Trial and FAT guide

Powder sample trials and factory acceptance testing.

Define the evidence needed to qualify auger tooling, powder feed, pack presentation, fill repeatability, changeover and line recovery before delivery.

Discuss your powder Use enquiry checklist

Representative samplesFill studyRestart testsAcceptance record

Purpose

A sample trial selects the configuration; FAT proves the agreed scope.

An early trial explores product behaviour, tooling and pack presentation. A factory acceptance test uses the agreed machine, production samples and acceptance plan to demonstrate the contracted functions before dispatch. Do not treat a short video or a few favourable fills as a complete FAT.

Agree what is being selected and what is being accepted
Use representative product batches and production packs
Record conditions, settings and results in sequence
Include start-up, stable running, refill, stop and restart
Identify open actions and final site-dependent checks

Quantity planning

Lancing should confirm the product and pack quantity from fill weight, tooling trials, run length, changeover checks and downstream tests. Too little sample can prevent stable feeding or meaningful repeatability evidence.

Before samples are sent

Build a complete sample pack.

Sample-trial input checklist
Input	What to supply	Why it matters
Powder	Representative production batch, product description, safety information, storage condition and known flow issues.	Flow, dust, density and bridging determine hopper, agitation, screw and outlet choices.
Target fills	Minimum, normal and maximum weights with tolerances and how they are defined.	One tooling set may not cover every target efficiently.
Packs	Production jars, bottles, tubs, pouches or bags at dimensional limits, plus closures or film where relevant.	Opening, rigidity, headspace, static and closure route affect practical filling.
Measurement	Scale capacity, resolution, calibration status, tare method and sampling plan.	An accuracy result is only meaningful when the measurement system is stated.
Output	Packs per minute, hour or shift, operator tasks and downstream sequence.	The fill head cannot be assessed separately from presentation, weighing, settling and closing.
Cleaning	Required clean method, allergen or contamination matrix and change frequency.	Access and change-parts may determine the preferred machine route.

FAT sequence

Test the conditions that expose instability.

Verify build

Confirm machine, tooling, guards, controls, utilities and documentation against the agreed scope.

Set the product

Record batch, density observations, hopper level, auger set and recipe.

Start-up study

Retain first fills and adjustments rather than discarding them from the evidence.

Stable run

Record consecutive weights, output condition, rejects and operator interventions.

Refill and restart

Challenge hopper replenishment and planned stops to expose drift or flooding.

Pack and line checks

Check rim or seal cleanliness, container stability, transfer, closing and interlocks.

Close actions

Record pass/fail, settings, deviations, open actions and site-dependent completion items.

Accuracy evidence must state the denominator.

Record whether the tolerance is expressed as grams, percentage of target, standard deviation, maximum error or another agreed measure. Include every result used in the conclusion and the scale resolution. Averages alone can hide individual out-of-limit packs.

Continue to the powder filling accuracy guide.

FAT does not replace site acceptance.

Final installation can introduce different utilities, extraction, floor conditions, product storage, operators and downstream equipment. Define which checks are repeated at site and how recipes, training and handover records are controlled.

Use the site-preparation guide.

Trial planning

Agree the evidence before shipping samples.

Send target weights, tolerance method, pack formats and required line functions so Lancing can state the sample quantity and test plan.

Plan a powder trial

Trial and acceptance questions

Questions buyers ask before sending samples or attending FAT.

Evidence is useful only when the product, pack, operating condition and acceptance method are defined in advance.

How much product should be sent for an auger-filler trial?

Send enough representative product to charge the hopper, establish stable feeding, test the required fill range, reproduce refills and pauses, and retain material for repeat checks. The quantity therefore depends on hopper arrangement, fill weights, number of tooling trials and the evidence plan; it cannot be set from the product name alone.

Agree the quantity with Lancing before dispatch and include handling, storage and safety information.

Direct link to answer

Why should the trial include planned stoppages and refills?

Stoppages and hopper refills can alter powder settlement, aeration, head pressure and the charge available to the auger. A trial that records only uninterrupted stable production may miss the conditions that create first-fill, low-level or post-refill variation in normal use.

Mark each event in the result sequence and keep those fills in the evidence rather than removing them from the calculation.

Direct link to answer

What is the difference between a sample trial, FAT and site acceptance?

A sample trial explores product, tooling and process suitability. Factory acceptance testing checks the agreed supplied scope against a written plan before dispatch. Site acceptance verifies the installed equipment with site utilities, operators, interfaces and production conditions; it is not replaced by the factory test.

The contract should define the scope, samples, test method, responsibilities and acceptance records for each stage.

Direct link to answer

Plan the evidence

Agree the questions before the product arrives.

Send the fill range, packs, powder information and required acceptance method so the trial can be designed around the real decision.

Plan a sample trial

Trial evidence

Add density, flow and checkweighing evidence to the trial plan.

A useful sample trial should include product behaviour evidence before the machine run and weight-check evidence after the fill. This helps the FAT show whether the auger screw, hopper, pack handling and measurement method work together.

Use the bulk-density and flowability test before the trial and the checkweighing guide when finished-pack acceptance is based on weight.

Add to the trial record

Loose and settled observations
Hopper refill state
Start-up and restart fills
Finished-pack weight check
Reject or hold procedure

Weight evidence

Separate setup calibration from accepted-pack verification.

For auger filling, the recipe setting is only useful when it is linked to a defined powder, tooling set, hopper state and weighing method. If the product settles, aerates or restarts differently after a stop, the finished-pack result may need an extra verification check.

Use the calibration and weight verification guide with checkweighing after auger filling when the project needs documented pack-weight evidence.

Record together

Product condition
Tooling and recipe setting
Scale and tare method
Start-up, refill and restart checks

From FAT to qualification

Make the trial useful for later validation records.

For audited or quality-managed production, the product trial and FAT should collect evidence that can be reused after installation. Record the product sample, tooling, target weight, scale method, settings, refill events, stoppages, rejects and accepted packs rather than relying on informal observations.

If the project needs formal site records, align the trial with the auger filler validation and IQ/OQ/PQ evidence guide before the test is run. This helps define which observations belong in FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ or PQ records.

Evidence to preserve

Product batch or sample reference
Tooling and fill settings
Individual weight readings
Refill and restart results
Accepted and rejected pack counts