Stick Pack Machine FAT Checklist

Stick pack machine FAT checklist at a glance

Use the six checks in Quick Specs as the agenda, then attach the order reference and agreed evidence for each item. FAT arrangements and scope are agreed per project.

What does a stick pack machine FAT need to prove?

The FAT should show whether the supplied machine meets the order's configuration and performance requirements. Set the materials, test conditions, responsibilities and pass criteria before a factory visit or remote session. Ask for measured results alongside photos and video, so the buyer can check each requirement against what happened during the run.

Keep the factory test separate from later site commissioning and product-quality work, because utilities, upstream feeding and downstream equipment may differ at the final production location. Decide which functions can be demonstrated at the factory and which must be verified after installation. That way an untested integration is never treated as accepted, and the factory session is not held up by requirements outside the agreed scope. Put open items on a written list with an owner and a proposed verification step.

Further reading: OEM Magazine / PMMI: factory acceptance test planning guidance

Representative product and film for the test

Use the formulation the machine will actually run, and record its product name, batch, dose range and handling conditions. For powders, note flow, dust and settling behavior; for liquids or gels, note viscosity, temperature and particles. Agree the sample quantity with the supplier so it covers setup, sustained running and repeat checks, and settle how unused material will be handled before you ship it.

Supply the intended production film where practical, with its grade, roll dimensions, artwork revision and approved pack drawing. If substitute film is used, label the test accordingly and list the compatibility work still open. Put product and film identifiers on every test sheet and sample label; without them, a later gap between factory and production results is hard to trace, because nobody can show whether the same materials were used.

When substitute film is used, retain the observations as evidence only for that tested film and configuration. List forming, registration, seal and cut checks that must be repeated with the intended grade; do not close production-film compatibility merely because the substitute ran.

Further reading: Agree sample quantities and trial arrangements; Identify the film grade, roll and artwork revision

Does the supplied machine match the order?

Answer this by walking through the machine and its option list with the supplier. Confirm the lane arrangement, filling system, forming parts, sealing configuration, cutting features and included discharge equipment, then any ordered coding, inspection or product-feeding items. Photograph nameplates and other identification, and record every difference from the approved scope. An option shown in a catalogue photo is not proof that it is fitted to the machine in front of you.

Review access for operation, cleaning and maintenance with the people who will do those jobs. Ask the supplier to demonstrate the agreed guards, interlocks, alarms and normal stopping procedures under their approved test process, run by competent personnel following the equipment instructions. The buyer's role is to confirm agreed behavior and documentation, never to bypass protective systems for a better view of the mechanism.

Further reading: Match the quoted auger route; Match the quoted pump and nozzle route; Match the quoted granule dosing route

How is filling measured during the FAT?

Measure filling lane by lane and over time, never from one combined sample. Agree in advance how samples are selected, measured and recorded, and keep each active lane's results separate, because an average can hide a lane that runs persistently high or low. Take samples during steady running and after a restart, and write down the target dose, measurement method and the acceptance limits agreed for the project rather than quoting a catalogue accuracy figure.

Record every adjustment and repeat the affected check. Note changes in hopper level, material supply or product temperature during the run. Keep original and repeat results together, with lane and sample labels intact. The report should show where a problem occurred and whether the adjustment resolved it. That gives operators a starting point if the same fault appears after installation.

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Pack formation, sealing and cutting checks

Inspect packs from every lane for dimensions, artwork registration, seal appearance and cut position. Look for product in the seal area, wrinkles, damaged edges and opening features that differ from the drawing, and note the film and settings used for each sample group. Review powder handling and liquid shutoff wherever they affect closure, since a sealing defect can start at the filler.

Agree with your product and packaging team which integrity checks apply and how results will be judged. Select the method for the package construction, product and defect being evaluated, with its test conditions and acceptance criterion recorded. Retain approved samples and examples of any recurring defect. A photograph records appearance but not every functional property of a sealed pack, so label visual evidence and measured checks separately in the report.

Name the seal test method and the defect it is intended to detect. ASTM D3078 covers bubble-emission testing of flexible packages; vacuum decay is a different method. Agree suitability, test conditions and acceptance criteria with the packaging quality team, then keep sample identities and results with the FAT record.

Further reading: Compare samples with the approved dimension boundaries; ASTM D3078: bubble-emission leak testing

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Run duration, accepted output and changeover

Set the run duration and accepted-output target before the test starts. Record total elapsed time, active running time, accepted packs, rejected packs and the reason for each stop, and state whether replenishment and roll changes fall inside the run, so the report cannot present the fastest short interval as the whole session. Keep units consistent so machine cycles are never confused with finished packs.

Include restart behavior and the routine tasks that matter to your production schedule. If a format or recipe change is in scope, have the supplier demonstrate the agreed change parts, adjustments and first-pack checks. Watch the discharge and any included counting or conveying equipment as well: a machine that runs well while packs pile up in an uncontrolled heap has not demonstrated the required line output.

Further reading: Separate cycle count from accepted-pack output

Cleaning, training and handover documents

Ask for a demonstration of the documented access and removal procedure for the relevant product-contact parts. Confirm the cleaning approach with your production and quality teams, particularly where different formulations or allergens will share the machine, and record which instructions, tools and spare parts are supplied for it. Being able to dismantle a part is not the same as having a validated cleaning process.

Go through the handover documents before closing the session: operating instructions, electrical or pneumatic drawings, parts lists, maintenance information and the agreed training record. Check that they match the supplied configuration and that the people who will use them can follow them. List missing items explicitly, each with a delivery date and a responsible person. Documents are easiest to correct while the supplier and machine are still in the same room, not after the crate has arrived at your plant.

Further reading: Carry open factory items into site and training planning

Keep original and repeat results together

A correction should leave a traceable comparison. Record the affected item and lane, retain the first measurement or observation, and state what changed before the repeat check. If the film, product or other conditions differ, make that difference explicit rather than presenting the two results as equivalent. The agreed owner can then identify what has been demonstrated and what still needs verification.

Closing the FAT: results, deviations and next actions

Mark each acceptance item as complete, requiring correction or awaiting later verification. Attach its measurements, photos or videos. For a deviation, name the action, responsible person and repeat-check method. Write any condition of acceptance into the summary before signing, with enough detail for the installation team to know what remains open.

File the report with the quotation, configuration list, product specification and film drawing. Use the same documents for installation and site checks, recording any differences in utilities or connected equipment. Once your application and configuration are defined, ask StickPackMachine about the FAT arrangements, including remote review where appropriate. Agree which checks the factory will complete and which remain for your site.

Use one row per acceptance item, including items deferred to the site. Copy the order clause and test conditions before recording results. Keep the original evidence when a correction is made, then attach the repeat result and agreed closure decision under the same item identifier. Blank fields below are intentional; they are not pass marks or signatures.

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Calculate FAT material needs and evaluate recorded output

Product for the running portion of a test in kg = active lanes × cycles/min × running minutes × dose in g / 1,000. Add separately identified material for setup, hopper and circuit hold-up, retained samples and repeated checks. Establish those quantities from the proposed configuration and test sequence before shipping product, and identify which unused material can be returned.

Running film length in meters = machine cycles × cut pitch in mm / 1,000. Add the planned threading, registration and repeat-test lengths from the test plan. Confirm web width against active lanes, strip pitch and outer allowances on the approved drawing, and ensure the supplied roll specification matches the unwinder.

Where a stable process and an agreed statistical sampling method support capability analysis, Cpk = min[(USL − mean)/(3s), (mean − LSL)/(3s)], using the agreed dose limits and within-process standard deviation s in consistent units. Keep lane identity and time sequence with the measurements. Review stability and the measurement method before interpreting capability against the order’s acceptance criteria.

For production accounting, availability = running time / planned time; performance = produced packs/(running time × agreed ideal pack rate); quality = accepted packs / produced packs. OEE is their product. Also report accepted packs / elapsed minutes, with the timing boundary stated. Reconcile produced, rejected and accepted counts so quality is applied once and every open deviation has a corresponding recheck.

Select the package-integrity method with the packaging team

ASTM D3078 describes bubble-emission detection of gross leaks in flexible packages containing headspace gas. It is different from a vacuum-decay measurement and does not establish that no microchannels exist. Match the chosen method, sample handling, test conditions and acceptance criteria to the package and product.

Keep seal-strength measurements, visual inspection and leak checks as separate records. When an adjustment is made, retain the original result, the affected lane, the changed setting or component and the repeat result under the same item identifier.

Common Questions