Why the FAT matters more than the brochure
Brochure specifications describe the machine; a factory acceptance test describes the machine on your material, making your parts. Coil quality, gauge, strip width, diameter mix and operator changeovers all move the real numbers, which is why makers who publish guaranteed output still qualify it by duct size and gauge, and why makers who publish none should be asked for a witnessed figure. A FAT also settles the one question no brochure answers: will the new machine’s duct fit the duct you already build? Read our brand ownership map and the comparison guides for the shortlist; use this page for the test.
Stage 1: write the criteria into the contract
- Name everything. Machine model and every option, controller version, voltage, phase and frequency for your site, and the tooling set (forming heads or dies by diameter, roll sets by gauge, blades).
- Name the material. Your galvanised, stainless or aluminium at the gauges you run, including the heaviest; your coil widths; your slit strip widths for spiral.
- Name the parts and the numbers. Three duct sizes or diameters that represent your work, the quantity of each to be run, the cycle time or ducts per hour you expect, and the measurements with tolerances.
- Name the consequence. What happens if a criterion fails: rework and retest at the vendor’s cost within a stated time, then the buyer’s right to withdraw. Tie the balance payment to the signed FAT, not to the shipping date.
- Name the witnesses. Who attends (or joins by live video), who signs, and which instruments are used.
Stage 2: ship your own coil and job files
Send two coils of your usual material and one of your heaviest gauge, from your normal supplier, plus real cut lists or CAM job files (Autodesk Fabrication CAMduct, PractiCAM, Trimble FabShop, Vicon software output or a plain list) and a few pieces of duct and fittings from your current production. A test on the vendor’s own perfect coil proves less than a test on yours; a test-fit against your existing duct proves the standards work in practice.
Stage 3: the witnessed run, machine by machine
Spiral tubeformer. Cold start, then your three diameters at your usual gauge and one at the heaviest: time twenty ducts of each, time a head change, check the run-out at your standard length. Measure diameter and roundness at both ends, seam tightness (no light through the lock, no cracking on a hand flex), corrugation depth if fitted, cut squareness and burr. Test-fit a coupling from your stock. Compare the timed rate with the figure the vendor guaranteed and with what our spiral comparison shows the market publishes.
Coil line. Run your job file: a 600×400 mm (24×16 in) duct and your largest and smallest sizes at your usual gauge, then the heaviest gauge. Time the full cycle from coil to wrapped duct, and time a coil change. Measure length and squareness, notch position, seam engagement (Pittsburgh or snap lock closes by hand without a hammer), flange height and straightness, insulation pin or glue pattern if fitted. Check the software round trip: the job file you sent produced the parts you specified without re-entry. See the coil line comparison for the published figures to compare against.
TDF or TDC flange former. Run your three blank lengths at usual and heaviest gauge; measure flange height (35 mm nominal on TDF) at both ends and the middle, check for galvanising damage on the rolls’ path, then fit your own cleats and corners to the formed flange. Time a gauge change if your work spans classes. The TDF machine comparison lists what each maker publishes.
Plasma table. Cut your fitting nest at your usual gauge and one at the heaviest: measure kerf and dimensional accuracy against the drawing, check dross and heat marks, time the nest, and confirm the torch height control tracked a deliberately bowed sheet. Confirm the consumables used are the ones you can buy at home. See the plasma table guide.
Folders and TDF bending machines. Fold ten consecutive 90° bends on your longest blank at your heaviest gauge; measure angle repeatability and straightness over the full length (deflection at centre versus ends). Close TDF corners on real flanged duct.
Welders. Run your seam length at your gauge; peel-test and bend-test a sample; check heat discolouration on stainless.
Stage 4: what to measure and with what
- Dimensions: steel rule and tape for length and width, calipers for flange height and gauge, a diameter tape or pi tape for spiral, a square for squareness.
- Seams and flanges: a hand flex and a light source for lock seams; your own cleats, corners and couplings for fit.
- Time: a stopwatch and a written log of every cycle and changeover, signed by both sides.
- Electrical: a meter on the incoming supply during the run; check the motor plates match your site’s frequency.
- Noise and dust: note them; they matter for the shop, even if they are not acceptance criteria.
Stage 5: electrical, safety and documentation
Confirm guarding, interlocks and emergency stops work as described; confirm CE or your local marking and the declaration that supports it; receive the operating manual, wiring and hydraulic diagrams, the PLC program backup, the lubrication schedule and a spare-parts list with part numbers and prices. Photograph nameplates and serial numbers. Ask for the packing method and confirm the machine is sealed against sea-freight moisture.
Stage 6: sign-off, punch list and shipment
Sign the FAT record with any punch list attached, each item with an owner and a date. Release the balance against the signed record, not the bill of lading. Agree the commissioning plan: who travels, how many days, what the site acceptance test repeats from the FAT, and what training is included. Keep your FAT samples; they are the reference when the machine is commissioned on your floor.
What a vendor should never refuse
A witnessed run on your material, timed cycles at your sizes, a test-fit against your duct, a written record signed by both parties and the balance tied to it. A vendor who declines any of these is telling you something about the brochure. Taokron runs this test on every line before shipment, in person or by live video, and we would rather lose a sale at the FAT than ship a machine that fails on your floor.
Ask us to quote with FAT criteria written in →
FAQ
What is a factory acceptance test for a duct machine?
A witnessed run of the machine at the maker’s factory, on the buyer’s own material and job files, against measurements and throughput criteria written into the contract before the balance payment is released. It turns brochure figures into measured facts and proves the new duct fits the buyer’s existing duct.
Can I do a FAT remotely?
Yes. A live video link with the buyer directing the run, the vendor’s camera on the instruments and a signed record afterwards is standard practice for overseas purchases. Send your own coil and job files ahead and ask for the samples to be shipped to you.
What throughput figure should I ask for?
Ducts per hour or cycle time at three named sizes and your usual gauge, plus one run at your heaviest gauge, timed with changeovers included. Compare the result with what the maker publishes; the comparison guides on this site list those figures.
What if the machine fails a criterion?
The contract should already say: rework and retest at the vendor’s cost within a stated period, then the buyer’s right to withdraw with the deposit returned. Agree this before you pay a deposit, not at the test.
Do I need to send my own coil?
Yes. A test on the vendor’s selected coil proves the machine can run good material; a test on yours proves it will run your production. Send your usual material and your heaviest gauge.
Does Taokron run a FAT on every machine?
Yes. Every Taokron line is run on the buyer’s coil and job files before shipment, witnessed in person or by live video, with a signed record and the balance tied to it. Ask for the FAT criteria to be written into your quotation.
