Writing an equipment specification

Structure that suppliers can price

• Purpose and process context — what happens upstream and downstream of this equipment.
• Performance requirements — capacity, yield, quality tolerances, availability and shift pattern.
• Product and material characteristics — dimensions, temperature, moisture, abrasiveness, hygiene class.
• Site and utilities envelope — footprint, height, floor loading, power, water, steam, air, effluent, climate.
• Interfaces — upstream and downstream equipment, control system, data and reporting requirements.
• Standards and documentation — safety, hygiene and electrical standards, language of manuals, as-built drawings.
• Scope boundary and exclusions — installation, commissioning, training, spares, first-year support.
• Acceptance — the test that proves compliance and the conditions under which it is run.

Performance versus design specification

A design specification names components and dimensions. It is appropriate when replacing part of an existing line that must match exactly. A performance specification states the required result. It is appropriate almost everywhere else, because it allows several legitimate engineering routes to compete.

Where a figure is genuinely unknown, write it as to be confirmed rather than inventing a number. A visible gap invites a supplier question; a wrong number produces a wrong price and a claim later.

Make acceptance unambiguous

Most disputes after delivery trace back to an acceptance clause that was never defined. State the measurable test, who supplies the raw material, how long the test runs, what counts as a pass, and what happens on a partial pass.

Frequently asked