A growing number of overseas buyers now require a recorded factory acceptance test (FAT) — the machine running under load, on camera, before it's crated — as a standard condition of final payment, not just for large or unusual orders.
What is a factory acceptance test, and how is it different from a general factory audit?
A factory audit evaluates the factory itself — its facilities, processes, and general capability; a factory acceptance test evaluates one specific machine, your machine, running through its actual functions before it ships. You can pass a factory audit and still receive a defective unit if the individual machine wasn't separately tested before crating.
Why is this becoming more common now?
Video conferencing has made it practical and low-cost to request a live or recorded test run without traveling, removing the main barrier that used to make FAT requests impractical for small and mid-size orders. As more buyers have adopted this and shared the practice within industry circles, it's shifted from an unusual request to something factories increasingly expect and prepare for as standard practice.
What should a buyer actually ask to see during a recorded FAT?
Ask to see the machine's nameplate and serial number clearly on camera (confirming it's the specific unit for your order, not a demo unit), a full operating cycle under a representative load or material, and any safety interlocks or emergency stops actually triggered on camera rather than just described. For machinery with programmable parameters, ask to see the actual settings used during the test, since a machine tested at conservative settings can behave differently once run at your intended production parameters.
How does this fit into a milestone payment structure?
A recorded FAT is typically the trigger for the pre-shipment payment milestone, sitting between the mid-production check and the balance payment — the video or live session becomes part of the documentation trail if a dispute arises later, alongside the commercial invoice and packing list. Factor the time needed to schedule and review the FAT into your shipping timeline, since some buyers request re-tests if the first recording doesn't clearly show what was asked for.
What are the limits of what a video FAT can catch?
A FAT confirms the machine runs and performs its functions at the time of the test — it doesn't guarantee long-term reliability, and it can't fully substitute for in-person dimensional inspection on tight-tolerance parts or detailed internal component inspection that requires physically opening the machine. Treat a passed FAT as strong evidence the machine works, not as a full substitute for other quality assurance steps on high-value or safety-critical orders.
How should buyers request this without it feeling adversarial?
Frame the request as standard practice rather than as a sign of distrust — most established factories are now used to this request and can accommodate it without friction, and raising it clearly at the quote stage (rather than after a deposit is paid) sets the expectation early and avoids it feeling like a last-minute demand.
See our FAQ page for how we help arrange factory acceptance tests as part of the ordering process.