Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Checklist for Industrial Machinery
A factory acceptance test (FAT) is the buyer-witnessed test of equipment at the manufacturer's works, against criteria agreed in the contract, before the equipment is released for shipment.
Use it as a factory acceptance test template: a complete FAT protocol for industrial equipment — from the contract clause that makes the test enforceable, through entry criteria, functional and safety verification and the performance run, to punch list categorisation, sign-off and shipment release. Use it on this page or download the printable checklist and take it to the supplier's works. FAT is followed by the site acceptance test (SAT) after installation — see FAT vs SAT for what each test can and cannot prove.
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New to FAT? What a factory acceptance test is, and the 7-step procedure
From a planning result to a reviewable project
Agree measurable FAT acceptance criteria, witnesses and release conditions in the project contract before testing.
1. Define scope
Record capacity, site and package interfaces.
2. Confirm evidence
Prepare the agreed test conditions, calibrated measurement requirements, witness records and a signed punch-list process.
3. Human review
Buyer service is free for B2B projects from USD 250,000. No automatic supplier outreach.
What does this result not establish?
This checklist does not certify safety, guarantee performance or authorize shipment. Qualified parties must agree the applicable requirements and contractual release. Calculator assumptions are not quotations, engineering approval or financing commitments.
The FAT protocol, stage by stage
Work through the stages in order. Anything not written into the protocol before manufacture is something you will be negotiating at the supplier's works, with the shipment date already booked.
01
Contract basis: agree the FAT before manufacture starts
The FAT is only enforceable if the contract says what it must prove. Fix this in the purchase order, not in the week before the test.
- Clause stating that FAT completion is a condition of shipment authorisation
- Payment milestone released on FAT sign-off, and the retention held to SAT
- Performance figures the equipment must demonstrate, with tolerances
- Who witnesses (buyer, end user, third-party inspector, notified body)
- Notice period the supplier must give before the FAT date (commonly 2–4 weeks)
- Consequences of failure: re-test at supplier's cost, delay damages, escalation route
02
FAT protocol document: issued and approved before the test
The protocol is the test script. It should be issued by the supplier, reviewed by the buyer and approved in writing before anyone travels.
- Equipment identification: tag numbers, serials, drawing and software revisions
- Test list with acceptance criterion and measurement method for every line
- Instruments to be used, with valid calibration certificates attached
- Test product or simulation media to be used, and who supplies it
- Pass / fail / conditional-pass definitions
- Signature blocks for supplier, buyer and any third-party witness
03
Entry criteria: what must be true before the FAT begins
Most wasted FAT trips are caused by starting a test on equipment that was never ready. Confirm these remotely before booking flights.
- Equipment fully assembled in final configuration, not partially built
- Control software at the release version to be shipped, not a test build
- Utilities connected at the specified voltage, pressure and quality
- Safety devices installed, not bypassed or jumpered for convenience
- Documentation pack available on site for review during the test
- Supplier's own internal pre-FAT completed and its report shared
04
Static and construction checks
Verify what the equipment is before verifying what it does. These checks catch specification deviations that a running test can mask.
- Dimensional check against the approved general arrangement drawing
- Materials of construction, surface finish and hygienic design where specified
- Nameplates, CE / UL / ATEX marking and declaration of conformity
- Component brands and models against the approved bill of materials
- Electrical panel build: labelling, segregation, IP rating, cable management
- Guarding, access points, lifting points and maintenance clearances
05
Functional and control system tests
Prove every function, including the ones nobody wants to trigger on site. Test sequences, not just steady-state running.
- Power-up, start, stop, pause and controlled shutdown sequences
- HMI screens, alarms, alarm history, user levels and password control
- Recipe and product-changeover handling, including format changes
- Manual, semi-automatic and automatic modes
- Fault simulation: sensor loss, jam, overload, communication drop, power loss recovery
- Data outputs, traceability records and interfaces to MES / SCADA / ERP
06
Safety and compliance verification
Safety functions are tested individually and evidenced. This section is normally non-negotiable for conditional acceptance.
- Emergency stops: every device, with stop category and stopping time verified
- Interlocked guards, light curtains, safety mats and muting logic
- Safety relay / safety PLC function test and reset behaviour
- Risk assessment and safety file supplied with the equipment
- Earthing, insulation resistance and electrical safety tests with records
- Pressure, thermal or hygiene-related tests required by the applicable standard
07
Performance test: the section the payment hangs on
Run the equipment at contract conditions, for a defined duration, on representative product — and record the numbers rather than the impression.
- Throughput at rated conditions, measured over a stated run time
- Product quality metrics: weight accuracy, seal integrity, temperature, tolerance
- Reject, giveaway and yield-loss rates
- Changeover time measured, not estimated
- Energy, water, air or refrigerant consumption where specified
- Noise level, and cleaning or wash-down validation where applicable
- Continuous run test where contracted (commonly several hours at rate)
08
Documentation and spares review
Missing documentation delays commissioning far more often than missing hardware. Review it at the FAT while there is still leverage.
- O&M manuals in the contract language, in the agreed format
- As-built electrical, pneumatic and mechanical drawings
- PLC / HMI source code, licences and backups handed over as contracted
- Calibration and material certificates
- Recommended commissioning and two-year spare parts lists with prices
- Training plan, and the training material to be used at site
09
Punch list, categorisation and close-out
Every open item is recorded, categorised and owned. Ambiguity here is what turns a passed FAT into a disputed site handover.
- Category A: blocks shipment — must be closed and re-tested before dispatch
- Category B: does not block shipment — must be closed before SAT or commissioning
- Category C: minor / cosmetic — closed during commissioning
- Owner and target date recorded for every item
- Evidence required to close each item (photo, re-test, document)
- Agreed method for verifying Category A re-tests: on site, or by video and report
10
Sign-off, shipment release and the link to SAT
Sign what was actually proven. A clean signature on an incomplete test transfers the risk to the buyer.
- Result recorded as pass, conditional pass with punch list, or fail
- Signatures from supplier, buyer and witness, with date and location
- Written shipment authorisation issued only after Category A items are closed
- Payment milestone released against the signed report, not against a verbal pass
- Preservation, packing and transport requirements confirmed before dispatch
- Items deferred to the site acceptance test listed explicitly in the report
Each test line: requirement, method, acceptance limit, witness and evidence
Write every requirement from the contract as one test line with five fields. If any field is blank, the line cannot be passed or failed objectively. The rows below show the structure; the limits must come from your own contract and specification, not from this example.
| Requirement | Test method | Acceptance limit | Witness | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rated output / throughput | Continuous run at rated speed with representative product or agreed test media, timed | At or above the contract rate for the agreed run duration, within the stated tolerance | Buyer's engineer or production lead; supplier test engineer | Timed run log, counter or weigh readings, signed run sheet |
| Product quality | Sample at agreed intervals during the run and measure against the specification | Agreed reject rate or dimensional / weight tolerance, stated as a number | Buyer's quality lead | Sample records, measurement results, instrument IDs |
| Safety functions | Trigger each emergency stop, interlock and guard individually | Every device stops the machine within the specified response, with no bypass | Buyer's safety or maintenance representative; third-party inspector where required | Safety function test sheet, photos or video, risk assessment reference |
| Controls and alarms | Run each sequence, mode and alarm; simulate faults and recovery | Behaviour matches the approved functional description; all alarms raise and clear correctly | Buyer's controls or automation engineer | I/O check list, alarm list with results, software version record |
| Utilities consumption | Meter power, air, water or steam during the performance run | At or below the consumption values stated in the proposal | Buyer's engineer | Meter readings with calibration certificates |
| Documentation | Check manuals, drawings, parts lists and certificates against the contract list | Every contracted document present at the agreed revision and language | Buyer's project lead | Signed document checklist |
Some limits — line throughput with connected equipment, real product at full speed, site utilities — can only be proven after installation. Mark those lines for the site acceptance test; see FAT vs SAT for how to split criteria between the two tests.
Carry FAT requirements into your RFQ
Select the checks relevant to your equipment, then define a measurable criterion and how it will be witnessed. Review and edit the resulting draft before submitting it. Nothing is sent to a supplier automatically.
Engineering acceptance and contractual release terms must be agreed by qualified parties. This draft is not a test certification. Draft preparation is available at any value; B2B sourcing submission requires a confirmed project budget of at least USD 250,000 and human review of buyer authority and scope.
Six mistakes that make a FAT worthless
- Accepting a FAT protocol written after the equipment was built — the test then proves what the machine does, not what was ordered.
- Testing on the supplier's ideal product rather than your real product, packaging or temperature conditions.
- Signing a pass with an open punch list and no category, owner or date against each item.
- Letting safety devices stay bypassed 'to save time' during functional testing.
- Skipping the continuous run test, which is where throughput and reliability problems actually surface.
- Releasing the full payment milestone at FAT with no retention held to site acceptance.
The acceptance criteria a FAT tests should originate in the enquiry, not in the test protocol. Set them when the package is issued using the free RFQ template and the method in the industrial RFQ guide. The definitions behind the terms used here are in the factory acceptance test glossary entry.
Have the acceptance terms written into the enquiry — free for buyers
Send us the equipment scope and target performance. We build the RFQ with the FAT scope, acceptance criteria and payment milestones already in it, qualify manufacturers against it and return like-for-like offers. We are independent of manufacturers and lenders.
Factory acceptance test FAQ
What is a factory acceptance test checklist?
A structured list of everything a factory acceptance test must verify before equipment leaves the supplier's works: contract basis, entry criteria, static and construction checks, functional and control tests, safety verification, the performance run, documentation, punch list categorisation and sign-off.
Is there a factory acceptance test template I can use?
Yes. The stages on this page work as a FAT template: copy each line into your protocol, add the acceptance criterion, measurement method and tolerance agreed in the contract, and attach signature blocks. The printable PDF has the same structure, and a filled-in worked example is linked from this page.
What should a FAT protocol include?
Equipment identification with drawing and software revisions, a test line for every requirement with its acceptance criterion and measurement method, calibrated instruments, the test media to be used, pass and fail definitions, a punch list format, and signature blocks for supplier, buyer and any witness.
Who attends a factory acceptance test?
Typically the supplier's project and commissioning engineers, the buyer's project or engineering lead, an operations or maintenance representative who will run the equipment, and where required a third-party inspector or notified body. Naming the attendees in the contract avoids a test witnessed by people who cannot sign for it.
How long does a FAT take?
It scales with the scope. A single machine is commonly one to two days; an integrated line with continuous run testing and interface verification often runs three to five days. The continuous run test duration should be written into the contract rather than agreed on the day.
What happens if equipment fails the FAT?
Open items are recorded on a categorised punch list. Category A items block shipment and require correction and re-test at the supplier's cost; lower categories are closed before or during commissioning. Shipment authorisation and the FAT payment milestone should only follow closure of the blocking items.
What is the difference between FAT and SAT?
FAT (factory acceptance test) verifies the equipment at the supplier's factory before shipment, usually under simulated loads and utilities. SAT (site acceptance test) verifies it after installation at your site, connected to real utilities, real product and the surrounding line. FAT typically releases shipment and a payment milestone; SAT confirms performance in service and usually releases the retention. Some criteria — line throughput, interfaces, product quality at full speed — can only be proven at SAT.
Is this FAT checklist free to download?
Yes. The full protocol is on this page and the printable PDF checklist downloads directly with no email address, registration or form.
Can the FAT be witnessed remotely?
Remote or video-witnessed FATs are common for lower-value or repeat equipment, and for closing re-tests on punch list items. For first-of-type equipment, safety-critical functions and performance runs, physical attendance remains the norm because measurement and product handling are hard to verify on camera.