CRYOGENIC & ULTRA-LOW TEMPERATURE EQUIPMENT RELOCATION
Cryogenic & Ultra-Low Temperature Equipment Relocation in Montreal — LN2 Dewars, -80°C Freezers, Dry Ice Shipments
Logistiques CNS executes the physical relocation of cryogenic and ultra-low temperature laboratory equipment — liquid nitrogen dewars, -80°C ultra-low freezers, -150°C cryopreservation tanks, dry shippers, and biological specimens on dry ice. We coordinate with your gas vendor (Praxair, Linde, Airgas, Messer) for cryogen levels at origin and destination, maintain chain-of-custody documentation for every specimen, and hold temperature tolerances through transit. Over 200 laboratory and medical relocations completed since 2018, including a cross-city move for a Canada Research Chair's stem cell laboratory from the Douglas Research Centre to the Irving Ludmer Building at McGill. Headquartered in Saint-Laurent, minutes from Technoparc Montréal.
WHY CRYOGENIC MOVES DIFFER
Cryogenic Relocations Require a Different Playbook
A standard lab move ships equipment. A cryogenic move manages material that will destroy itself if the cold chain breaks. Liquid nitrogen boils at -196°C, liquid helium at -269°C, dry ice sublimates at -78.5°C — and the biological samples inside those containers lose viability the moment temperature tolerances are exceeded.
The move has to preserve the cold chain from disconnect through reconnect, coordinate cryogen refills with your gas vendor at both ends, and hand the lab an intact specimen inventory. The physical transport is one piece of a larger system that includes your gas vendor, your biosafety officer, and your destination lab's readiness window.
REFERENCE STANDARDS
Transport Canada — TDG Regulations ↗
Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations — Class 2.2 non-flammable gases as refrigerated liquids. Governs placarding, documentation, and cryogenic receptacle requirements.
CSA B340 ↗
Selection and use of cylinders, spheres, tubes, and other containers for the transportation of dangerous goods. Baseline Canadian standard for cryogenic container transport.
CSA B342 ↗
Selection and use of UN pressure receptacles for the transportation of dangerous goods, Class 2. Governs pressure-rated dewar specifications.
NIST — Cryogenic Technologies ↗
NIST defines a cryogen as any liquid with boiling point below 93K (-180°C) at 1 atm. Covers LN2, LAr, LHe, LH2, LO2 — the substances driving the move's thermal constraints.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
- ✓NIST defines a cryogen as any liquid with boiling point below 93K (-180°C or -240°F) at 1 atm. Includes LN2, LAr, LHe, LH2, LO2.
- ✓LN2 boiling point: -196°C. Expansion ratio liquid-to-gas is 695:1 — a sealed dewar failure generates catastrophic pressure. Dry ice (solid CO2) sublimates at -78.5°C.
- ✓-80°C ULT freezers are ultra-low but not cryogenic — they require continuous power or dry-ice bridging during move. Dry / vapor shippers are specialized containers for frozen biological samples, safer than open dewars for transport.
- ✓Dewar pressure classes: low-pressure 22 psi (cryogenic liquid supply), medium-pressure 230 psi (gas supply), high-pressure 350 psi. Pressure-relief valves and rupture disks are mandatory.
- ✓Primary hazards: asphyxiation (O2 displacement in enclosed spaces including elevators), cold burns / frostbite, catastrophic pressure release if venting fails, condensation / ice damage to equipment.
SCOPE SEPARATION
What We Execute — And What We Coordinate With
The gas vendor delivers cryogen. The certifier validates the equipment. The lab confirms specimen integrity. CNS connects the three on the day of the move — and that connective tissue is what separates cryogenic movers from general movers.
What Logistiques CNS Executes
- ✓Pre-move site survey — dewar inventory, specimen manifest, route planning, elevator O2-displacement calculation
- ✓Controlled disconnect sequencing for LN2 supply lines, -80°C freezer power-down timing, dry-ice replenishment schedule
- ✓Dewar securing and transport with appropriate tie-downs (never rolled, never transported horizontally unless specifically rated)
- ✓Dry shipper handling per vendor protocols (MVE, Taylor-Wharton, Princeton Cryo)
- ✓Specimen chain-of-custody documentation with timestamps, temperature loggers per container
- ✓Cryogenic-rated PPE for handlers: insulated gloves, face shields, long sleeves, closed-toe footwear
- ✓Elevator protocols — chain-off and posted warning signs when transporting dewars unattended (standard cryogenic-safety practice); coordinated reinstall timing with destination lab's refill schedule
What Coordinates With Us
- →Gas vendor cryogen delivery and refill (Praxair, Linde / Air Liquide, Airgas, Messer, Air Products) at origin and destination
- →Lab's biosafety officer for biological specimen release and re-acceptance documentation
- →Facility management for after-hours access, freight elevator bookings, loading-dock reservation
- →Your validation / QA team for post-move temperature log review and specimen integrity confirmation
- →OEM service techs where equipment requires certified recommissioning (e.g. -80°C compressor inspection, cryomagnet field verification)
- →Destination lab's readiness sign-off at arrival — power, ventilation, refill staging
- →PI or lab manager signed handoff at origin release and destination receipt
The gas vendor delivers cryogen. The certifier validates the equipment. The lab confirms specimen integrity. CNS connects the three on the day of the move — and that connective tissue is what separates cryogenic movers from general movers.
RELOCATION PROCESS
Our Cryogenic Relocation Process
Pre-Move Cryogen Audit
Inventory dewars, specimen counts, current cryogen levels, projected boil-off rates, target refill windows. Site-survey documentation delivered before day-of.
Gas Vendor Coordination
We liaise directly with your Praxair, Linde, Airgas, or Messer rep to align refill schedules at origin (top-off pre-move) and destination (standby for immediate post-move refill).
Specimen Chain-of-Custody Setup
Asset-tag every container. Install temperature loggers. Generate a manifest cross-referenced against the lab's specimen inventory system. Signed handoff between origin PI / lab manager and CNS project manager.
Controlled Transport
Dewars secured upright. Dry shippers handled per vendor protocol. Route pre-checked for obstructions, elevator capacity, load-path turn radii. Transport in a ventilated truck with O2 monitors available to crew.
Destination Reinstall
Equipment placed. -80°C units powered up and monitored to setpoint before reloading. LN2 dewars refilled from pre-staged gas vendor delivery. Specimens transferred into storage under lab manager supervision.
Post-Move Documentation Handoff
Temperature log data, chain-of-custody manifest with arrival timestamps and condition reports, signed handoff form. Complete dossier for your QA/PI's records.
CASE STUDY
Case Study — Douglas Research Centre to Irving Ludmer Building, McGill
Full-depth cryogenic discipline is embedded in our broader laboratory and medical work. A representative recent project: relocating a McGill-affiliated Canada Research Chair's iPSC stem cell laboratory from the Douglas Research Centre to the Irving Ludmer Building — transporting post-mortem tissue on dry ice, cryopreserved cells in liquid nitrogen dewars, and -80°C ultra-low temperature freezers under a single-day custody window.
The full case study, including route specifics, cold-chain management, and chain-of-custody execution, is documented on our Laboratory & Medical Equipment Moving page.
HANDLING BY CATEGORY
Cryogenic & Ultra-Low Equipment We Move
Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) Dewars
Low-pressure (22 psi), medium-pressure (230 psi), and high-pressure (350 psi) dewars for cryogen supply and cell-line cryopreservation at -196°C. Transported upright with appropriate tie-downs under CSA B340 / B342 framework.
-80°C Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers
Reagent storage, sample archives, -80°C biorepositories. Power-down timing coordinated to stay within validated thermal excursion limits. Temperature loggers through transit.
Dry Shippers & Vapor-Phase Containers
MVE, Taylor-Wharton, Princeton Cryo and equivalent vapor-phase shippers for frozen biological specimens. Handled per vendor protocol, never rolled, monitored through transit.
Cryopreserved Cell Lines & iPSC Stocks
Induced pluripotent stem cells, neural stem cells, primary cell stocks stored in LN2 vapor or liquid phase. Chain-of-custody documentation per vial rack. Temperature-logged transport.
Post-Mortem Tissue & Biorepository Samples
Frozen brain tissue, organ specimens, tumor biobank samples. Dry-ice transport (-78.5°C) with cryogenic-gloved handling. Asset-tagged containers. Chain of custody from disconnect through lab receipt.
Cryogenic Microscopes & Cryostats
Cryo-EM and cryo-SEM instruments, microtome cryostats, cryogenic vibrating-slide microtomes. ESD-safe, vibration-dampened transport. OEM service for recommissioning.
Compressed Gas Cylinders (Class 2.2)
Nitrogen, argon, helium, CO2 cylinders transported under Transport Canada TDG regulations. Upright, secured, properly placarded.
Supporting Lab Infrastructure
LN2 supply lines, vacuum insulation panels, cryogenic piping, cryo-compressors, biosafety cabinets, fume hoods, lab benches — handled as a coordinated package to preserve the lab's operational environment.
MONTREAL CONTEXT
Rooted in Saint-Laurent, Next to Technoparc Montréal
Logistiques CNS's headquarters at 4590 Henri Bourassa Blvd W in Saint-Laurent puts us minutes from Technoparc Montréal, the pharma / biotech hub home to 110+ companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Agilent Technologies, Grifols, and adMare BioInnovations. Proximity matters for cryogenic moves: short transit windows minimize cold-chain exposure, after-hours access fits around gas-vendor refill schedules, and our climate-monitored staging facility supports multi-phase relocations where equipment must briefly stage before a destination is ready.
Named clients served: McGill University Faculty of Medicine (including Dr. Carl Ernst's lab at the Douglas Research Centre and Ludmer Centre), Concordia University, LifeLabs Canada, MGI Tech Canada, Ananda Devices, and Tapis Nouraie.
FAQ
Cryogenic & Ultra-Low Temperature Moving FAQ
Can Logistiques CNS refill our LN2 dewars during or after the move?+
What temperatures and containers have you moved?+
Are you licensed for cryogenic liquid transport under Canadian dangerous goods regulations?+
How do you protect biological specimens during transit?+
What asphyxiation safeguards apply when moving cryogenic containers through elevators?+
How far in advance should we engage CNS for a cryogenic laboratory move?+
RELATED SERVICES
Related Logistiques CNS Services
RESOURCES
Cryogenic & Ultra-Low Temperature Moving Resources
Standards & Authority Sources
Cryogenic & Ultra-Low Temperature Relocation — Intake Form
Complete this form to help us plan your cryogenic relocation. Our project management team will respond within 12 business hours.
What Happens Next
1. We Review Your Submission
Our project management team reviews your intake form and prepares a preliminary assessment within 12 business hours.
2. Site Survey & Gas Vendor Alignment
We schedule a site survey at origin and destination and coordinate refill schedules directly with your gas vendor.
3. Detailed Proposal
You receive a move proposal with timeline, crew requirements, chain-of-custody documentation plan, and pricing.
Coverage: Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, and all points between.
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