Factory Acceptance Test Checklist for a Roll Forming Machine

For international machinery buyers, the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) represents the most critical milestone in the procurement lifecycle. Once a 15-ton roll forming line is packed into ocean shipping containers, bolted to the ship’s deck, and transported across oceans, rectifying mechanical misalignment, electrical software bugs, or out-of-tolerance tooling becomes ten times more expensive and disruptive.

A formal FAT conducted at the builder’s manufacturing facility verifies that the equipment meets all contractual specifications, dimensional tolerances, and safety standards before the final payment balance is released and container loading begins.

Whether you travel to the manufacturer’s plant in person, engage a third-party inspection agency (SGS, TÜV, Bureau Veritas), or conduct a live interactive video audit, this comprehensive FAT checklist guarantees that no critical detail is overlooked.

1. Stage 1: Static Mechanical & Structural Audit (Power OFF)

Before running the machine, conduct a meticulous visual and physical inspection of all mechanical assemblies:

1. Chassis & Base Frame Rigidity: Verify base beam specifications (e.g., 350# to 400# H-beam). Inspect welds for complete penetration and verify stress-relief annealing marks.
2. Shaft Diameter & Material: Use vernier calipers to measure drive shaft diameters at bearing journals. Confirm shafts are solid 45# or 40Cr steel, finish-ground, without rust or tooling gouges.
3. Roller Tooling Surface Finish: Inspect roller surfaces under bright lighting. Verify mirror-polish finish and check for minimum 
   $0.05 mm$

   0.05 mm hard chrome plating thickness without pinholes.

4. Side Wall Stands & Bearing Blocks: Confirm side wall plate thickness (minimum 
   $18 mm$

   18 mm to 
   $22 mm$

   22 mm). Check bearing block fasteners for lock washers and proper torque.

5. Transmission System: Verify chain specifications (minimum 1.0-inch to 1.2-inch double row) or gearbox oil seals. Check chain tensioners and verify full metal safety enclosures.
6. Hydraulic Station Components: Inspect hydraulic tank oil level, brand of directional solenoid valves (Yuken, Rexroth), pressure gauge calibration, and oil cooler radiator.

Experience our manufacturing environment via our online factory tour.

2. Stage 2: Electrical, Safety & PLC Automation Audit

With electrical power energized, verify control systems and safety interlocks:

1. Electrical Panel Workmanship: Panel wiring must be routed through plastic trunking channels with ferrule wire tags matching the electrical schematic diagram.
2. Component Brand Verification: Confirm PLC processor (Siemens, Delta, Mitsubishi), touchscreen HMI, circuit breakers (Schneider), and variable-frequency drives (
   $VFD$

   VFD) match the sales contract.

3. Emergency Stop System: Test every E-stop push button and perimeter pull-wire cord. Depressing any E-stop must instantly halt line drive motors and hydraulic pumps within 0.5 seconds.
4. HMI Recipe Programming: Verify the touchscreen displays your local language (English, Spanish, French). Input multiple test batches (e.g., 5 pieces at 2.0m, followed by 3 pieces at 4.0m) to confirm recipe memory retention.

3. Stage 3: Live Trial Run with Real Steel Coil (Dynamic FAT)

CRITICAL RULE: Never accept an FAT conducted only “dry” (without metal coil). A roll forming machine behaves completely differently under real deformation loads.

1. Continuous Trial Run: Feed a minimum of 200 to 300 meters of actual specified steel coil (matching your contractual thickness, coating, and yield strength).
2. Speed Verification: Use a calibrated optical laser tachometer to measure actual linear line speed under continuous operation. Verify it reaches contractually agreed speeds (
   $15–25 m/min$

   15–25 m/min).

3. Cut-Off Action & Burr Quality: Observe hydraulic post-cutting. Cuts must be crisp, square, and burr-free (
   

   <10% of sheet thickness), with zero distortion or collapse of profile ribs.

4. Motor & Hydraulic Temperature Logs: Measure motor housing temperatures (
   

   <65∘C) and hydraulic oil temperature (
   

   <55∘C) after 60 minutes of continuous running.

Review previous pre-shipment preparations in our article on customer roofing machine order readiness.

4. Stage 4: Dimensional & Tolerance Verification Protocol

Measure trial profiles produced during the live run and record readings in the FAT inspection log:

5. Stage 5: Spare Parts, Documentation & Export Packaging

Before signing the final FAT acceptance protocol:

• Spare Parts & Tooling Kit: Confirm inclusion of spare cutting blades (Cr12MoV), optical rotary encoder, limit switches, heating elements, solid-state relays, and specialized roller spanners.
• Documentation Package: Verify English operation manual, electrical wiring schematics, hydraulic circuit diagram, and foundation bolt footprint drawing.
• Anti-Corrosion Sea Packaging: Rollers must be coated with heavy anti-rust oil, wrapped with multi-layer waterproof stretch film, and wooden control cabinets crated in fumigated plywood cases.

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Who supplies the steel coil for the FAT trial?

Reputable manufacturers provide standard commercial trial coils for testing. If your profile utilizes specialized high-strength steel (
$G550$

G550) or custom pre-painted colors, the buyer can request the factory to purchase matching master coils locally at cost.

Q2: What happens if a dimension fails during the FAT?

The builder’s tooling engineers must make immediate physical adjustments (re-aligning stands, shimming rollers, or adjusting Turkish head screws) and rerun trial coils until dimensions meet contract benchmarks. Do not release payment until re-test results pass.

Q3: How long does a standard FAT inspection take?

A thorough FAT on a standard roofing or purlin roll former takes approximately 4 to 6 hours. Complex high-speed lines with automated packaging may require 1 to 2 full operating days.

Q4: Can I hire SGS or Bureau Veritas to conduct the FAT for me?

Yes! Haixing regularly hosts third-party inspection engineers from SGS, BV, and TÜV. We provide full testing facilities, measuring instruments, and coil stock for independent third-party sign-offs.

Certified Quality and Open Testing Protocols

At Haixing Industry Group, we welcome transparent pre-shipment inspections. We provide live multi-angle HD video streaming and full FAT documentation for every machine we build.

Discover our full range of cold roll forming machinery or schedule a factory inspection meeting with our engineering team today.