What is a factory acceptance test or FAT?
A factory acceptance test (FAT) is an agreed test of equipment at the supplier's factory before dispatch. It checks the actual machine against written acceptance criteria under recorded conditions. Passing proves only what was tested; it does not replace compliance checks or commissioning at your site. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate factory checks through its staff in China.
What a FAT adds to a machinery purchase
A FAT turns the supplier's performance promises into a witnessed, recorded test before the equipment leaves the factory. Test the machine allocated to your order, identified by its serial number, rather than a demonstration model. A general inspection may check condition and completeness; a FAT exercises agreed functions and measures results.
The existing machinery purchasing guide covers specifications, documentation and support. Use this guide to turn those specifications into a test protocol that the supplier and your technical reviewer approve before the test.
Agree the protocol before testing
Name the machine, configuration, tooling, software version and accessories covered. Specify the input material, operating settings, utilities, run duration, measurements and pass criteria. Use your production material where practical, and record any substitute. Define how output quality, throughput, repeatability and rejected output will be assessed.
Allocate responsibility for operating the machine, taking measurements, witnessing results and approving the report. Agree suitable measuring equipment and calibration evidence. List tests that cannot be performed at the factory, why they are excluded and where they will be completed. Leave no acceptance criterion described only as 'works normally'.
Witness the test and keep usable evidence
Ask for a report linking each test to its acceptance criterion, actual result and supporting record. Include machine identification, test conditions, material details, settings, photographs, measurement records and any interruptions or adjustments. Have competent personnel carry out planned safety-function checks; never accept bypassed guards as evidence of normal operation.
If witnessing remotely, agree live coverage that shows machine identity, material input, controls, measuring equipment and output. Keep recordings and original result files where available. Edited clips can omit stoppages or failed attempts. Record any inspection limitation instead of treating an unseen test as passed.
Understand what passing does not prove
A FAT supports acceptance of the tested functions under the recorded conditions. It does not establish long-term reliability, performance with untested materials or correct operation with your site's utilities and connected equipment. Treat conformity documentation and compliance assessment as separate checks; a FAT report alone does not establish compliance.
HSE says work equipment should be inspected in line with a risk assessment. Equipment requiring inspection should not be used unless you know that inspection has taken place. Keep your factory test distinct from site checks, installation and training, covered in the UK installation and commissioning guide.
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Close failures before authorising dispatch
Record each failed or incomplete test, the corrective action, who will complete it and the evidence needed for closure. Agree who pays for retesting. Repeat affected tests after changes, and consider whether the changes could affect previously passed functions. Keep unresolved items visible in the final report.
Define separately who approves the test results, releases payment and authorises dispatch. If accepting an outstanding item, record its scope and the planned remedy explicitly. Do not assume a signed test report authorises every subsequent step. Use the pre-balance payment checklist alongside the test report.
Frequently asked questions
What does FAT mean when buying machinery?
FAT means factory acceptance test: an agreed test of the actual equipment at the supplier's factory before dispatch, using written pass criteria and recorded results.
Can I witness a factory acceptance test remotely?
Yes, if you agree live coverage and access to measurement records. Identify the actual machine and record anything you cannot observe. An edited demonstration alone is weak acceptance evidence.
Does passing a FAT prove UK compliance?
No. Passing shows that the agreed tests met their criteria under the recorded conditions. Check conformity documentation and compliance separately, and retain site commissioning and safety checks.
What happens if the machine fails its FAT?
Record the failure, agree corrective work and retesting, and keep the item open until the required evidence is accepted. Follow your agreed payment and dispatch conditions rather than assuming shipment should proceed.