Buying a Chinese machine for trial and permanent use
Buy against the intended permanent duty, check conformity before the initial production trial, and agree a controlled trial plan. Before routine use, close safety defects and hand over instructions, training, inspection and maintenance arrangements. Supplier checks in China can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Specify the permanent job before buying the trial machine
Give the factory both the trial specification and the intended routine duty: materials, tooling, operating modes, loading method, cleaning, expected workload and connection to surrounding equipment. Ask it to identify any differences between the offered machine and the configuration needed for permanent use.
Agree who pays for corrections, what evidence closes a defect, and what happens if the trial fails. Keep shipment acceptance, permission to start the trial and acceptance for routine production as separate written decisions. Use our machinery sourcing guide for the underlying supplier and factory-test checks.
Check conformity before the production trial
For a machine used in Great Britain, putting into service means its first use for its intended purpose. An initial production trial can therefore be that first use; do not postpone conformity until the decision to keep it. Before starting, check the applicable conformity route, marking, manufacturer identification and obvious safety defects, and confirm with the relevant authority which declaration and English-language instructions are required.
Match the declaration and supporting documents to the machine actually delivered, including its tooling and control configuration. Ask a competent machinery specialist to resolve unclear scope or safety evidence before operation. A CE or UKCA plate alone should not be your release decision. Keep the documents with the machine's identity and approved configuration.
Authorise a controlled trial on your site
PUWER applies to work equipment during the trial as well as routine production. Adequate training is required for its use, supervision and management. Where safety depends on installation conditions, inspection is needed after installation and before first use. A factory performance test does not establish that your installed arrangement is safe.
Write a trial risk assessment and operating brief covering authorised operators, supervision, permitted materials and settings, access barriers, guarding, emergency stops, isolation and stored energy. Include loading, setting, cleaning and clearing jams. Agree stop conditions and who may authorise a restart. Arrange supplier support through the installation and commissioning guide.
Record results and control changes
Record the configuration, material, settings, output quality, stoppages and interventions for each trial run. Keep performance findings separate from safety findings. Stop the trial when a safety defect is found, isolate the machine and seek correction before restarting. Do not bypass a guard to finish an acceptance run.
Keep a change record for altered tooling, software, guards or line connections, with revised drawings and instructions where needed. Ask your machinery specialist whether the change affects conformity and what checks are needed before restarting. Confirm the final configuration still meets the agreed permanent duty, rather than accepting a successful run in a temporary setup.
Hand over into routine PUWER management
Before releasing routine production, assemble a handover pack: final configuration, conformity documents, instructions, installation inspection where required, trial results, closed safety defects, operating procedures and training records. Name the production owner and maintenance owner. Arrange spares and support using our equipment spare-parts guide.
Work equipment must be maintained safely. Set inspection needs and intervals through risk assessment, taking account of manufacturer recommendations and operating experience; retain inspection results until at least the next inspection. Include fault reporting, safe maintenance and responsibility for reviewing changes in duty. Routine management should begin with the trial, then be updated for the accepted production arrangement.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trial a Chinese machine before conformity checks?
Do not defer them. A production trial can be the first use for the machine's intended purpose. Check conformity and site safety before authorising that use.
Does CE marking replace a PUWER assessment?
No. Check the supplied machine and documents, then assess its installation and use at your site. Marking does not replace training, safe operation, inspection or maintenance.
What should stop a machine trial?
Agree stop conditions beforehand, including failed safeguards, unexpected movement, unsafe access and abnormal material ejection. Isolate the machine and resolve the cause before an authorised restart.
What do I need before permanent production?
Close safety defects, confirm the final configuration and permanent duty, and hand over documents, procedures, training, inspection and maintenance arrangements to named owners.