Thermal Qualification: Everything you need to know!

Most people do not even imagine that many products and equipment used by them undergo a series of evaluations before being considered safe and approved for sale.

One of these tests is Thermal Qualification, which is very important and responsible for adding even greater well-being, both for people and companies.

If you doubt what it means, or if you need to hire the thermal qualification service for your business, rest assured. Read this content in full so that you will quickly understand its importance.

Know what Thermal Qualification is

Thermal Qualification aims to ensure, through documentary evidence, that the thermal equipment used in the company actually leads to the expected result. For this, tests are performed, indicating temperature, humidity, and pressure inside the equipment and the environment in which it is inserted.

Performing the entire procedure for obtaining, recording, and interpreting required results, thermal qualification is done in an integrated manner, from calibration to the final report.

The reports generated are conclusive, easy to interpret and meet the requirements of the leading national and international standards, such as: Anvisa, Mapa, and Redes Metrológicas, for example.

Thus, all thermal equipment that affects the final product’s quality shall go through a process called Thermal Qualification.

Discover the 4 Stages of Thermal Qualification

1. Qualification of Project (QoP)

The first step in the thermal qualification journey is to assess whether the project structure is OK. Thus, the project qualification is a turning point to prove that the drawings, layouts, and other aspects are under the pre-established specifications and goals.

The project qualification aims to meet the standards and recommendations in force and includes requirements for Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001, ISO 17025, BPF, BPL, Anvisa).

2. Installation Qualification (IQ)

But it is useless to invest in quality equipment if the installation is not carried out in a way that takes full advantage of the device’s maximum capacity. For this reason, thermal qualification includes another essential determination: Installation Qualification.

It certifies all the electrical parts, wires, cabling, voltage, and structure of the other components related to the installation to ensure the machine’s proper functioning.

However, contrary to what many people imagine, installation is not usually the easiest part, as certain decisive aspects need to be considered.

That is the case of the device’s location, the distance between the motor and the wall, for example, contact with heat sources, the possibility of sun exposure, and other requirements that, if not adopted, can impact the material’s performance.

As you can see, the installation qualification attests to many relevant factors, in addition to the electrical issue. This without yet evaluating the hypothesis that the material’s thermal part is in full operation or not.

This assessment will be carried out in the next step, please continue reading.

3. Operational Qualification (OQ)

In Operational Qualification, it is time to test the buttons and the response that the tool gives to basic commands, such as temperature adjustment, on/off switch – among other functions that vary according to the type of machine being evaluated.

Here, the equipment’s capacity to produce heat or cold is checked, and the objective of reaching a specific temperature for which it has been designated will be tested below.

4. Performance Qualification (PQ)

To check if the machine achieves the stipulated temperature, and also if it can maintain that thermal level, there is the monitoring of the Performance Qualification, the third and last phase of the thermal qualification.

Does your refrigerator or freezer reach a specific temperature and remains there, or does it vary, increasing or decreasing peaks outside the desired scale? It can cause damage to the food you keep inside these appliances.

Bringing this idea to the corporate sector, the conservation of many medicines depends on the equipment that requires thermal qualification. That is the case of a refrigerator used to store vaccines, for instance, that is damaged to the point of presenting sudden variations in temperature and impairing the formula’s composition.

All of this is carefully assessed by the performance qualification, especially if the heating/cooling is uniform within the machine compartment or fails and focuses on specific areas.

It is also true for vaccines because if some are in the uncooled part, they obviously cannot be used under the risk of not achieving the recommended conservation.

Therefore, the performance qualification is a complete check, with a full and empty load (full and unoccupied equipment). This observation is necessary to find out if, with the products inside, the devices have some overload or wear.

Discover the importance of Thermal Qualification

Many examples of the use of thermal qualification highlight its importance for people’s well-being.

It can be present in beauty salons, the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics manufacturers, hotels (to sterilize bed/bath/table items), hospitals, medical, dental, health, and veterinary offices.

But you may be wondering: how can thermal qualification be relevant to these establishments? Simple, it is essential for the health quality of many instruments, such as:

• Manicure/pedicure materials;
• Feeding utensils;
• Medicines;
• Sheets and towels;
• Surgical and dental instruments;
• In addition to other medical supplies.

The cleaning can be done in the autoclave, smaller equipment, ideal for sterilizing few instruments. Or ovens and stoves.

Without checking and thermal adjustment, these machines may not properly disinfect objects, causing epidemics and putting at risk those who deal directly with them.

It is also the case of the washing machines and thermodisinfectors used in hospitals and hotels, and establishments with accommodation services. After all, the number of bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms that the bed linen contains can be high.

In all these mentioned models, high temperature is necessary to avoid infections, including hospital ones, and ensure the success of the services or products.

Another form of sterilization is refrigeration through freezers or cold rooms where vaccines and blood bags are stored. Therefore, whether at high or low temperature, thermal qualification is, in fact, essential for people’s health.

Check the Thermal Qualification of Equipment

But it is not just the autoclave, stove, freezer , and cold room that must be thermally evaluated. Medição Soluções Metrológicas performs the necessary tests also to:

• Thermal Qualification of Stove;

• Thermal Qualification of Autoclave;

• Thermal Qualification of Water Bath;

• Thermal Qualification of Freezer;

• Thermal Qualification of Fridge;

• Thermal Qualification of Climatic Chamber;

• Thermal Qualification of Conservation Chamber;

• Thermal Qualification of Maturation Chamber;

• Thermal Qualification of Incubator;

• Thermal Qualification of Muffle;

• Thermal Qualification of Refrigerator;

• Thermal Qualification of Washing Machine;

• Thermal Qualification of Thermodisinfector;

• Thermal Qualification of Stability Room.

Despite the considerable versatility and demand for thermal qualification, remember to choose a Laboratory that ensures maximum reliability!

Find a Laboratory near you

So far, you have already learned what thermal qualification is, the phases of this assessment, its importance, and where it is applied.

However, before hiring a thermal qualification service, it is necessary to evaluate the laboratories that measure the mentioned equipment.

For that, contact Medição Soluções Metrológicas Integradas– a company with prominence and reference – and request Thermal Qualification with those who really understand the matter!

We indicate the ideal facility that provides comprehensive measurement services, according to the needs of our customers.

With years of experience and highly qualified professionals that enable reliable tests, Medição guarantees a high quality of service, on-time delivery, and proper measurement equipment!

Count on Medição quality and ask for a quotation at the laboratory closest to you.

Browse our website to see the laboratories and learn more!

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