Quality checks through the delivery process
Our filling and packaging machinery quality process connects the product requirements with the equipment configuration, assembly checks and factory acceptance test. The order specification provides the inspection basis: dosing method, product-contact path, package handling, sealing arrangement, utilities and included options. Each project defines the checks and acceptance criteria appropriate to its material and package.
Factory acceptance testing brings those requirements onto the built equipment before shipment. The inspection plan identifies the product and packaging, the operating sequence, the measurements and the people responsible for review. This makes the final record useful for installation and later production, as well as for shipment approval.
Configuration and assembly inspection
Configuration review establishes the dosing system, package tooling, contact components and line interfaces. Assembly inspection follows that scope through the product path, package feed and closing station. Access for cleaning, adjustment and maintenance forms part of the equipment review alongside the mechanical and electrical arrangement.
The inspection record should identify the machine and configuration revision. When a project changes a nozzle, product-contact component, film format or included module, the applicable drawings and checks need to follow that revision. The same reference then supports FAT, dispatch preparation and site handover.
Functional checks for the selected process
The FAT plan turns the selected configuration into observable checks. Product feeding, dose delivery, package positioning and sealing need to work as one sequence. The table below shows the areas to include when defining the project acceptance plan; the final criteria follow the equipment and package specified for the order.
| Area | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Dose | Net weight of a set number of packs per lane, on a named scale, with the tare method written down |
| Seal | A visual check of the seal area, plus a squeeze or leak test on a sample size you set; no product sitting in the seal |
| Cutoff | No drips or stringing onto the seal area over the run |
| Dosing caps | Fill height at or below the rim; foil flat with nothing trapped under it |
| Output | Good packs counted over a timed run, with every stop and reject logged |
| Operation | Changeover, cleaning access, guard interlocks and the emergency stop, all demonstrated |
| Delivery scope | Change parts, spares, manuals, settings sheet and drawings checked against the proposal |
Fill measurement and seal evaluation
Fill checks use a recorded measurement method, including the scale, its resolution, the tare procedure and the sampling plan. Multi-lane equipment needs lane identification in the weight record so differences between channels remain visible. Measurements taken during steady running and after a restart help locate changes in feeding, settling and discharge.
The material and packaging used in the run belong in the record with the machine settings. Product temperature matters for a liquid or paste; bulk condition and humidity may affect a powder. Seal observations are recorded against the laminate or pouch revision, closing settings and finished-pack checks defined for the project.
Restart, replenishment and changeover checks
The acceptance sequence can include hopper replenishment, planned stops and restarts, and format changes relevant to the production plan. These checks show how the selected machine handles the transitions that operators will repeat on site. The test plan identifies which events to run and which product and package observations to retain.
- A restart after a planned stop, with the first packs weighed and inspected on their own
- A film roll change or splice passing through the sealing jaws
- A hopper run down toward its low level, to see whether powder bridging or a falling liquid head shifts the fill weight
- For warm-filled products, a check near the low end of your filling temperature range, where drips and stringing tend to increase
- For dosing caps, components from more than one molding batch, since small cavity differences can push a fill above the rim
Results, corrective work and release
The FAT record brings the observations, measurements and configuration together. It identifies who measured each item and who reviewed the result. Photos, sample packs and video can support the record where they help locate a dosing, transfer or seal condition.
An item outside the agreed criterion receives a defined action, such as adjustment and repeat measurement or a documented configuration change. Shipment approval follows the agreed acceptance process. The retained record provides the basis for site commissioning and helps the support team compare later operating conditions with the accepted setup.
Project documentation
The documentation scope follows the destination, product category and equipment configuration. During project review we identify the required operating information, electrical details, spare-parts information and destination documents with the customer. Each required item belongs in the delivery scope so it can be checked with the machine.
Where a project requires a specific material declaration or other compliance document, identify the exact requirement during configuration review. Applicable documents must correspond to the supplied equipment and components. This keeps the document package connected to the actual machine and intended use.
Handover and the production baseline
The final handover set connects the configuration, acceptance record, settings and operating documentation. Keep those records with the machine identification and change-part list. During commissioning they provide a reference for product supply, dosing and sealing adjustments.
For later support, send the current product, package revision, settings and fault observations with the machine identification. Comparing those conditions with the handover record helps locate the effect of a recipe change, material variation or maintenance task.
Common questions
What is included in a filling machine FAT plan?
The project plan identifies dose measurements by lane, seal and cutoff checks, timed accepted output, operating functions and the delivery-scope check. Criteria, sampling and responsibilities follow the agreed configuration.
How is the FAT sampling plan defined?
We define the number of packs, lane identification, sampling intervals, scale and tare method in the project test plan. Steady-running and restart samples help assess the conditions relevant to the production task.
How are acceptance findings handled?
The record connects each result to its criterion. An item requiring correction receives an action and repeat check, with shipment approval following the agreed acceptance process.
How are destination documents specified?
The project review identifies the destination, intended use and required documents. Each applicable item belongs in the delivery scope and must correspond to the supplied configuration.