Key to Hassle-Free Manufacturing with Factory Acceptance Testing and Site Acceptance Testing

In industrial manufacturing, ensuring high quality, longevity and accuracy in each piece of equipment is crucial. However, it’s not just about the equipment itself. For Anderson Dahlen’s customers, a stress-free and seamless experience during factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) processes are just as, if not sometimes more, important.

The FAT process allows manufacturers to evaluate and verify that their equipment meets customer specifications and requirements. This stage of testing is critical to ensuring that all equipment will perform as expected once it is installed on-site.

Once the FAT process is complete, it’s time for SAT: the final stage of testing, which involves evaluating the equipment to ensure that it meets the agreed requirements and specifications and confirms tests and inspections made during the FAT process.

Let’s take a closer look at the significance of testing in manufacturing and why hassle-free FAT and SAT are crucial, not just for evaluating new equipment, but also for building confidence and peace of mind.

What is Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)?

While our customers hail from a variety of industries, they all have one need in common: to have confidence in their equipment. This is precisely why upholding an efficient and hassle-free FAT process is a top priority of ours, demonstrated through our close collaboration with customers, detailed documentation and thorough testing processes. It’s one of the main factors our customers consider when choosing a contract manufacturing partner.

Indeed, our hassle-free FAT process has helped to build our reputation for dependability and trustworthiness.

How to Perform Factory Acceptance Testing and Its Benefits

The first step in the FAT process is to review and agree upon the equipment’s specifications and requirements., ensuring that everyone involved has a clear understanding of what is expected of the equipment, its tolerances and how it should perform.

Once specifications are agreed upon and the equipment is built, it’s time for two rounds of testing, both in-factory and on-site (more on SAT testing later).

During the testing stage, our customers work with Anderson Dahlen’s team of experts to perform a thorough evaluation of the equipment. This is a comprehensive process that could include anything from:

• Functionality: To ensure the equipment operates correctly and meets the specifications.
• Performance: To evaluate the accuracy of the equipment and how well it functions under different conditions.
• Durability: Visual, physical, and occasionally radiographic examination of equipment to assess whether the equipment is structurally flawless and able to withstand prolonged wear and tear over time.
• Safety: To ensure the equipment is safe to operate and meets all relevant safety standards.
• Compliance: To check that the equipment meets industry regulations and standards.
• Interoperability: To ensure the equipment will integrate seamlessly with other systems and equipment.
• User-friendliness: Assess the equipment’s ease of use and level of user comfort.)

These are just a few of the many things that Anderson Dahlen and our customers evaluate during the FAT process.

Key Benefits of Anderson Dahlen’s FAT Process

Beyond the several technical benefits we’ve reviewed above, FAT testing allows customers to see the equipment in action and test it for themselves firsthand, giving customers the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and make any necessary modifications before the equipment is shipped to the destination. It also helps minimize any surprises or unexpected issues once the equipment is installed on-site.

Another key FAT process is documentation. Anderson Dahlen provides detailed documentation of the following:

• Origin of materials, including traceability to the mill of origin
• Testing process and results
• Photographs
• Manual inspection logs
• And any necessary modifications that were made.

This documentation is sent directly to each customer for their records and for future reference, as necessary.

What is Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)?

In addition to the FAT process, Anderson Dahlen also performs Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) once the equipment is installed on-site. This is the final stage of testing and involves evaluating the equipment to ensure that it meets the agreed requirements and specifications and confirms tests and inspections made during the FAT process.

The SAT is one more process to ensure that the equipment is operating correctly and that any on-site modifications have been identified and made.

Our Advantage: Hassle-Free Factory Acceptance Testing

At Anderson Dahlen, we believe that FAT and SAT should be a hassle-free and reassuring process. Backed by proven processes that work for organizations in a variety of industries, we are committed to providing our customers with equipment that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations.More than an essential step in the manufacturing process of industrial equipment, Factory Acceptance Testing is vital to ensuring our customers can rest easy knowing our team will minimize any surprises or unexpected issues once the equipment is up and running.

If you’d like to learn more about Anderson Dahlen’s commitment to providing our customers with a hassle-free FAT and SAT process, contact us to learn more!