FAT and SAT planning
Carry trial evidence into formal acceptance with agreed scope and limitations.
Application testing guide
A trial should answer defined application questions. Representative materials, a written test sequence and measurable observations produce better evidence than a short demonstration using convenient samples that do not reflect production.
Write the decision before collecting samples. The trial may need to compare filling methods, confirm that a cap can feed and apply, demonstrate label position, establish a film seal, test a fragile product through a conveyor or confirm that several processes can run together. Separate essential acceptance criteria from useful observations and development work.
Define the production conditions that matter: product temperature, time since mixing, batch age, container source, closure batch, label or film construction, ambient condition and upstream presentation. If one condition cannot be reproduced at the trial, record the limitation and plan how it will be verified later.
| Sample | What makes it representative | Common trial risk |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid, paste or powder | Production formulation, temperature, viscosity or bulk condition, particles and normal storage/handling history. | A laboratory sample flows or settles differently from production material. |
| Container or pouch | Production tooling, normal tolerances, least stable and smallest opening, correct surface treatment. | Hand-made or empty samples hide transfer, fill and label problems. |
| Closure or component | Production material, liner, tamper feature, dip tube, decoration and more than one batch where practical. | Prototype geometry feeds differently or does not represent supplier variation. |
| Label roll | Final face stock, adhesive, liner, die cut, roll direction, core and reel diameter. | Sheet labels prove artwork but not dispensing or application. |
| Film or pouch | Final structure, thickness, sealing layer, print, registration and winding. | A substitute material needs different heat, pressure, tracking or opening behaviour. |
| Finished reference pack | Approved fill, closure, label, seal, code and presentation standard. | Acceptance becomes subjective after the test starts. |
Allow for machine threading, priming, hopper or pipe fill, setup losses, several settings, all formats, fault recovery and retained samples. A filling system may need enough product to reach stable conditions; a feeder needs enough caps or components to reveal nesting and recirculation behaviour; a wrapper needs sufficient reel length for threading and heat stabilisation. Agree quantities with the supplier after the test sequence is defined.
Label every box, reel and container clearly. Keep samples protected from heat, cold, moisture or deformation during transport. Send safety information and handling instructions for hazardous, allergenic, perishable or temperature-sensitive material. Confirm how unused product and trial waste should be handled.
Begin with identification and inspection of the supplied materials. Record machine configuration, change parts, recipe and relevant environmental or product condition. Run setup cycles separately from evidence cycles. Test the normal format first, then the mechanical or process extremes, and include credible starts, stops, missing products or replenishment where those behaviours affect the decision.
Do not change several variables at once without recording them. When a setting is altered, state the reason and retain samples or measurements from the resulting condition. Photographs and video can support the record, but they should be associated with the correct recipe and sample identification.
Define how fill result, torque, seal, label position, code or package appearance will be checked. Identify instruments, sample size, timing and environmental conditions. For example, a closure reading can vary with dwell and temperature; a weight result can vary with scale setup and container tare; and a seal test can give a different outcome after cooling. The acceptance method should be practical for both the trial and future production.
State the output requirement as acceptable finished packs under the named test condition. Record minor stops, manual corrections and rejected packs rather than quoting only the shortest cycle. If the trial is too short to demonstrate sustained performance, describe exactly what it did prove and reserve the remaining requirement for FAT or SAT.
List differences between the trial and production: product batch, material supplier, line interfaces, ambient condition, operator, bulk supply and downstream handling. Decide whether each difference is low risk, needs a design allowance, or requires another test. A successful single-format run should not be treated as evidence for formats or products that were not supplied.
Carry trial evidence into formal acceptance with agreed scope and limitations.
Define product behaviour, dose and fill-result criteria before testing a filler.
Include recovery, cleaning, format conversion and restart in the test plan where relevant.
A preliminary shortlist may be possible from accurate data and drawings, but samples usually reduce uncertainty around product behaviour, feeding, handling, sealing and presentation. The need depends on the application risk.
Use the normal format to establish the process, then test the mechanical and product extremes. All formats required for acceptance should be identified before the trial.
Long enough to answer the defined questions and expose relevant replenishment, feeding, temperature or queue behaviour. A brief trial may prove basic compatibility but not sustained production performance.
The project should agree what record, samples, photographs, settings and conclusions will be issued and how confidential product information will be handled.
Review the changed property—such as viscosity, label stock, cap geometry or film structure—and decide whether the result remains applicable. A material change may require another sample review or trial.
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