Checklist for Tea Bag Machine Buyers Before Factory Acceptance Testing

Set the FAT Scope for the Exact Tea Bag Line

Tie the FAT scope to the purchase order and as-built line. Identify machine revision, filler, bag format, thread and tag, envelope, coder, counters, conveyors, utilities, software, guards, and exclusions so an uninstalled option cannot receive an assumed pass.

Freeze Tea, Filter Paper, Thread, Tag, and Envelope Inputs

Freeze traceable test inputs before the FAT date. Record tea grade and variation, target dose, filter paper or mesh, thread, tag, envelope film, print, dimensions, lots, storage, and any supplier substitute that limits the conclusion.

FAT terminology: A trial phase identifies when a sample was produced. A retained sample links visible output to settings and materials. A punch-list item records an unresolved defect, document, training action, or follow-up. Shipment approval means the agreed blockers have been closed with evidence; it does not mean destination-site installation checks can be skipped.

Number every retained sample: Use a simple code that links the pouch to the trial phase, material lot, machine setting, and inspection result. The code lets the buyer compare a later photograph or physical sample with the FAT sheet without guessing when it was produced. Note whether the piece was accepted, rejected, or retained only to illustrate an adjustment. Sample identification is especially useful when several tea grades, filter papers, tags, or envelope films are tested on the same day.

Inspect sample distribution: Do not approve performance from a short group collected at the end. Label samples from the first acceptable output, the middle of stable production, after replenishing tea or packaging material, and after restart. Compare fill consistency, paper or mesh condition, seal continuity, thread and tag alignment, envelope appearance, and counting. Keep enough samples for buyer review after the visit. If the project has several bag formats, create a separate record for each approved combination.

Challenge foreseeable faults: Ask the technician to demonstrate the response to low material, missing tag stock, thread interruption, paper tracking error, temperature alarm, and an intentionally rejected bag where the controls support those conditions. The operator should identify the alarm, place the machine in a safe state, correct the cause, remove questionable output, and restart with an inspection sample. Record which faults require tools or maintenance access. This exercise reveals whether training covers recovery or only normal running.

Build the run plan before the FAT date: Send production materials early enough for the supplier to confirm that they can be handled safely. The FAT lot should include the actual tea or representative blends, filter paper, thread, tag stock, and outer-envelope material when an envelope is part of the scope. State the target fill, accepted bag style, code or print requirement, and the number of samples the buyer wants retained. If the future factory will run both fine tea and larger herbal pieces, include both. Testing only the easiest material leaves the buyer without evidence for the most difficult production condition.

Run Startup, Stable Production, Stop, and Restart Trials

Divide the run into cold startup, adjustment, first release, stable production, tea refill, material replenishment, a normal stop, and restart. Record elapsed setup, rejected bags, interventions, alarms, settings, and the point at which output becomes releasable.

Divide the trial into observable phases: Collect results from cold startup, adjustment, stable running, a planned speed change, a short stop, and restart. The buyer should see how the line threads materials, finds registration, establishes dose control, forms the tea bag, handles thread and tag, seals the envelope, counts output, and responds when a material is missing. Record the settings used in each phase and keep rejected pieces on the inspection table. A smooth video of continuous running does not show how much operator intervention was required to reach that condition.

Measure Dose, Seal, Bag Shape, Thread, and Tag Results

Measure dose, bag dimensions, formation, seals, cuts, thread attachment, tag position, envelope registration, code, and finished presentation under predefined sampling and defect rules. Report individual observations rather than only a favorable average or selected photograph.

During FAT planning, confirm the exact scope shown on the tea bag packaging machine options page and reconcile it with the tested filler, bag format, thread/tag, envelope, coding, and discharge functions.

Challenge Alarms, Material Shortage, and Jam Recovery

Challenge foreseeable faults through the supplier's safe method. Low tea, missing tag stock, broken paper or film, poor registration, a jam, guard opening, and restart should create understandable alarms, isolate doubtful output, and recover through a documented sequence.

Retain Accepted and Rejected Tea Bag Samples

Number retained accepted and rejected samples and link each to material lot, machine recipe, run phase, speed condition, measurement, defect code, and correction. Distributed evidence exposes drift and recovery behavior that end-of-run samples cannot show.

Acceptance note: A useful tea bag FAT makes rejected output, recovery work, and operator actions visible. A flawless short run with no retained record gives the buyer less protection than a structured trial that explains what changed and why the final sample was released.

Verify Training, Spare Parts, Manuals, and Settings

Verify that manuals, drawings, backups, change parts, included spares, cleaning instructions, maintenance points, and training match the tested build. Operators should repeat essential setup, changeover, recovery, and release tasks while the supplier can correct gaps.

Close the FAT Punch List Before Shipment Approval

Use a controlled punch list with pass, fail, pending, owner, due date, and closure evidence. Shipment approval should reference the final machine revision, retained sample index, signed exceptions, and destination checks still required after utilities and operators change.

The final FAT summary should name the tested configuration, approved materials, unresolved limits, and shipment decision.

Confirm transfer to the destination factory: The FAT should identify which conditions must be recreated after shipment, including utilities, environment, material storage, operator preparation, lifting, leveling, and verification after assembly. State which settings can be loaded directly and which require site adjustment. Define how the buyer reports problems and what evidence the supplier needs for remote diagnosis. A complete FAT reduces uncertainty, but it does not replace installation checks at the final site.

Use a signed evidence record: The FAT sheet should identify each check, the sample or measurement used, the pass condition, the person responsible, and any open action. Separate shipment-blocking defects from adjustments that can be closed with dated evidence. Confirm that operators receive the approved recipe, material-threading diagram, cleaning sequence, wear-parts list, electrical information, and alarm guidance. Shipment approval should follow closure of the agreed punch list, not the end of the factory visit. This makes the acceptance decision traceable when production begins at the buyer's site.