Factory Acceptance Test Traps in PET bottle filling line Buys
Half the disputes I've audited start the same way. The factory acceptance test (FAT) passed on paper, and the PET bottle filling line failed on the shop floor within three weeks. The FAT ran on water, at 70% of rated speed, with a hand-picked batch of bottles. Nobody objected because the buyer's team wanted to catch the flight home. That is the trap. What to Lock Into the Spec Before the FAT Is Scheduled Rated Speed vs. Proven Speed A nameplate of 12,000 bottles per hour means nothing until someone runs it for hours. Write the speed, the bottle size and the run duration into the purchase contract. A well-specified PET bottle filling line should be judged on sustained output, not a peak-minute screenshot. Fill Accuracy and Capping Torque Specify the fill-volume tolerance as a number and state how it will be measured. Do the same for capping torque, with a defined removal-torque window. "Within industry standard" is not a specification. The Spec Detail Most Buyers Sk...