Key decisions
Prepare people, product and evidence before the engineer arrives
- Complete installation and utility checks before product commissioning starts.
- Have representative product, packs, closures, change parts and quality equipment available.
- Define who will operate, maintain, approve quality and own open actions.
- Train normal tasks and foreseeable faults on the final installed configuration.
- Use SAT and handover records to confirm what is accepted, outstanding and controlled for production.
Separate installation checks from product commissioning
Before product enters the machine, verify position, levelling, guards, connections, utilities, rotation, sensors, actuators, conveyor tracking and communication with connected equipment within the agreed scope. Confirm that the correct software, drawings, parts and manuals are available. Dry checks should close installation defects before product obscures them.
Product commissioning then establishes feed, prime, dose, nozzle profile, container handling, closure timing, recipes and the operating window. It is an engineering adjustment stage, not permission to omit agreed acceptance evidence. Use the site preparation guide before scheduling the visit.
| Handover stage | Participants needed | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-commissioning review | Project lead, site engineering, supplier and relevant safety/quality representatives. | Readiness checklist, outstanding installation work and authorised test plan. |
| Dry commissioning | Supplier and site engineering/maintenance. | Verified utilities, motion, sensors, line interfaces and safe access within scope. |
| Product commissioning | Supplier, trained operators, production and quality. | Stable feed, recipes, quantity, pack quality and documented settings. |
| Training | Operators, setters, maintenance and supervisors according to role. | Demonstrated competence for normal tasks, faults, changeover and care. |
| SAT and handover | Authorised supplier and buyer representatives. | Signed evidence, open-item register, documents, backups and support route. |
Commission with representative production conditions
Use the actual product preparation and bulk-feed method, not a convenient temporary arrangement that changes head pressure, air or temperature. Run the required container and closure formats, including the difficult cases established during the product trial. Record recipe values and any qualifications caused by unavailable materials.
Include replenishment, start-up, normal pause, downstream block, upstream starvation and restart where relevant. Sustainable output should include the operator work and connected equipment needed to make acceptable finished packs.
Train by role and practical task
Operators need safe start, stop, loading, monitoring, first-off checks, routine cleaning, normal adjustment and response to defined alarms. Setters need format change, recipes, change parts and verification. Maintenance personnel need isolation, access, inspection, diagnostics, replacement and safe return to service within their competence.
Supervisors should understand production states, quality release, deviation control and when to escalate. Training should use the final machine and approved procedure. Attendance alone does not prove competence; include observed tasks or questions and record any further coaching required.
Use controlled documents and machine state
Handover should include the agreed manuals, drawings, parts information, maintenance schedule, backups, recipes, trial and acceptance records, training record and open-item list. Identify the installed software and machine revision. Store documents where users and maintainers can access the current approved version.
Set a production baseline: approved settings, first-off samples or photographs, quality method and known process limits. This gives the site a reference when troubleshooting later. The maintenance and spares guide supports lifecycle handover.
Close open items without losing control of production
Classify outstanding actions by whether they block safe or acceptable production, can be managed by an agreed temporary control, or are documentation and enhancement items. Assign owner, due date, evidence and authorisation. Temporary arrangements should be visible and reviewed rather than becoming permanent by default.
Use the FAT and SAT framework for final acceptance. After handover, route faults and modifications through the agreed support, maintenance, software and risk-assessment processes.
Commissioning and training readiness
- Installed machine, guards, utilities and line interfaces ready.
- Representative product, packaging and cleaning materials.
- Approved trial evidence, quality method and SAT protocol.
- Operators, setters, maintenance, quality and project owners available.
- Change parts, tools, spares and measuring equipment.
- Current drawings, manuals, recipes and software backups.
- Training tasks and competence record by role.
- Open-item, support and safe production-release process.