1. Installation check
Confirm position, levelling, access, guards within scope, services, product feed, drains, conveyors and interface wiring against approved information.
Site start-up and handover
Commissioning and site acceptance for paste filling machinery.
Commissioning confirms that the installed machine can operate safely and as intended under the agreed site conditions. A structured sequence prevents product trials from starting before installation, utilities and interfaces are ready.
UK buyer guidanceProduct-led specificationEvidence before sign-off
Commission in controlled stages
Do not combine installation, product tuning and acceptance into one unrecorded run.
Each stage should have a clear entry condition and result. Open installation or safety issues should not be hidden by moving directly to a product demonstration.
2. Dry functional check
Test direction, motion, sensors, controls, alarms, stops, interlocks within scope and controlled restart without product.
3. Wet commissioning
Prime with the agreed product or approved test medium, establish settings and verify dosing, cut-off, container handling and line interfaces.
4. Acceptance and handover
Run the agreed site test, close or record deviations, complete training and transfer the required documents, backups and spare parts.
Site acceptance plan
Trace deferred FAT checks and site-specific requirements into SAT.
The site protocol should identify every check that could not be completed at the factory and every requirement that depends on production utilities, product feed or adjacent machinery.
| Area | Site checks | Completion evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities | Correct voltage, protection, earthing arrangements, air pressure and quality, extraction, water, drainage and other agreed services. | Recorded supply checks and confirmation that the machine operates without service-related alarms or instability. |
| Layout and access | Operator position, replenishment, cleaning, maintenance, format-change access, material flow and safe routes around the installed line. | Approved layout and closed installation punch list. |
| Product supply | Upstream vessel, transfer method, hopper replenishment, level control, heating or mixing and end-of-batch behaviour. | Stable product feed through the agreed operating range. |
| Pack flow | Production containers, closures, labels, coding, accumulation and transfers between machines. | Accepted packs through normal running, controlled stops and restart. |
| Performance | Agreed dose checks, presentation, accepted output, reject handling and any product-quality checks. | Signed data sheets and deviation record linked to the approved criterion. |
| Training and documents | Operation, cleaning, format change, fault response, isolation, routine checks and maintenance within the supplied scope. | Attendance record, handover register, backups and agreed outstanding actions. |
Production ramp-up
Use controlled batches before relying on sustained output.
Start with a stable product and a limited set of packs. Record settings, product condition, sequential fill results, stop causes and operator interventions. Add harder products or formats only when the current condition is understood.
The first production run may reveal site-specific effects such as longer product hoses, different air pressure, container variation or upstream supply changes. Treat these as controlled engineering findings, not informal operator adjustments.
Handover essentials
Make responsibility clear after the engineer leaves.
- Approved settings and recipe records for the commissioned products and packs.
- Open-action register with owner, target date and effect on operation.
- Maintenance and spare-parts plan matched to the installed configuration.
- Cleaning and reassembly instructions verified with the actual product path.
- Control and programme backups where included in the supply scope.
Prepare the site with the installation guide, link the acceptance criteria to the factory acceptance test, and use the risk-assessment input guide for project information that needs competent review.
Planning installation and commissioning?
Send the approved layout, utilities, product feed, production packs, integration scope and acceptance requirements so the start-up sequence can be considered during quotation.