Do I need a run-at-rate trial for a China order?
Request a run-at-rate trial when delivery depends on an unproven line, new tooling or a substantial increase in output. Agree the production conditions, acceptable quality and required output beforehand, then witness sustained production and count accepted goods across the whole process. Arrange the checks with Cambridge China Bridge.
When a production trial adds useful evidence
A run-at-rate trial tests whether the intended production process can sustain the output you need while meeting your specification. Request it where the factory has shown only samples, where tooling or staffing is changing, or where failure would disrupt your business. For an established product on an unchanged line, review recent comparable production records before deciding whether another trial adds useful evidence.
The factory audit checklist covers the wider factory assessment. A trial adds direct observation of your product under agreed production conditions. A short demonstration can show that a machine works, but leave replenishment, stoppages, quality drift and downstream queues untested.
Agree the trial and release conditions beforehand
Write a trial brief naming the site, line, product revision, materials, tooling, operators, inspection method and packing process. Agree the required accepted output over the observation period, defect limits and what would invalidate the trial. Define how start-up, breaks, stoppages and rework will be recorded. Use the production capacity guide to examine the wider delivery plan.
Choose a duration that exposes relevant operating conditions, including replenishment, tool heating, routine adjustments and staffing changes where applicable. If slow curing, finishing or subcontracted work cannot finish during the visit, follow the trial batch through those stages before accepting the result. Agree who witnesses the run, who signs the findings and whether bulk release waits for acceptance.
Witness the intended line under normal conditions
Confirm that the line, tools, material batches and operators match the brief. Watch material enter the process and follow it through inspection and packing. Record any prepared stock already waiting between stages so that earlier production cannot inflate the observed output. Note extra staff, temporary equipment or manual sorting that the quoted production plan does not include.
Keep a time-stamped log of running periods, stoppages, reasons, adjustments and queues. Include normal replenishment and changeovers where they form part of the intended schedule. If the supplier resets the demonstration after a problem, retain the failed period in the record. Explain any interruption in observation rather than treating unseen production as verified.
Measure accepted output and quality together
Count finished goods that have passed the agreed checks across the full elapsed observation period, including recorded stoppages. Record total production, accepted goods, rejects, pending inspection and rework separately. Keep reworked goods identifiable so they are not counted again. Compare output across successive periods; an average can hide a slowdown or growing backlog.
Select quality samples throughout the run, across relevant tooling positions and after restarts or adjustments. Use the agreed specification and retain results linked to production times and material batches. The AQL sampling guide covers batch sampling decisions. Check whether inspection, finishing and packing keep pace: fast machine cycles do not establish finished output.
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Use the result to control the bulk commitment
Request a report containing the actual configuration, elapsed-time log, count reconciliation, quality results, photographs and unresolved limitations. Compare accepted output and quality with the brief. Check the production schedule separately: demonstrated capability does not establish that the line is reserved for your order. Record the conditions covered by acceptance and agree when a changed line, tool, material or staffing plan needs reassessment.
If the trial misses the agreed conditions, hold bulk release, identify the cause and repeat the affected checks after correction. The corrective action guide explains closure evidence. Retain batch inspection for the eventual order. Cambridge China Bridge has its own staff in China; agree the witnessing scope and report contents before arranging the trial.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a run-at-rate trial last?
Agree a duration that exposes the likely constraints, such as replenishment, heating, stoppages and staffing changes. Follow slow downstream processes to completion rather than accepting a short machine demonstration.
Can a factory video prove production capacity?
A short edited video is weak evidence. Continuous observation with time-stamped counts and quality records is stronger, but gaps and unseen downstream work should remain explicit limitations.
Does a passed trial guarantee my delivery date?
No. It demonstrates output under the recorded conditions. Check material availability, competing orders, reserved line time and downstream capacity separately before accepting the delivery plan.
What if output passes but quality fails?
Do not accept the trial. Require correction and another representative run that meets output and quality together. Faster production of rejected goods does not meet your purchasing brief.