Trials and factory acceptance
ATEX filling trials and FAT: samples, acceptance criteria and evidence.
Plan representative product and pack tests, measurable factory acceptance criteria, ATEX-specific interfaces and the handover from FAT to site acceptance.
What a trial or FAT can and cannot prove
A product trial can demonstrate filling behaviour under recorded conditions. FAT can verify the agreed functions and performance of the configured machinery at the factory. Neither replaces the site DSEAR assessment, hazardous-area classification, conformity assessment, final installation checks or ongoing inspection and maintenance.
Start with a written test objective
Decide whether the test is intended to choose a dosing method, confirm nozzle behaviour, measure output, demonstrate changeover, verify alarms or accept the final machine. A trial used for technology selection should not be presented as final acceptance unless the machine, product, packs and protocol are the same.
The protocol should state the product or test medium, temperature, preparation, containers, closures, target quantities, output, measurement instruments, run length, cleaning steps and pass/fail method. Any substitution needs a documented technical reason and a list of behaviours that remain unproved.
Samples
Send enough representative material to test the difficult conditions.
| Sample | Information to accompany it | Risk if omitted |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Identity, current SDS, formulation/concentration where available, temperature, viscosity, density, conductivity and preparation. | The test medium may not represent flow, vapour, compatibility or cut-off. |
| Containers | Minimum and maximum size, material, dimensions, neck, tolerances and intended supplier. | Nozzle access, stability, indexing or changeover can fail on production packs. |
| Closures | Every cap, plug, lid, pump, collar, dip tube or overcap family. | The line is accepted for filling but cannot close the real pack reliably. |
| Labels or downstream components | Actual size, material and application position where line integration is included. | Downstream cycle time and container handling remain unverified. |
| Cleaning media | Identity, SDS, temperature, sequence and disposal route. | Compatibility, flammability and drainability during cleaning are unknown. |
Trial sequence
Observe start-up, sustained operation, stopping and cleaning.
Set-up
Record installed parts, recipe, nozzle height, pump or pressure settings, scale zero, product condition and measurement instruments.
Representative run
Allow the process to stabilise, then measure the agreed sample over a sustained period that includes normal replenishment and container handling.
Stop and restart
Check residual drip, product settling, safe stop, fault recovery, restart, recipe control and the handling of partly filled or rejected packs.
Changeover
Demonstrate parts, tools, adjustments, stored recipes, verification and the time basis used for any changeover claim.
Cleaning
Observe drainage, retained product, flush route, dismantling, waste, clean-state checks and safe access.
Evidence pack
Record results, video or photographs where authorised, deviations, corrective actions and the final tested operating envelope.
Acceptance criteria
State the measurement basis before the first test container is filled.
| Criterion | Define in the protocol |
|---|---|
| Fill result | Mass or volume, target, permitted limit, instrument, resolution, traceability and sample method. |
| Output | Sustained filled and accepted containers per time period for the stated product, dose and line scope. |
| Foam, splash, string or drip | Observable or measurable condition at nozzle withdrawal and before closure application. |
| Rejects | What constitutes a reject, how it is detected, where it goes and whether it is included in output. |
| Alarms and interlocks | Test method and required safe response for no-container, guards, emergency stop and project-specific permissives. |
| Changeover and cleaning | Start/end state, people, tools, parts, product recovery and acceptance of the clean condition. |
Do not publish or accept a speed or accuracy figure without the conditions that make it meaningful. If the real product cannot be tested, the quotation should identify the provisional basis and the validation still required.
ATEX-specific FAT boundaries
Test supplied functions without simulating competence that belongs on site.
Factory checks that may be included
- Protected component schedule and markings against the approved build.
- Machine alarms, emergency stops and safe restart.
- Earthing-monitor or extraction-permissive interfaces where supplied.
- Pneumatic failure response and valve/nozzle safe state.
- Control-panel, sensor and actuator operation.
- Documentation, manuals, drawings and outstanding-action review.
Checks normally dependent on the site
- Final hazardous-area boundaries and equipment location.
- Facility earthing and bonding installation.
- Extraction airflow, discharge and room ventilation performance.
- Permanent product-supply connections, drainage and containment.
- Integration with existing line controls and safety systems.
- Operator procedures, workplace inspection and maintenance arrangements.
FAT to SAT handover
Close deviations or transfer them as controlled site actions.
The FAT record should identify every deviation, concession and open action, with an owner and due date. Changes made after FAT need a technical review so that product compatibility, hazardous-area protection, controls and documentation remain aligned.
SAT should reference the same approved specification and confirm the installation-dependent interfaces. Training should cover normal production, start-up, stopping, faults, cleaning, changeover, isolation and the limits of intended use. Maintenance documentation should identify competent inspection requirements and controlled replacement parts.
Use the specification checklist Review DSEAR and equipment responsibilities
Guide FAQs
Questions to close before the project specification is approved.
Can water be used as a test medium for a solvent filler?
Only where the protocol documents which functions water can represent and which it cannot. Differences in viscosity, density, foam, conductivity, vapour, compatibility and cut-off may leave important behaviours untested.
How much product should be sent for a trial?
Enough is needed for filling the system, adjustment, a representative run, stop/restart observations and cleaning. The quantity is project-specific and should be agreed from the machine hold-up, dose and test plan rather than guessed from the number of containers alone.
Does passing FAT prove the machine is suitable for the site zone?
FAT can verify the approved machine build and supplied functions, but final suitability also depends on the declared intended use, conformity assessment and installation against the competent site classification. Site interfaces remain subject to SAT and workplace verification.
Should output be measured during a short burst or a sustained run?
The protocol should use the duration relevant to the commercial requirement. Sustained output should include normal filling, container transfer, closure handling, replenishment, rejects and agreed operator actions rather than an isolated dry-cycle rate.
How should accuracy be measured?
Define whether the result is mass or volume, the target, tolerance, instrument, resolution, traceability, sample size, product temperature and analysis method before testing. The result is valid only for the stated conditions.
What happens when the product or container changes after FAT?
The change should be reviewed against the tested operating envelope. Material changes in product behaviour, hazard, compatibility, dose, pack geometry, closure or output may require a new trial, revised risk assessment, software or hardware change and updated documentation.
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