phase removes about 95% of the water present. This slow step can take anywhere from several hours to two days. Too much heat during this phase could damage final product quality.

In summary, the process runs as follows:

  • Deep-freeze:  This brings cannabis buds down to – 40°F or below. The colder you can get your product, the fresher.
  • Sublimation:  This part of the process turns solid ice straight to water vapor, skipping the liquid phase. A vacuum pump then kicks in, sucking out the water vapor.
  • Final dry:  Now the product is returned to room temp (70-80°F), taking the last bit of water content out of the buds.

Freeze-dried products typically contain between 1% and 4% moisture. These products can be stored between 6 months and 3 years in polybags and 25 years or longer in cans.

Freeze-Drying Cannabis Flowers : How it Started

“When someone walks into a dispensary to look at flower, they want a bud that looks fresh,” says Rich DeLong. “No one wants to buy something that looks shrunken or desiccated.”

Rich DeLong has spent nearly three decades producing freeze-drying equipment that allows florists and other botanical professionals to preserve their products.  When approached in 2017 about the prospect of freeze drying cannabis, he started the challenge with a small batch–which failed miserably.

Cannabis flowers are delicate, and the oils, minerals, and terpenes therein are extremely fragile. With this in mind, DeLong created a method for freeze-drying cannabis that maintained an oil and terpene content equivalent to that found in buds that had been left to hang-dry. Hang drying took 18 days, but the freeze-dried plants were preserved and ready for packaging in less than 24 hours.

Freeze-Drying Flowers

Freeze-dried buds start out as fresh flowers.  After placing the buds into an extremely cold chamber, sub-zero temperatures quickly freeze the flowers, transforming the water inside to ice crystals. Once those crystals have formed, operators drop the pressure inside the freeze-dryer, to create the vacuum necessary for sublimation drying.  That sublimated water vapor is pulled by the vacuum into a colder condensation unit. All that remains is a freeze-dried flower that retains its taste, color, and shape.

“Freeze drying could revolutionize the way marijuana is packed and presented. Imagine a bud looking the same inside a package as it did coming off of the plant,” says Arnovick. “You remove the water, but keep the structure. There’s no mineral loss, no vitamin loss, no terpene loss—just a beautiful flower, ready to smoke,”  said Travis Arnovick.

From Farm to Freezer

North Slope Chillers graphic comparing hang drying and freeze drying cannabis

“A couple years ago, if you told someone you were going to freeze 100% of your crop, they’d tell you you were crazy. Now, we’re seeing 100% frozen harvests, and really large farms: 8,000-pound harvests. It’s totally taken over,” said Ben Grambergu at Grambergu Marketing in Northern California.

Consumers are driving the trend for frozen and freeze-dried plants. Farmers have responded by buying up industrial freezers—plus using dry ice in the fields—and are sending the frozen crops straight to extract labs, skipping the traditional hang-to-dry harvesting process.  Freezing preserves terpenes that would otherwise be lost to weeks of drying and curing.

Harvest Right’s Freeze-Dry Process

Freeze-drying cannabis has been around for a while and it’s becoming increasingly popular for small- and large-scale growers. Salt Lake City’s Harvest Right’s Pharmaceutical units shorten the curing process to just 24-36 hours, and are affordable and aimed at both small- and large-scale growers, and even homegrowers.  These units preserve buds and terpene profiles better than standard curing because they don’t use heat. Because of the quick cycle of the units and because the curing happens in a controlled environment, there’s a reduced risk of mold or mildew.

Process Cooling and Cannabis

It’s clear that the future of cannabis production directly involves cooling plans and the right equipment to preserve farm-fresh products. For more information about process cooling and cannabis, click here.

Manufacturing During a Pandemic

Brooke Loeffler · Apr 15, 2020 ·

Uncharted Territory

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a slew of challenges for the industrial community. With whole economic sectors shuttered, bottlenecks and deficiencies in the supply chain, drastic changes in consumer behavior, roller coaster stock market figures, collapsing oil demand, furloughed work forces, and new health and safety restrictions…companies are reeling to steady their ships.

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The full breadth and complexity of these challenges have already caused immense implications for even those companies who had contingency plans on file. Typical emergency plans usually cover power outages, natural disasters, and security compromises. However, the current COVID-19 situation is changing so rapidly, the manufacturing sector is struggling to protect themselves during such a widespread and extended global crisis.

Manufacturing Ramifications

The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a survey (from Feb.28th – Mar 9th) among leading manufacturers to get a feel for how the industry will be affected by the current pandemic.

North Slope Chillers graphic showing how COVID-19 is affecting manufacturers

78.3% of those surveyed said the COVID-19 epidemic will likely have a financial impact on their business. 53.1% anticipate a change in their operations in the coming months. 35.5% are already facing disruptions in their supply chain.

Unprecedented Challenges

Manufacturers are trying to find ways to allow employees to work remotely, fill orders on time, maintain their product quality while making compromises, store materials longer than usual, create safe distances in worker dense spaces, and prepare for supply chain adjustments.

The food and beverage industry is one sector that has experienced the most upheaval as the supply and demand chain has developed some unfortunate kinks. While grocery store suppliers are ramping up production to meet demand, food suppliers that cater to restaurants, theme parks, hotels, cruise liners, and schools have found demand cease almost overnight. These suppliers have been left with excess inventory and lack the cold storage capacity to store it while finding new customers. The result is a staggering increase in food waste.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

During the years following the attack on Pearl Harbor, American production and manufacturing changed completely. Clawing its way back from a period of inactivity during the great depression, the country suddenly found specific industrial demands skyrocketing. Some manufacturers simply ramped up production, while others switched gears entirely.

Car manufacturers began churning out fuselages, guns, and tanks. Sheet metal factories pivoted to solely producing parts needed for constructing ships, planes, and other defense vehicles. Consumers rationed and planted victory gardens so more domestic food supplies could be diverted to support our armed forces. The majority of the country unified their priorities, and refined their focus to the war effort.

Switching Gears

As global needs and consumer habits have completely changed in the last several weeks, some manufacturers have resurrected a good old “war time” mentality and shifted production practices. Dozens of craft distilleries have re-directed their alcohol production from spirits to hand sanitizer. Fashion designers and clothing manufacturers have set to work sewing PPE (personal protective equipment) for health care workers.

Family history geneticists have turned their saliva based ancestry kits into more affordable, FDA approved COVID-19 tests. Vacuum manufacturers have pivoted their technology to producing ventilators. Automobile factories have rededicated their production floors to creating face shields. The tech industry is even redirecting computing power to epidemiology labs to help them run molecular sequencing programs more quickly.   

Selling Raw Materials

Some manufacturers have adjusted by selling raw materials directly to clients instead of a finished product. For example, bakeries and restaurants that are restricted to take out orders only, have started selling raw ingredients to customers who have been unable to find the products they need on grocery store shelves. Just the other day, I personally purchased yeast and a 25 pound bag of flour from my local bakery because my grocery store had been out for weeks.

Weathering the Storm with Temperature Control

Most manufacturers have thorough supply chain time tables that help them communicate with suppliers, order and store raw materials, manage manufacturing timelines, ship finished products, and make or collect payments. Depending upon the industry, many manufacturers have had to throw out their old rule books and adapt to a business world that is constantly in flux. Let’s take a closer look at some practices that can help manufacturers protect their inventories and operations during this difficult time.

Increase Cold Storage

One of the most effective ways manufacturers can protect their business during this difficult time, is to increase their cold storage capacity. As spring turns into summer, hotter temperatures are already on their way. These temperatures threaten thermally sensitive raw materials and drastically reduce their shelf life and viability. The COVID-19 pandemic has made manufacturing input and output timelines extremely unpredictable. Adding extra cold storage capabilities to your facility will give you greater flexibility and protection.

For example, food suppliers work within a very delicate timeline to keep their products safe and viable from farm to table. Any disruption in the cold supply chain leads to costly waste. Bio and pharmaceutical companies adhere to even stricter cold storage and transportation guidelines. 

According to the CBRE, an additional 75-100 million extra square feet of refrigeration and freezer storage will be needed nationwide to keep up with normal perishable food and pharmaceutical demands. The COVID-19 pandemic will greatly accelerate these cooling needs. 

Greater Automation

Another important tool that manufacturers can use to weather the storm is increasing their use of automation. Most machinery and equipment require temperature controls to prevent overheating and breakdowns. Recent social distancing regulations and workforce reductions have shown how difficult it can be to keep things running smoothly with as few on-site workers as possible. Smart controllers offer manufacturers remote access to their temperature control equipment. By tapping into the Internet of Things (iOT), companies can remotely keep equipment running efficiently, protect temperature sensitive materials, and reduce the number of on-site workers.

Emergency Temperature Control Solutions From North Slope Chillers

During these uncertain times, it is important to find certain things you can depend on. Here at North Slope Chillers we are proud to offer efficient and expertly engineered cooling solutions that keep your operations up and running.

Graphic showing emergency cooling solutions from North Slope Chillers

Our industrial chillers are portable and easy to install without disrupting your current setup. With expansive temperature ranges from 75°F all the way down to -112°F, you can be sure to find the exact cooling range for your needs. We can protect your temperature sensitive materials during supply chain disruptions, keep your equipment cool and running efficiently, and provide peace of mind during turbulent times.

In addition, with our Beacon smart controllers, we can streamline your temperature control needs and allow you remote access by putting cooling power right at your fingertips. With world class customization options available, you can be sure to find the perfect cooling solution for your needs. Contact us today at 866-826-2993 or [email protected] and find out how we can help you get back to business.

How Vaccines Work and Why Temperature Matters

Emma Pollock · Mar 26, 2020 ·

We think vaccines are pretty cool. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines actually prevent them. Thanks to vaccines, many life-threatening diseases have now been nearly eradicated. However, with great power comes great responsibility; effective vaccines require careful temperature control from creation to administration to remain effective.

How Do Vaccines Work?

Vaccines contain the same germs that cause disease. (For example, measles vaccines contain the measles virus) That may sound a little scary, but the germs in vaccines have been either killed or carefully weakened enough to not make the recipient sick. Some vaccines even contain just part of the germ.

The killed or weakened virus stimulates the  immune system which then produces antibodies.  After getting vaccinated, recipients develop immunity to that disease without having to get the disease first. 

How Vaccines are Made

A few basic methods are used to produce vaccines. Let’s take a look at them and the benefits and limitations of each. 

  1. Weaken the virus

For this method, viruses are weakened so that they won’t be able to reproduce enough to cause illness. While viruses typically reproduce thousands of times during an infection, weakened viruses in vaccines typically reproduce fewer than 20 times. While this isn’t nearly enough to get someone sick, it is enough to induce “memory B cells” that protect against infection in the future.

The vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, rotavirus, oral polio (not used in the U.S.), chickenpox (varicella), and influenza (intranasal version) vaccines are made this way. 

This approach to creating vaccinations has the advantage of providing life-long immunity after just one or two doses. Unfortunately, vaccines with weakened viruses typically cannot be given to those with weakened immune systems (i.e. cancer or AIDS patients)

  1. Kill the virus

Using this strategy, viruses are chemically killed. The dead virus cannot possibly reproduce or cause disease. However, the virus is still recognized  by the body and the immune system produces cells that protect against disease. 

The hepatitis A, polio, influenza (shot version) , and rabies vaccines are created this way.

These vaccines have the advantage of not causing even a mild form of disease, which means they can be given to those with extremely fragile immune systems. The limitation of this method is that it typically requires several doses to achieve immunity.

  1. Use part of the virus

In this approach, the vaccine is made from a protein found on the surface of the virus. This strategy can be used only when an immune response to one part of the virus (or bacteria) causes protection against disease.

One shingles vaccine (Shingrix®),The hepatitis B vaccine, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are created this way.

These vaccines can be given to people with weakened immunity and appear to facilitate life-long immunity after only  two doses.

Vaccines and Temperature Control

Keeping vaccines at the correct temperatures during storage and handling is an essential factor in preventing many diseases. Failure to regulate a vaccine’s temperature can reduce its potency, resulting in inadequate immune responses in patients and reduced protection against diseases.

A vaccine’s cold chain begins with the cold storage unit at the manufacturing plant and ends at vaccine administration. Every step of handling and storage  in between must be carefully temperature controlled. 

In the cold chain, too much exposure to heat, cold, or light at any step can damage vaccines.The more exposure, the more they are damaged.  For refrigerated (not frozen) vaccines, a single exposure to freezing temperatures can completely destroy the potency. 

Storage and handling temperature errors can cost thousands of dollars in wasted vaccines and revaccination. They can also cause loss of patient confidence when repeat doses are necessary.

Guidelines for temperature monitoring and storage

According to the CDC, refrigerated vaccines should be stored at 40°F. Temperatures outside the range of 36-46°F must be immediately reported. Never freeze refrigerated vaccines.

Frozen vaccines must be stored in a freezer set to the factory or mid-point settings. Temperatures outside the range of -58-5°F must be immediately reported.

The CDC provides the following additional guidelines for the storage and handling of refrigerated and frozen vaccines:

  • Place the vaccines in trays or containers for proper air flow.
  •  Put vaccines that are first to expire in front. 
  • Keep vaccines in original boxes with lids closed to prevent exposure to light. 
  • Separate and label by vaccine type and public (VFC) or private vaccine. 
  • Record refrigerator or freezer  temperature settings daily
  • Keep the refrigerator or freezer door closed 
  • Use water bottles in the refrigerator to help maintain consistent temperature. 
  • Leave 2 to 3 inches between vaccine containers and refrigerator walls. 
  • Post “Do Not Unplug” signs on refrigerator or freezer and near electrical outlet. 
  • Don’t use dormitory-style refrigerator or freezer. 
  • Don’t use top shelf for vaccine storage. 
  • Don’t put food or beverages in refrigerator. 
  • Don’t put vaccines on door shelves or on floor of refrigerator. 
  • Don’t drink from or remove water bottles

North Slope Chillers provides cooling solutions (including custom solutions) for anything that needs to be carefully chilled. Give us a call at (866) 826-2993 if you have any questions or want to learn more! 

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