Case Study

Early Anomaly Detection in a 5°C Walk-In Cold Room

How OverShield identified a hidden failure mode before it escalated into a critical event.

Overview

In this case study, OverShield identifies a subtle but critical refrigeration anomaly in a 5°C pharmaceutical cold room operating with redundant cooling systems.

An electrical malfunction caused a hot gas valve to remain open when it should have been closed, a condition that traditional temperature monitoring would not detect until system performance was severely compromised.

What OverShield Sees

OverShield continuously tracked temperature behavior inside the chamber.

The system detected irregular fluctuations indicating a developing failure mode — even though RH was still in compliance.

Anomaly Detected

A temperature sensor detected an upward deviation from the normal baseline, identifying early abnormal behavior while the chamber was still operating within specification.

This created a risk of undetected drift and potential study disruption.

Gas Valve Malfunction 5°C Walk-In Cold Room

Outcome

OverShield notified the facility maintenance team. Upon inspection, the hot gas valve was found to be fully open when it should have been closed. This caused overheated gas to circulate through the system, triggering the alert.   

The condition was masked by a redundant compressor, which compensated for the valve failure. Had this compressor failed, the replacement cost would have been $100K (USD), and $15M of valuable life-saving products would have been at risk.

The Value

Clear Operational and Cost Benefits

By avoiding a compressor shutdown, the facility eliminated a potential $100K equipment replacement and protected $15M in high-value drug product.

$15M

Protected in high-value Drug product

$100k

Expense Eliminated for equipment replacement

Key Benefits Delivered

Early Failure Detection

Identified abnormal behavior before conditions moved out of specification.

Reduced Operational Risk

Prevented system degradation while redundant equipment masked the failure.

Actionable Insight

Delivered clear, expert-backed guidance for timely maintenance action.

Cost Avoidance

Avoided a $100K compressor failure and protected $15M in product.

OverShield by Predictive Monitor

Ready to Protect Your Critical Refrigerated Assets?

See how OverShield safeguards long-term studies by detecting anomalies early, preventing environmental drift, and providing full compliance visibility.

Schedule a Walkthrough