When you order a packaging machine, the factory acceptance test (FAT) is your opportunity to see it run before it leaves the manufacturer. Problems found at FAT are much easier and cheaper to fix than problems found after installation. A structured approach ensures you make the most of this visit.
What Is a FAT?
A FAT is a test of the machine at the supplier’s factory, usually with the buyer’s representatives present. The machine is checked against the agreed specifications, run with actual containers and, where possible, actual product.
Before the FAT
- Review the purchase specifications and agree on a test protocol.
- Send sufficient containers, caps, labels and product samples to the supplier.
- Decide who will attend, including production, maintenance and quality team members.
Mechanical Checks
- Build quality, welds and finishes
- Materials of contact parts
- Guards and safety features
- Accessibility for cleaning and maintenance
- Change parts for all formats
Electrical and Control Checks
- Panel layout and wiring quality
- PLC and HMI functions
- Alarms and safety interlocks
- Recipes for each product
Performance Checks
- Run at rated speed for a sustained period
- Measure fill accuracy on a sample of containers
- Check capping torque and seal quality
- Check label placement and coding
- Record stoppages and their causes
Changeover Checks
Perform a changeover between formats and time it. Check that operators can perform it with documented procedures.
Documentation Checks
- Manuals and drawings
- Spare parts list
- Material certificates
- Calibration certificates
Recording Results
Document results and any issues found. Agree on a list of corrections to be made before shipment.
After the FAT
Confirm that corrections are completed before the machine ships. Plan the site acceptance test (SAT) at your facility to verify performance after installation.
Testing With Real Product
Testing with water is useful, but it does not always reveal how a machine handles your actual product. Viscous, foaming or particulate products behave differently. Where practical, send enough real product for meaningful trials. If the product cannot be shipped, choose a substitute that behaves similarly and agree on it in advance. Fill accuracy, drip behaviour and capping quality should all be checked with this product. Results from real-product testing give far greater confidence than water tests alone.
Safety Checks
Verify that guards are fitted correctly, emergency stops work at every station and interlocks stop the machine when doors open. Check that warning labels are present and that the machine complies with applicable safety requirements. Safety issues are much simpler to resolve at the supplier’s factory than on your shop floor.
Training at FAT
Use the FAT visit to train key team members. Operators and technicians who see the machine assembled, run it and perform changeovers under the supplier’s guidance arrive home better prepared for installation and commissioning. Ask questions, take photos and note anything that is unclear in the manuals.
Benefits
A thorough FAT reduces surprises, speeds commissioning and builds confidence in the machine.
Hilden welcomes customers for factory acceptance tests and runs machines with customer containers and products, ensuring every machine meets expectations before dispatch.
