Guide
FAT report: what a factory acceptance test report records
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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 issues a witness report with the measured results. Send your FAT protocol for review →
The test team writes the report during and after the test; where the contract calls for a certificate, that signed document states the outcome. For the certificate itself, see FAT certificate; for the tests a FAT covers, see what is a factory acceptance test.
What is a FAT report?
A FAT report, or factory acceptance test report, documents what happened at the factory acceptance test. It follows the order of the agreed protocol, so every test in the protocol has a line in the report with its criterion, the value measured and the result. The report also records anything that failed, changed on the day or stayed open, with its disposition. A buyer who attended reads it to confirm what they saw; a buyer who was absent relies on it to decide whether to accept.
What a FAT report records
FAT report
Contents
- IdentificationProject, purchase order, equipment, serial or tag numbers, and the software or firmware versions loaded.
- ProtocolThe protocol and its revision, and any deviation agreed on the day with the reason and who agreed it.
- Test set-upLocation, ambient conditions, utilities used, simulated signals or loads, and the test instruments with their calibration references.
- ResultsFor each test, the acceptance criterion, the measured value with its unit, the result and the initials of whoever witnessed it.
- Non-conformitiesEach finding with its classification, disposition, corrective action and retest result.
- PhotographsThe set-up, the nameplates and the displays behind key readings, each tied to the test it supports.
- As-tested configurationSettings, parameters and protection values as left at the end of the test, for the site team.
- Attendance and outcomeWho attended for each party, the outcome, the open items and the reference of the signed certificate.
What makes a FAT report usable
A report is usable when someone who was absent can check the result from the page alone. It needs measured values with units against a stated criterion, serial numbers that match the nameplates, calibration references that were valid on the test date, and photographs that show which unit and which reading they document. It also needs the open items written as open, with an owner and a closure point, so the site team inherits a complete list of what is left. The FAT vs SAT guide sets out what the factory record has to hand over to site.
Red flags in a FAT report
- Result lines that read “OK” or “pass” with the measured value and the criterion missing.
- A type-test report or a report from an earlier unit where the contract calls for results on the serial numbers being bought.
- Serial numbers in the report that differ from the nameplates in the photographs.
- Test instruments listed with their calibration references missing, or with calibration dates that expired before the test.
- A report dated before the test, or one on complex equipment where every line passed and the observations section is empty.
FAT report, FAT certificate and pre-shipment inspection report
| Document | What it covers | When it is issued |
|---|---|---|
| FAT report | Every test against the protocol, with measured values, observations and non-conformities | During and after the FAT |
| FAT certificate | The FAT outcome, open items and release for shipment, with signatures | At the end of the FAT |
| Pre-shipment inspection report | The shipment presented for dispatch: quantities, packing, marking and visible condition | When the goods are ready to ship |
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the FAT report?
The party that runs the test writes it, usually the manufacturer’s test or quality team. A witness appointed by the buyer adds their own observations or issues a separate witness report, and the proposal states which document the buyer receives.
What does “FAT report” mean in a project schedule?
It is the deliverable due after the factory acceptance test. Many contracts make the report and the signed certificate conditions for shipment and for the payment milestone tied to the FAT.
Is a FAT report the same as a test certificate?
A test certificate, such as an EN 10204 3.1 certificate, confirms that a material or product meets the order’s requirements with specific results. A FAT report records the factory acceptance test of the assembled equipment against the buyer’s protocol.
How does the FAT report help at site?
The site team uses it as the baseline for the SAT and commissioning. The as-tested configuration, the measured values and the open items show what the factory proved and what is left to prove at site.
How Sinospect handles the FAT report
When Sinospect supplies the equipment, the FAT report is part of Sinospect’s own release gate. Sinospect reviews it before releasing the factory’s final balance, and the buyer receives it with the certificate. When the buyer contracts the factory directly, Sinospect’s witness report records the measured results against the protocol, the photographs and a release recommendation; the buyer decides on acceptance. The FAT witness service page carries a sample report.
A FAT coming up for equipment made in China?
Send the protocol. Sinospect confirms what the report will record and who witnesses each test.