Guide
FAT certificate: what it records and who signs it
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Sinospect supplies the equipment from China and runs the FAT as its own release gate; for a purchase you make direct, it witnesses the FAT and checks the certificate wording. Send your FAT protocol for review →
Where the contract calls for one, the certificate closes the factory acceptance test; other contracts treat the signed FAT report as the acceptance record. For the test itself, see what is a factory acceptance test; for the sequence that follows at site, see FAT vs SAT.
What is a FAT certificate?
A FAT certificate, also called a FAT sign-off sheet, factory acceptance certificate or FAT release note, is a one- or two-page document issued at the end of the factory acceptance test. It identifies the equipment and the protocol it was tested against, states the outcome, lists the items still open, and carries the signatures of the parties who attended. The FAT report holds the tests, measured values and observations behind it; the certificate states the result.
What a FAT certificate records
A certificate a buyer can rely on records, at minimum:
- the project, purchase-order and equipment references, with the serial or tag numbers of the units actually tested;
- the FAT protocol or procedure it was tested against, with its revision, and the date and place of the test;
- the outcome: accepted, accepted with open items, or held for retest;
- each open item with its category, the party responsible and the point by which it must close, before shipment or at site;
- the release statement: whether the equipment may be packed and shipped;
- the reference of the FAT report and the attachments that carry the measured values, including the calibration records of the test instruments;
- the names, roles, companies and dates of everyone who signs.
FAT certificate
Certificate no.
- Project and purchase order
- Equipment and serial numbers
- FAT protocol and revision
- Date and place of test
- FAT report reference
Outcome
- Accepted
- Accepted with open items
- Held for retest
Released for packing and shipment
- Yes
- After the listed items close
Open items
| No. | Open item | Category | Responsible party | Close by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 |
Category: before shipment, or at site.
Signatures
Manufacturer (quality or test lead)
- Name
- Role and company
- Signature
- Date
Buyer’s representative
- Name
- Role and company
- Signature
- Date
Appointed witness
- Name
- Role and company
- Signature
- Date
Who signs a FAT certificate, and what each signature means
- The manufacturer’s quality or test lead signs that the tests were performed as recorded.
- The buyer’s representative signs the acceptance decision. That person needs written authority from the buyer, because the signature can release shipment and money.
- An appointed witness, such as an independent engineer or an inspection company, signs for the tests they attended and the observations they recorded. Final acceptance stays with the buyer unless the buyer delegates it in writing.
When a statute or the contract calls for a certificate from an accredited inspection body or a notified body, for example for pressure equipment, that body issues its own certificate. The FAT certificate stays the contractual record between buyer and manufacturer.
FAT certificate, FAT report and certificate of conformity
| Document | Who issues it | What it states | When it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAT certificate | Manufacturer and buyer’s representative, with any appointed witness | The FAT outcome, open items and release for shipment | At the end of the FAT; often a payment and shipment trigger |
| FAT report | The party that ran or witnessed the test | Tests performed, measured values, observations and non-conformities | The evidence behind the certificate; the baseline for SAT |
| Material or test certificate (EN 10204 3.1) | The manufacturer’s authorised inspection representative | That the delivered material or product meets the order’s requirements, with specific test results | Material and component traceability |
| Certificate of conformity (COC) | A certification body or the issuer named by the destination programme | That the shipment conforms to the destination country’s requirements | Customs clearance and market access in the destination country |
What the certificate triggers in the contract
The contract gives the signature its effect. Common provisions:
- Shipment release. Packing and shipment start only after a signed certificate, or after the listed pre-shipment items close.
- A payment milestone. Many equipment contracts pay an instalment on a signed FAT certificate; others hold the final balance until then.
- The schedule. The FAT date anchors witness travel, vessel booking and site readiness, so a FAT date that slips usually moves delivery with it (see what a FAT date means).
FAT is a test stage; the delivery term is a separate clause. Incoterms such as FOB or CIF set where cost and risk pass to the buyer, ownership follows the contract’s title clause, and many contracts state delivery as a number of weeks after a successful FAT.
Signing with open items
A FAT often ends with items still open. The certificate should split them into those that must close before shipment, such as a failed safety function or a missing document, and those the site can close, such as a cosmetic defect or a spare part shipped later. For each item it names the responsible party, the evidence of closure (a retest, a photograph, a revised document) and who verifies it. Give every item an owner and a deadline, or it tends to reach site unresolved. The factory acceptance test checklist carries the non-conformity and release sections the certificate draws on.
Frequently asked questions
Is a FAT certificate the same as a certificate of conformity?
The FAT certificate records that the equipment passed the buyer’s factory tests. A certificate of conformity states that a shipment meets a destination country’s requirements and is issued under that country’s programme.
Can a FAT certificate be signed with open items?
Yes, when each open item is listed with its category, owner and closure point. Items that affect safety, function or required documents usually close before shipment; minor items can close at site.
Who keeps the FAT certificate?
Both parties keep a signed copy. It belongs in the post-FAT document pack with the FAT report, and the site team needs it as the starting point for the SAT and for any later warranty claim.
Does a signed FAT certificate transfer ownership or risk?
Risk passes under the contract’s delivery term and ownership under its title clause. The FAT certificate records the test outcome and, where the contract says so, releases shipment or a payment.
How Sinospect handles the FAT certificate
When Sinospect supplies the equipment, the FAT is Sinospect’s own release gate. Sinospect signs off the factory result before it releases the factory’s final balance; the buyer can attend and receives the certificate and the report. When the buyer contracts the factory directly, Sinospect witnesses the FAT, records the results against the protocol and recommends release or hold; the buyer signs the acceptance. See the FAT witness service.
Preparing a FAT certificate for a China order?
Send the protocol or the draft certificate. Sinospect reviews the acceptance wording, the open-item rules and the signatures before the test date.