Minimum control fields
Finding ID; requirement and revision; equipment and software identity; test conditions; observed result; impact; correction owner; due date; closure location; retest method; evidence link; reviewer; status.
Shipment decision
Bottling Equipment FAT Punch List: Close Findings Before Shipment
The factory acceptance test (FAT) is over, but the open-item list still contains “adjust at site” and “documents to follow”. Before equipment is packed, turn each statement into a requirement, an accountable action and a verifiable release decision. A test signature alone should not hide unfinished work.
Shipment decision
Can bottling equipment ship with open FAT findings?
Only under a documented, authorized release decision that identifies every remaining item, its impact, owner, deadline and verification method. Resolve shipment-blocking findings first. An agreed transfer to site testing remains open until its stated acceptance evidence is approved.
- Agree the shipment decision before the last test
- Worked example: close a capper finding with evidence
- Sign a release package with three separate decisions
01
Agree the shipment decision before the last test
Use project-defined categories; the labels below are a suggested working model, not a universal FAT standard. The buyer and supplier should name who can authorize shipment and what evidence that person needs.
| Disposition | Typical bottling example | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| Hold shipment | An agreed guard-interlock test fails, or product-contact evidence is unresolved | Correct and verify against the approved requirement before release |
| Transfer to site | A test needs the actual installed conveyor or site utility | Record why factory completion is impossible, prerequisites, owner and site hold point |
| Minor outstanding work | A drawing revision is missing but has been assessed not to affect safe installation or agreed function | Set the exact document, revision, recipient and due date; retain it as open |
02
Write a finding that another person can reproduce
Record one independently closable issue per row. Link the machine serial number, bottle and cap format, approved test step, expected result, actual observation and raw evidence. “Capper needs adjustment” cannot show whether the requirement was ever met.
Preserve the original failure
Keep the first result and its timestamp. Attach later results as revisions so that a repaired machine does not appear to have passed on the first attempt.
03
Worked example: close a capper finding with evidence
Illustrative record, not a customer case or a recommended test limit: item FAT-017 concerns the agreed capping acceptance criterion for one bottle-and-cap combination. The observed result is outside the approved criterion. The issue stays open while the cause and correction are assessed.
| Record stage | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Correction proposal | Supplier identifies the cause, affected heads or settings, and proposed correction |
| Controlled retest | Use the agreed format, sample plan, duration and acceptance criterion; identify instruments and settings |
| Review | Attach raw results and assessor decision; review whether other formats or functions need regression testing |
| Closure | Authorized reviewer records that the criterion is met, with evidence reference and closure date |
04
Separate factory repair from site verification
Do not move a failed factory-capable test to SAT merely to protect the shipping date. If an interface can only be tested after installation, create a linked site item with a named site owner, materials, utilities, planned witness and a deadline tied to the relevant commissioning stage.
After a software change
Record the delivered program version and backup. Repeat the affected tests and justify the scope of checks on related functions. A screenshot of a changed setting is not a functional retest.
Before packing
Review whether a correction changes drawings, spare parts, instructions or cleaning access. Confirm that the tested configuration is the one being shipped.
05
Sign a release package with three separate decisions
Keep the test outcome, permission to ship and final contractual acceptance explicitly distinguishable. Their commercial effect depends on the agreed contract; this guide does not determine payment entitlement.
Release review
Attach the dated punch-list revision, unresolved-item count, hold-item disposition, evidence index and authorized decision. Zero open items without evidence is not a stronger record.
On receipt
Check delivered identity and condition. Reopen a closed finding if transport damage, a component substitution or a software revision invalidates its evidence. Carry transferred items into the site acceptance record until verified.
R
References and verification boundary
This is a suggested project workflow. Agree acceptance limits and authority for the specific equipment. DOE commissioning guidance is a cross-industry reference, not a bottled-water compliance standard.
DOE G 413.3-23 — 2019 ↗
U.S. Department of Energy
Buyer questions
Questions to settle before the next project gate
Does “supplier corrected” mean closed?
No. Treat it as ready for verification. Closure requires the defined evidence and an authorized review against the requirement.
Can photographs close every finding?
No. Photos can support visible assembly or label checks; functional, performance and interlock findings need the appropriate test results.
Are A, B and C punch categories standardized?
Do not assume so. Define each category, its consequence and approval authority in the project protocol.
Does accepting shipment accept the whole plant?
State the scope of the signature explicitly in the release record and contract. FAT, shipment release, SAT and final acceptance can be separate milestones.
Move this project question forward
Prepare your FAT closure review
Share the approved requirements, test record, current punch list and proposed shipment date. Identify disputed findings and tests that require the installed site.
Not sure which data matters? Send what you have and state the decision you need to make.
2. Attach the decision inputs
- Agree the shipment decision before the last test
- Worked example: close a capper finding with evidence
- Sign a release package with three separate decisions
Send target capacity and SKUs, source-water report, site utility schedule, building layout and required project milestones.
3. Confirm the next planning step
The project desk can identify missing inputs and a practical next step. Final engineering, configuration, compliance and commercial terms remain project-specific.
Email the project desk
Submit a plant brief
Visit the Allot Tech corporate website ↗
Allot Tech (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. · sales@allottech.com · Project telephone: +86 186 6213 1120 / +1 818 262 0958