It also ensures quality, controls costs, and maintains the schedule. Therefore, testing needs to be planned at a very early stage of the project, and testing requirement needs to be written in the contract or purchase order specifications. Poor planning for the testing phase will delay the observation of nonconformities, affect the project schedule, and may cause major problems or delays. The Factory Acceptance Test is a process that evaluates the equipment during and after the assembly process by verifying that it is built and operating in accordance with design specifications. FAT ensures that the components and controls are working properly according to the functionality of the equipment itself.
A modified version of the previously executed FAT test plan will be utilized for SAT to guarantee that the solution still performs as expected and the system is ready to be put in service. This paper outlines the benefits, pros and cons of factory acceptance testing and explains the process this compliance route requires. Factory Acceptance Testing and Site Acceptance Testing are two crucial processes that ensure the quality and functionality of industrial equipment and systems. In this article, we will delve into the details of both FAT and SAT, exploring their purposes, procedures, and significance in ensuring successful project implementation. The FAT includes appropriate general testing procedures for verification of the correct operation of the safety instrumented system.
How to Conduct Factory Acceptance Testing?
The FAT is the time to discover failures or issues, determine reliability, verify efficiencies, and explore how the machine should handle failures. The test plan should be prepared up front and submitted to the supplier as part of the Request for Quote . The machine will not perform as expected if the criteria aren’t specified; neither will performance be competently assessed. Clearly state in the contract all the responsibilities, accountabilities, and deliverables, in a measurable way. These must be quantifiable and agreed upon to eliminate finger-pointing. Doing so makes it easier for all parties by eliminating second-guessing.
- A detailed plan will outline the quality, reliability, and safety requirements for your process.
- Customers are responsible for verifying the correctness of the acceptance tests and reviewing test scores to decide which failed tests are of highest priority.
- Create a process event and verify that it is available on Engineering / Operator station.
- By conducting FAT, equipment manufacturers can guarantee that the delivered equipment meets design specifications and industry standards.
- Performing a brief, shallow FAT will inevitably show up as a problem in the third shift, nine months down the road.
- Execution of factory acceptance testing and site acceptance testing is a business-critical activity when it comes to commissioning a new system or equipment.
Site acceptance tests aren’t just used in the pharmaceutical fields. They stem across all borders of engineering, even into traffic signal equipment! By conducting an SAT all users are able to acknowledge a system is doing its job right. In the biotech, medical and pharmaceutical fields, these tests are common knowledge. Site acceptance test documents need to be completed routinely in order for systems to meet GMP requirements. Without the SAT tests, it is difficult to see if these requirements are successfully complied with.
Test 8: Power Supply Redundancy
Specify how long the machine should be dry-cycled; 24 hours minimum is recommended. Although you’ll pay for the FAT, most equipment suppliers will agree to a provision that if the machine fails, any subsequent test is free. Having a detailed test plan will help ensure that you don’t short-change the FAT. Performing a brief, shallow FAT will inevitably show up as a problem in the third shift, nine months down the road. FATs are beneficial not just for the buyer and end users but for the manufacturer as well.
The Site Acceptance Test is performed directly at the customer’s site after a successful Factory Acceptance Test. It is used to ensure that the plant or machine has been properly installed and is operational. The Factory Acceptance Test is performed at the manufacturer’s site before the respective plant or machine is delivered to the customer. The purpose of the FAT is to ensure that the customer’s requirements are met. In summary, Factory Acceptance Testing and Site Acceptance Testing are vital steps in ensuring the successful implementation of industrial projects. By conducting thorough evaluations before and after equipment installation, manufacturers and clients can minimize risks, ensure equipment quality, and achieve project objectives efficiently.
What is Capacitor Bank Testing and Why is it Done
Of the valves is normally done after assembling and before painting, mainly to make sure that the leakage rate from the body and the seats of the valve are within the accepted limits. This chapter provides practical examples of FAT on different types of valves. The focus is to consider FAT is more than site acceptance testing meaning a pressure test on the valves so a checklist has been provided for activities which should be done during FAT. Some of the applicable industrial standards such as API 598 and ISO 5208 are briefly reviewed in this chapter. Ask your manufacturer partner to have hook ups ready to go before starting.
This is especially true if the product will be packed at a certain temperature, or has a certain consistency or rate of speed coming out of production. Much time, energy, and money has been spent in vain trying to address “failures” in the machine builder’s plant, only to find that the machine works perfectly once in production at the customer’s plant. SAT is an inspection at the user’s site after machine/instrument delivery. Opposite to SAT, the Factory acceptance test is a Manufacturer site inspection by the user.
Following are the points to remember while conducting FAT
A Site Acceptance Test is a process in which a machine or plant is tested and accepted at the customer’s site. The purpose of the SAT is to ensure that the machine or system has been properly installed and configured and is ready for operation. Before the Site Acceptance Test can take place, the Factory Acceptance Test is first performed at the manufacturer’s plant. Is a test of subsea equipment before installation, which is always performed on newly manufactured equipment, to check whether the equipment satisfy the performance and function requirements or not. Extended Factory Acceptance Test may be only applicable for several equipment or subsea structures, e.g., subsea trees with sub-assemblies. The System Integrity Test is performed to verify the whole system no matter from one supplier only or different suppliers, which shall interface with each other acceptably.
You should have an understanding of how the equipment will be utilized at your specific workplace. Before the FAT begins, the manufacturer should present the FAT procedure to the client for review and approval. The procedure should include testing of as much functionality as is practical in the factory and, where possible, should show pass/fail criteria or desired results for each item tested. Once the procedure is approved, the manufacturer should test the equipment before the FAT begins.
Test 6: Engineering / Operator station Functionality
For that reason the FAT is a valuable check of the safety issues. Setting up machinery at a trade show can come with some unknowns, especially around the power supply. https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ Start there by testing the power supply with a digital multimeter—you’re looking at voltage specifically to ensure it meets the requirement for your machinery.
To perform the Visual / GA check and Internal Arrangement for the Console. Check for a Total number of systems and marshaling cabinets as per the approved GA Drawing. To perform the Visual / GA check and Internal Arrangement for the System and Marshalling Cabinets. To verify the system configuration concerning the approved System Configuration drawing. Site Acceptance Test Procedure of PLC/DCS looks like FAT Procedure but some of the steps like firmware check and Scan time check. GA, P&ID, and electrical drawings will be reviewed with the customer or their representative.
Calibration & Thermographic Inspections Service
Create and follow a detailed “failure script.” Make an inventory of the type of failures you might experience in production, as well as expected outcomes. Determine how to remove a defective part and document the process in an easy-to-use format such as a One Point Lesson . Using your technicians and operators at the FAT, practice changeovers, and start-up and shut-down protocols. See where the users encounter difficulty and elicit their input and ideas.