FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) and SAT (Site Acceptance Test) are two separate gates on an imported nicotine pouch packaging machine, and they answer two different questions. FAT proves the configured machine against an agreed specification at the manufacturer’s factory, before shipment, using your pouch material and your nicotine blend. SAT proves the installed line at your plant, after wiring and air connection, on your voltage, your operators and a real production batch.
A passed FAT does not automatically deliver a passed SAT. In project after project, the machine arrives on schedule and the commissioning date still slips — because the delays sit at the gates the buyer owns, not the gates the manufacturer owns. This is the sequence, with the numbers to write into the test plan before the machine is built.
What does a FAT actually cover on a nicotine pouch machine?
A FAT is not a demonstration. It is a recorded production run against acceptance criteria agreed before fabrication started, and it should be witnessed — in person or by live video with a signed test script.
For a multi-lane nicotine pouch packaging machine, the factory test should cover at minimum:
- Output — good pouches counted over a continuous run, not a short isolated cycle. A compact 4-lane head runs around 120 ppm; an 8-lane head 300–400 ppm; a 12-lane configuration up to 600 ppm.
- Fill weight — sampled and weighed on a 0.001 g balance against a 0.5 g target, typically specified at ±1–2%.
- Seal quality — seal width, seam integrity and peel behaviour on every lane, not just lane one.
- Reject handling — the reject rate, and confirmation that every reject is physically ejected rather than merely counted.
- Changeover — a timed Slim-to-Regular format swap, done by one operator, with the first-off pouch checked.
- Safety and documentation — interlocks, guarding, alarm list, PLC recipe backup and the spare parts schedule.
| Acceptance item | How it is measured | Typical target |
|---|---|---|
| Fill weight (0.5 g pouch) | 30-pouch sample, 0.001 g balance | ±1–2% of nominal |
| Output | Good-pouch count over 60 minutes continuous | At or near rated speed |
| Seal strength | Peel test, 10 pouches per lane | No seam delamination |
| Reject rate | Counted and verified ejected | Under 1% |
| Format changeover | Timed swap, single operator | Within the quoted time |
| Moisture retention | Sealed pouch weight loss over 24 hours | Per agreed specification |
Why a passed FAT does not guarantee a passed SAT
Three variables change the moment the machine leaves the factory: power quality, compressed air, and people. A line running 600 pouches per minute is sensitive to air pressure that fluctuates by a bar, to wet air that carries oil into a pneumatic cylinder, and to an operator who has never seen the HMI before. Dry nicotine powder also flows differently in a humid plant than in a climate-controlled test hall — which is exactly why the SAT run must use production material, not a substitute.
The 7 stages from factory test to first production run
- Sample trial and material lock (before order). Send 2–5 kg of your actual blend and 2–3 rolls of your nonwoven. The dosing principle and seal window get locked here, and this is the cheapest place in the whole project to discover a problem.
- Build and pre-shipment dry cycle. Typical standard builds run 30–45 days; a turnkey multi-lane line with can filler and cartoner runs 60–75 days. A 72-hour dry cycle runs before the FAT so mechanical faults surface before your test day.
- FAT at the factory. One to two days, against the signed test script, with your material. Record stops and their causes — a clean sheet with no stoppages recorded is a warning sign, not a good result.
- Packing, shipping and customs. Confirm HS classification and certificate of origin before the vessel sails, not after it berths.
- Site preparation. Buyer-owned and the single biggest cause of delay. Details below.
- Installation and commissioning. Roughly 1–2 weeks for mechanical positioning, levelling, electrical and pneumatic connection, then a dry run before product is introduced.
- Training and handover. Two to three days. Operators must demonstrate start, stop, recovery, changeover and first-off checks themselves — watching an engineer do it does not transfer the skill.
What the buyer must have ready before the machine arrives
| Item | What to confirm | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 380 V / 50 Hz three-phase, dedicated breaker, clean earth | Buyer |
| Compressed air | 6–8 bar, dry and oil-free, flow per the utility drawing | Buyer |
| Floor | Level, load capacity per the foundation drawing | Buyer |
| Access | Door width, forklift or crane route to the final position | Buyer |
| Material | Same blend and film batch as the FAT, enough for a 4-hour run | Buyer |
| People | 2–3 operators plus one maintenance technician, released from production | Buyer |
The four reasons SAT slips past the agreed date
- Production material is not on site, or it is a different blend from the FAT batch.
- Air is below specification — wet, oily, or undersized for a 12-lane head.
- Operators are pulled back onto the line and training never happens.
- No measurable acceptance criteria were agreed, so the punch list fills with lines like “machine to be improved” that nobody can close.
What to put in the acceptance document before you sign
Sign off on evidence, not impressions. The signed record should state the machine configuration, format, product batch and PLC recipe reference; the measured output, fill weight distribution, reject count and every stoppage with its cause; each deviation with a named owner, corrective action and retest condition; the punch list split into critical versus cosmetic; and the training attendance with the specific tasks each operator demonstrated.
If you are building a private-label programme on top of the line, the same acceptance discipline applies to the OEM pouch manufacturing scope — the trial, the first-article approval and the recurring quality checks all sit inside the same document set.
Next step
Write the FAT script before you place the order, not after the machine is finished. Send your blend, pouch dimensions, target output and site utility data, and our engineers will return a draft acceptance plan alongside the quotation — so the commissioning date becomes a schedule item rather than a hope. Contact our engineering team to start, or read more about PouchMfg and how our lines are built and tested.