Build a factory acceptance test checklist

Verify a written FAT test plan or inspection and test plan (ITP) exists and has been agreed by buyer and supplier before testing begins.

Without an agreed plan the pass/fail basis is disputable; testing to an unapproved plan invalidates the acceptance.

Verify the test plan lists each test, its acceptance criteria, the sequence, and the sign-off point for each stage.

A plan without explicit acceptance criteria per test lets marginal results pass unchallenged.

Verify the current buyer specification, purchase order and approved drawings are on hand at the test location and match the equipment presented.

Testing against a superseded spec or drawing revision is a common cause of accepted-then-rejected equipment.

Verify the revision numbers of the reference documents on the floor are the latest issued and that no open change requests affect the scope under test.

Uncontrolled or outdated document revisions defeat the purpose of witnessing against them.

Verify the utilities required for the planned tests — electrical supply, compressed air, water, cooling or fuel as applicable — are available and connected at the works.

Missing or under-rated site utilities routinely stall or truncate a FAT after attendees have travelled.

Verify the supplier utility supplies match the values needed by the equipment and the test plan in voltage, frequency, pressure, flow and quality.

A supply present but at the wrong parameters (e.g. voltage or air pressure) prevents valid performance testing.

Verify the supplier personnel needed to run the test — operators, and the responsible engineer or quality representative — are present and available for the duration.

Absent competent personnel forces improvised testing or rescheduling; confirm a supplier representative can authorise sign-off.

Verify all attendees have received the site safety induction and are issued the required personal protective equipment before entering the test area.

Un-inducted attendees on a live works floor are a safety and liability exposure and may be removed, halting the FAT.

Verify emergency arrangements for the test area — exits, assembly point, first aid and the site emergency contact — have been briefed to attendees.

Energised or pressurised acceptance testing carries real hazards; attendees must know the response before it is needed.

Verify a valid, in-date calibration certificate is available for every measuring instrument that will be used to judge FAT results.

Results measured with an uncalibrated or expired instrument are not defensible; check the calibration date has not lapsed.

Verify each test instrument's calibration is traceable to a recognised national or international standard and its accuracy is adequate for the tolerances being checked.

An instrument coarser than the tolerance it verifies cannot confirm conformity; traceability chain should be stated on the certificate.

Verify blank FAT result sheets or a witness record aligned to the agreed test plan are prepared to log outcomes and signatures as testing proceeds.

Recording results after the fact from memory weakens the acceptance record; capture readings and sign-offs live.

Verify a documentation transmittal or index list is provided and that every document it references is physically present in the pack.

An index with missing referenced items is the most common way an incomplete pack passes unnoticed. Tick each line against a physical document.

Verify the compiled test and inspection report covering the witnessed FAT results is included, signed and dated by the supplier.

This is the record the buyer relies on post-shipment. Confirm it is compiled into the pack; the underlying test results are witnessed and judged in the relevant technical modules, not here.

Verify material and component certificates required by the purchase order are present, legible and cross-referenced to the items they cover.

Presence, legibility and traceability into the pack only. Certificate content versus grade/thickness spec is verified in the materials module (mat), not here.

Verify operation and maintenance manuals are included and cover installation, operation, routine maintenance and troubleshooting.

A common shortfall is an operation-only manual with no maintenance or fault-finding sections.

Verify as-built drawings are included and reflect the unit as inspected, including any changes made during manufacture.

Supplied drawings are frequently the original design set, not as-built. Check revision markings against modifications observed on the unit.

Verify a spare-parts list is included and that each line carries a manufacturer part number sufficient to reorder without further enquiry.

Descriptions without part numbers, or internal codes the buyer cannot order against, make later replacement dependent on the supplier.

Verify recommended commissioning and first-service spares are identified in the spare-parts list and reconciled against what is being shipped with the unit.

The document side of the spares check. Physical presence of shipped spares in the crates is confirmed in the packing module (pack).

Verify the warranty terms are stated in writing, including duration, start-date basis, coverage and any exclusions or conditions.

A warranty whose start date, scope or conditions are undefined is difficult to enforce after shipment. Confirm against the purchase order terms.

Verify all deliverable documents are provided in the language required by the purchase order.

Manuals or certificates supplied only in Chinese are a frequent finding. Confirm the required language, and whether bilingual or translated copies were agreed.

Verify the equipment nameplate details recorded in the documents (model, serial number, rating) match the physical nameplate on the unit.

Documents describing a different serial or rating than the unit indicate a mismatched or reused pack.

Verify supplier and sub-supplier contact details for technical support, spares and warranty claims are stated in the pack.

Post-shipment support stalls when the buyer has no named contact route for parts or warranty.

Verify each document carries a title, revision or issue identifier and date so the buyer can confirm they hold the current edition.

Unversioned documents make it impossible to tell later whether a superseded copy is in use.

Confirm the pack is specific to this unit rather than a generic product-family manual that omits ordered options or variants.

Generic manuals are commonly substituted for a bespoke build; they describe standard options and omit or contradict what was actually supplied.

Confirm that where an electronic pack is provided, the files open, are complete and are not password-locked or corrupted, and that any promised native formats are included.

A USB or link handed over at FAT can hold scanned-only, locked or incomplete files. Open a sample and confirm agreed formats (e.g. editable drawings) are present.

Confirm the packing specification (or packing list) and the intended transit mode and route are available before packing is inspected.

The packing method must be judged against the declared mode (sea/air/road, container vs breakbulk) and destination; without the spec the packing cannot be assessed.

Verify the packing method and materials match the specification for the declared transit mode (seaworthy export crate, container-stuffed, or air freight as applicable).

Domestic-grade packing on a long sea leg is a common failure; export/seaworthy protection is often specified but substituted to save cost.

Inspect crate and case construction for adequacy — base skids/runners, bracing, fixings and closure — so the package will withstand handling and stacking in transit.

Judge build quality only; lifting points, slinging arrangements and tilt/shock indicators are assessed under the lifting & transport module.

Verify shipping marks on each package (consignee, order/contract reference, case number, port of destination) match the packing list and commercial invoice.

Mismarked cases are misrouted or delayed at consolidation; case-number sequence must be complete (e.g. 1/8 … 8/8).

Verify the gross and net weights and outer dimensions marked on each package agree with the packing list.

Declared weights drive freight booking, container/vehicle selection and handling gear; discrepancies cause re-handling and demurrage.

Verify handling and orientation markings (e.g. this-way-up, keep-dry, sling/no-sling positions, fragile) are present and correct for the contents.

ISO 780 pictograms are conventional; confirm they are present and consistent with the packing spec rather than citing the standard on the case.

Verify all loose-supplied items — spares, consumables, special tools, counterparts and accessories — listed in the contract/packing list are physically present and identified.

Loose supply is the most common short-shipment; missing commissioning spares or special tools can stall installation at site.

Where preservation is specified, verify it is applied — desiccant with a humidity indicator in sealed barrier/VCI wrapping, VCI on bare machined surfaces, and blanking of open ports, flanges and shaft ends.

Long sea transit and storage cause corrosion on unprotected surfaces; desiccant quantity and a moisture-barrier seal are routinely skimped.

Verify fluids are handled per the shipping requirement — systems drained or protective/preservation fill applied and stated, with drain points closed and no residual leakage.

Trapped water can freeze or corrode in transit; some units ship with a preservation charge that must be documented so site does not re-drain it.

Verify wooden packaging carries a valid ISPM-15 heat-treatment (HT) or fumigation mark with the producer's registration.

Unmarked or non-compliant timber is refused or destroyed at the destination port and can hold the whole consignment; applies to all solid-wood packaging.

Verify the equipment serial/tag number, model and quantity match the nameplate, the packing list and the commercial invoice.

Serial-number mismatch between the physical unit and the shipping/commercial documents is a fraud and customs-clearance exposure and can invalidate warranty.

Witness and obtain a dated photographic record of each unit as packed — internal blocking/bracing and preservation before closing, then the closed and marked package.

Once crates are closed the internal packing cannot be re-inspected; before-close photos are the only evidence for transit-damage and short-shipment claims.