I. Basis for Inspection
What constitutes the basis for inspection? Based on the practice of inspecting complete equipment sets, the basis is determined as follows: Positioning—Factory inspection assesses whether manufacturing quality complies with relevant standard drawings and technical documents (each unit must pass factory inspection before leaving the manufacturer; governed by JB/T 1829-2014 “General Technical Conditions for Forging Machinery”);
Complete Equipment Sets—General machinery and standardized equipment are inspected against mandatory standards set by laws and regulations plus other required inspection standards (where quality grading standards exist, the “First-Class Product” standard applies), while specialized equipment follows mandatory standards plus required inspection standards; Non-standard Equipment—Inspected against mandatory standards set by laws and regulations plus technical conditions for manufacturing and acceptance (if the aforementioned standards are less stringent than the inspection criteria agreed upon in the external contract, the contract terms take precedence); Contract Priority—Acceptance conditions specify basic requirements such as environmental conditions, equipment status, and testing instrument precision during acceptance (e.g., general acceptance specifications for continuous handling and loading/unloading machinery); Type vs. Factory Tests—Inspection rules distinguish between type tests and factory tests (see Chapter 5 of “General Guidelines for Safety Testing of Electrical Equipment”); factory inspection content may involve spot checks (with timing, methods, and sample sizes complying with specific product standards). In summary, the basis for inspection involves four key aspects: non-standard equipment follows manufacturing and acceptance technical conditions; contract terms take precedence; factory inspection must be passed prior to shipment; and a distinction is made between type tests and factory tests.
II.
Inspection Content
What does the inspection cover?
Based on equipment testing practices, the inspection covers the following aspects: assembly inspection—verifying the assembly quality of various system units (inspected according to Section 4.15 of the draft standard for intelligent hot stamping production lines); no-load operation test—conducting individual unit no-load tests where system units and auxiliary drive mechanisms simulate standard operating movements (minimum run time of 1 hour for units and auxiliary drives); full-load operation with material—continuous operation for over 24 hours using standard materials provided by the Client (tracking cycle time, yield rate, and equipment utilization rate; all metrics must meet contractual standards); extreme operating conditions—testing equipment stability and reliability under extreme conditions involving maximum load, fastest cycle time, and continuous start-stop operations (to expose potential risks); general inspection—environmental adaptability, accessories and tools, safety protection, appearance quality, and bearing temperature rise (general inspection methods for specialized motor equipment); specialized inspection—precision testing of key components, assembly quality inspection, and performance tests under no-load and full-load conditions (specialized inspection methods)—the inspection focuses on five key areas: assembly quality, no-load test run, 24-hour full-load operation, extreme operating conditions, and component precision;
these five areas cover the entire machine.
III. Electrical Safety Inspection
What does the electrical safety inspection cover?
Based on inspection practices for complete equipment sets, the electrical aspects are evaluated as follows: **Report Items**—Factory inspection reports should typically include records for main circuit resistance measurement, insulation resistance testing, power-frequency withstand voltage testing, and mechanical operation testing (requirements for the procurement of non-standard high/low-voltage complete equipment sets); **Components**—Key components such as air circuit breakers (ACBs), molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs), instrument transformers, and surge protective devices must be accompanied by corresponding certificates of conformity or factory inspection reports (component configurations in non-standard equipment may differ from standard models; it is essential to verify the brands and model numbers of the components actually installed); **Safety Performance Acceptance**—Mechanical safety, electrical safety, protective devices, and emergency stops (safety performance acceptance based on general acceptance specifications for continuous handling and loading/unloading machinery); **Electrical Safety**—Safety and reliability of the electrical system within the production line (draft standard for intelligent hot stamping production lines); **Inspection Guidelines**—Inspections and tests required to confirm compliance after the electrical equipment design is finalized (check tests, type tests, factory tests, and general inspections/tests). In summary, electrical compliance is verified through four key checks: circuit resistance/insulation/withstand voltage, component certificate verification, protective device and emergency stop acceptance, and electrical system safety and reliability.
IV.
FAT (Factory Acceptance Test)
What to look for during FAT acceptance testing.
Based on factory acceptance practices, the testing review covers the following aspects: Planning—agreement on the test plan and acceptance criteria prior to the FAT (defining what to inspect, inspection methods, and acceptance criteria; establishing measurable acceptance criteria for each test; including key performance parameters; defining test duration and conditions; specifying load/no-load simulations or utility requirements; and defining the FAT scope); Functionality—control sequences (start/stop, reset, fault recovery, orderly shutdown), alarm handling (sensor faults, actuator timeouts, low-pressure conditions, jam detection, operator prompts), user access (role-based access, parameter protection, change traceability), safety responses (safe stop behavior, restart logic, interlock recovery, access door behavior), and manual interaction (fixture loading, part presentation, operator confirmation steps, ergonomic timing); Standards—IEC 61511/ISA 84 (SIL verification for functional safety in the process industry), EN 13849 (Performance Level verification for machinery safety), and ISO 9001 (verification of externally provided products and services); References—reviewing inspection and test plans against applicable specifications (e.g., ASME VIII for pressure vessel acceptance, IEEE 450/1188 for battery system acceptance); and Documentation—closed-loop management of the issue list (addressing missing standards, retaining observations, identifying missing baselines, and finalizing compliance conclusions pending authorization and review records). In summary, the FAT review focuses on four key areas—test plans and acceptance criteria, control sequences and safety responses, referenced standards (SIL/PL), and closed-loop issue management—to ensure a scientifically sound acceptance process.
V.
Determination of Compliance
What to look for when determining compliance.
Regarding inspection rules and practices, the determination is based on the following criteria: **Determination**—The product is deemed qualified if all inspection items meet requirements (rework is permitted for non-compliant items, but failure to pass after rework results in a “non-qualified” verdict; rules apply to general technical specifications for sewage treatment vessels/equipment); **Factory Release**—Each unit must pass factory inspection before shipment (non-qualified units cannot be shipped); **Records**—All test data must be fully documented to create an in-house commissioning report, serving as the core basis for factory acceptance (includes comprehensive records of full-process testing, material-loaded full-load tests, and limit-condition tests); **Monitoring**—Continued checks on the stability and reliability of equipment operating under specified conditions (applies to the inspection and supervision of imported complete equipment sets and inspections during the quality assurance period); **Environmental Impact**—Noise, dust, exhaust gas, wastewater, or other forms of pollution generated during production or operation must be controlled within contractually stipulated limits (and must comply with relevant Chinese laws, regulations, and administrative rules regarding safety and hygiene); **Reporting**—Factory inspection reports and documentation for key components must be provided prior to equipment shipment (includes records of main circuit resistance measurements, insulation resistance tests, power-frequency withstand voltage tests, and mechanical operation tests). The “four-point” approach to qualification determination ensures fairness: full compliance equals “qualified”; failure after rework equals “non-qualified”; the in-house commissioning report serves as the core basis;
and environmental impact must remain within contractual limits.
Conclusion
What are the factory inspection standards for non-standard assembly lines? The conclusion is that the standards are defined across five dimensions: basis, content, electrical systems, FAT (Factory Acceptance Testing), and determination criteria.
Basis—Non-standard equipment must comply with mandatory legal standards and technical specifications for manufacturing and acceptance; contractual inspection criteria take precedence; factory release requires passing the factory inspection; spot-check items follow product standards. Scope—Assembly quality inspection; no-load trial runs (minimum 1 hour per system unit); full-load runs with actual materials (24+ hours using the client’s materials to track cycle time, yield, and OEE); extreme operating conditions (maximum load, fastest cycle time, continuous start/stop); and verification of component precision, assembly quality, and load-bearing performance. Electrical—Main circuit resistance, insulation resistance, power-frequency withstand voltage, mechanical operation tests, verification of certificates for key components, and checks on safety devices (electrical/mechanical) and emergency stops. FAT—Pre-agreed test plans and acceptance criteria; control logic (start, stop, reset, fault recovery); alarm handling (sensor faults, jam detection); safety response (safety stops, interlocks, recovery); and compliance with IEC 61511, EN 13849, and ISO 9001 standards. Determination—Pass requires full compliance; rework is permitted for non-compliance; failure to pass after rework results in final rejection;
the in-house commissioning report serves as the primary basis; and environmental impact/pollution must remain within contractual limits.
In summary, factory inspection follows industry best practices: adhere to the technical agreement, cover all five inspection categories, pre-agree on FAT standards, and ensure the shipment includes a passing report—clear these four hurdles for a worry-free release.
