Filling technology selection
Beverage Filling Machine FAT: Agree the Test, Keep the Evidence
A factory acceptance test checks the agreed machine configuration before shipment. A useful result links each requirement to a defined test and a retained record; it is not just a short running video. Agree the materials, conditions, measurement method and limits first, and mark what must still be verified with the real product or at the installation site.
Prepare My FAT InputsMachine selection and configuration
FAT protocol inputs
- Approved machine scope and drawings
- Bottle, cap and test-product basis
- Utilities and supply conditions
- Test duration and output definition
- Fill level or volume sampling plan
- Closure checks and reject handling
- Alarm, interlock and recovery checks
- Changeover and cleaning demonstration
- Documents, photos, videos and open-item register
Machine selection and configuration
Example: Gross Speed Is Not Accepted Output
Illustrative arithmetic only—not a machine rating, an actual customer FAT or a recommended test duration. This example keeps all stops inside the same 30-minute window; agree the time boundary before your test.
| Record | Example value | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Elapsed observation window | 30 minutes = 0.5 hour | Includes the stops recorded within this example window |
| Counted filled bottles | 3,100 | Gross observed rate: 3,100 / 0.5 = 6,200 BPH |
| Rejected bottles | 40 | Record the cause; a filled bottle is not automatically an accepted bottle |
| Accepted bottles | 3,100 - 40 = 3,060 | Accepted output: 3,060 / 0.5 = 6,120 BPH |
| Decision | Compare the agreed limits and all other tests | The arithmetic alone does not authorize a pass or shipment release |
Machine selection and configuration
Match the Demonstration to the Product Claim
| Application | Product-specific evidence to agree | What a water-only run cannot establish |
|---|---|---|
| Still water | Approved package, accepted output, fill measurement and closure checks | Performance on every other bottle or recipe |
| Carbonated drink | Actual test-liquid basis, inlet condition, CO2 measurement and foam/reject records | Carbonation retention and losses at your operating conditions |
| Hot-filled juice or tea | Authorized thermal sequence, actual package trial and defined product substitute limits | Validated thermal treatment, package resistance or shelf life |
| Pulp, particles or viscous product | Representative product properties and an agreed valve/handling trial | Particle passage, viscosity behavior or filling consistency of the actual recipe |
Machine selection and configuration
A usable FAT record: pass, fail or open
Set the limits in the purchase specification before the run. These rows define evidence to collect, not universal acceptance thresholds.
| Check | Record during the test | Decision to agree in advance |
|---|---|---|
| Sustained output | Start/end timestamps, gross count, accepted count and every stop | Whether rate is gross or accepted bottles and how interruptions affect the test |
| Fill consistency | Sample IDs, measured amount/level, product temperature, instrument and calibration record | Sampling frequency, measurement method and upper/lower limits for this product |
| Bottle and cap handling | Jam, scuff, cap application and leak-check observations | Approved drawings/samples and closure-specific inspection method |
| Controlled stop and restart | Stop cause, product disposition, restart sequence and rejected bottles | Safe response and recovery procedure for the specified machine |
| Changeover | From/to formats, elapsed time, tools, parts and first accepted bottle | What is included in changeover time and how the next format is verified |
| Open items | Unique ID, severity, owner, due date and closure evidence | Which defects prevent shipment and which require a documented retest |
Machine selection and configuration
Connect factory testing to site acceptance
State what the test product proves
A water trial does not by itself demonstrate juice viscosity, particulate handling, hot-fill performance or carbonation retention. Record every substitute material and carry unresolved product-specific tests into an agreed verification plan.
Preserve the signed test evidence
Keep the approved configuration, dated protocol, measured results, instrument records, videos and open-item register together. A single short video cannot show sustained operation, reject rate or all alarm responses.
Plan the site acceptance boundary
Site acceptance checks the delivered machine with actual utilities, upstream/downstream equipment and operators. Define these conditions before shipment and distinguish site-integration issues from factory-test results.
Plan the site acceptance boundaryMachine selection and configuration
Keep the Shipment Decision Separate from a Test Demonstration
Use these as protocol fields, not universal contractual release rules. The buyer and supplier agree who may approve each outcome.
| Outcome | Required record | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Pass on the tested scope | Requirement ID, measured result, evidence reference and sign-off | Retain the record and identify any tests that remain site-dependent |
| Failed acceptance requirement | Deviation, affected scope, corrective action and retest evidence | Follow the agreed hold/retest rule before release |
| Not tested or substitute conditions | Reason, limitation, test owner and next verification stage | Do not label an untested capability as passed |
Machine selection and configuration
Carry the Same Requirements into the Next Stage
Specify the machine before testing
Give output, package, process and interface requirements an identifiable acceptance basis.
Specify the machine before testingDefine site acceptance separately
Verify the installed machine with actual site utilities, retained equipment and operating conditions.
Define site acceptance separatelyCheck fill-measurement terminology
Specify whether the measurement concerns fill level, volume or another agreed quantity basis.
Check fill-measurement terminologyCatalog equipment evidence
Equipment Boundaries to Include in the FAT
Test the agreed filler and every included transfer, labeling, packing and controls boundary under one written acceptance protocol.
Engineering decision guide
Continue the buyer decision path
Use these pages in sequence to understand, compare, plan, choose and prepare a project-specific request.
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Beverage Filling Machines
Compare filling machine families by beverage behavior, filling basis, package handling and the interfaces required around the filler.
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Filling Technology Comparison
Compare gravity, hot-fill and isobaric routes against the same product, package, acceptance and cleaning facts.
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Filling Machine Factory Acceptance Test
Write FAT conditions, materials, duration, sample method, acceptance criteria, records and deviation handling before the test.
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Filling Machine Selector
Generate a preliminary technology route from beverage, process, package and output inputs, then verify open assumptions with an engineer.
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Request a Filling Machine Recommendation
Send a structured machine brief with the known product, package, output, site and project facts, while marking unknowns openly.
Buyer questions
Frequently asked questions
What makes a filling-machine FAT result pass or fail?
The approved protocol must define the test materials, duration, output, sampling, fill and closure criteria, demonstrations, records and open-item closure rule.
Does a successful water trial prove my carbonated or hot-fill process?
No. Record what the substitute test liquid and factory conditions demonstrate, and which product-specific requirements remain untested. Agree separate evidence for carbonation, thermal processing, particle handling or package resistance as applicable. A factory trial is not a universal process or shelf-life validation.
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Next machine-selection action
Write the acceptance basis before the test.
Share the reference product, package, duration, output and quality checks that the FAT must demonstrate.