Before any CCR, isolation transformer, AGL fixture, or associated system leaves the manufacturer's facility, it passes through a formal Factory Acceptance Test. Division 17 verifies — at the point of manufacture — that the supplied equipment conforms to the approved design, technical specification, drawings, ratings, and functional requirements agreed for the AGL project, with objective documented evidence before dispatch to site.
Philosophy: FAT proves the manufactured equipment/system is acceptable before shipment. Site testing proves the delivered and installed equipment performs correctly in its actual airport installation after shipment. Division 17 is therefore a distinct pre-dispatch gate — it should not duplicate, and should not be confused with, the site-based scopes covered in Divisions 02–16.
Every FAT moves through the same underlying sequence, whatever the equipment type, before it is released for dispatch to site.
FAT is not simply "the manufacturer demonstrates that the equipment turns ON." A proper FAT establishes four escalating levels of confidence before the equipment is accepted for dispatch.
Two conditions should be established before any equipment is progressed through electrical, functional, or performance FAT.
Grouped by FAT focus, in the order equipment is normally worked through at the manufacturer's facility — click any topic to expand its verification checks and acceptance criteria.
Acceptance Criteria: FAT procedure and test schedule are approved, test equipment and drawings are available, client witness is confirmed, and acceptance criteria are defined before testing begins.
Acceptance Criteria: the formal FAT procedure is prepared and approved before execution, fully traceable to the approved specification and design.
Hold Point: the FAT should test the actual equipment configuration intended for supply, not merely a generic manufacturer's model — resolve any documentation discrepancy before physical testing.
Hold Point: a detailed physical inspection is completed before energizing or electrically testing the equipment.
Acceptance Criteria: nameplate data is fully legible and consistent across the datasheet, nameplate, and actual equipment.
Acceptance Criteria: all applicable ratings on the actual equipment match the approved specification and datasheet.
Acceptance Criteria: the major components and materials correspond to the approved equipment configuration and BOM.
Acceptance Criteria: every applicable electrical test result meets the acceptance criterion defined in the approved FAT procedure.
Acceptance Criteria: functional testing answers "does it operate?" — every applicable function operates as intended before performance testing proceeds.
Acceptance Criteria: performance testing answers "does it operate within the required performance parameters?" — results fall within the specified operating range.
Hold Point: protection testing follows the manufacturer's approved procedure and safe test limits at all times.
Acceptance Criteria: every applicable alarm generates correctly, displays the correct indication, and resets/clears as designed.
Acceptance Criteria: all control functions provided by the equipment respond correctly and produce accurate status feedback.
Acceptance Criteria: all applicable communication interfaces exchange correct data, commands, status, and alarms in both directions.
Hold Point: factory photometric testing establishes the equipment's manufactured performance only — it does not automatically replace site photometric testing under actual installation geometry and conditions.
Acceptance Criteria: designated FAT witness tests are conducted with the client/consultant or other nominated representatives and fully recorded.
Acceptance Criteria: all incomplete, outstanding, or minor issues identified during FAT are formally logged with a responsible party and target date.
Hold Point: a formal NCR is raised wherever the equipment or test result does not meet the approved requirement.
Hold Point: do not close an NCR merely because a corrective-action statement has been issued.
Hold Point: where a modification affects other functions, additional related testing is performed rather than retesting only the originally failed parameter.
Acceptance Criteria: FAT acceptance is based on the complete technical evidence across documentation, physical, electrical, functional, photometric, witness, and quality checklists.
Acceptance Criteria: the final FAT report provides complete, structured, objective evidence of testing for the equipment/system covered.
Acceptance Criteria: the FAT Certificate is issued only after completion of the agreed FAT process, and forms the formal pre-dispatch release record for the equipment.
Division 17 runs as a single continuous sequence per equipment/system, from planning through to the pre-dispatch FAT certificate.
Establish scope, responsibilities, and acceptance requirements.
Approve the FAT procedure and review technical documentation.
Inspect, verify nameplate, rating, and components.
Perform applicable electrical tests per the FAT procedure.
Verify intended functions and specified operating range.
Verify applicable protection functions under simulated conditions.
Verify all applicable alarms and reset/clear operation.
Verify all control functions provided by the equipment.
Verify interfaces in both directions before dispatch.
Verify optical performance where applicable.
Conduct designated witness tests with the client/consultant.
Document incomplete, outstanding, or minor issues.
Raise, action, and verify any non-conformances.
Repeat affected tests after corrective action.
Determine final status against the complete technical evidence.
Compile complete objective evidence of testing.
Issue the formal pre-dispatch acceptance record.
Equipment released to site for Division 01–16 site testing.
Quick answers about Division 17 — Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) in the AGL Testing & Commissioning Manual.
Division 17 of the AGL Testing & Commissioning Manual covers Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT). Before any CCR, isolation transformer, AGL fixture, or associated system leaves the manufacturer's facility, it passes through a formal Factory Acceptance Test. Division 17 verifies — at the point of manufacture — that the supplied equipment conforms to the approved design, technical specification, drawings, ratings, and functional requirements agreed for the AGL project, with objective documented evidence before dispatch to site. It contains 23 topics (TC-FAT-001 to TC-FAT-023) organised into 8 groups (A–H), each topic with its own verification checks.
FAT proves the manufactured equipment/system is acceptable before shipment. Site testing proves the delivered and installed equipment performs correctly in its actual airport installation after shipment. Division 17 is therefore a distinct pre-dispatch gate — it should not duplicate, and should not be confused with, the site-based scopes covered in Divisions 02–16.
Every FAT moves through the same underlying sequence, whatever the equipment type, before it is released for dispatch to site. Steps: Plan → Review Documentation → Inspect Physically → Test Electrical → Test Functional → Test Performance → Protection / Alarms / Control / Comms → Witness → Punch List → NCR / Corrective Action / Retest → Accept → Report → Certificate. Focus areas: Planning & documentation; Physical equipment conformity; Electrical & performance integrity; Functional & communication behaviour; Documented, witnessed acceptance.
Division 17 has 23 topics in 8 groups. A — Planning & Documentation: FAT Planning, FAT Procedure Preparation, FAT Documentation Review. B — Physical Equipment Verification: Equipment Visual Inspection, Nameplate Verification, Rating Verification, Material/Component Verification. C — Electrical & Performance Testing: Electrical Testing, Functional Testing, Performance Testing, Protection Testing. D — Control, Alarm & Communication: Alarm Testing, Control Testing, Communication Testing. E — Photometric FAT: Photometric Testing Where Applicable. F — Client Witness Testing: Client Witness Testing. G — Non-Conformance & Corrective Action: FAT Punch-List, FAT Non-Conformance, FAT Corrective Action, FAT Retesting. H — Final Acceptance & Certification: FAT Acceptance, FAT Report, FAT Certificate.
FAT is not simply "the manufacturer demonstrates that the equipment turns ON." A proper FAT establishes four escalating levels of confidence before the equipment is accepted for dispatch. Product Conformity: Model; Rating; Components; Materials; Configuration. Electrical & Technical Performance: Electrical; Performance; Protection; Photometry where applicable. Functional Performance: Control; Alarms; Communication; Functional operation. Documented Acceptance: Test records & calibration certificates; Witness records; Punch list & NCR closure; FAT report & certificate.
Two conditions should be established before any equipment is progressed through electrical, functional, or performance FAT. Test the Actual Supply Configuration: The FAT should test the actual equipment configuration intended for supply, not merely a generic manufacturer's model; Correct document revision, approved status, model, rating, configuration, applicable options, and component list are verified before testing; No unapproved substitution should be accepted merely because the replacement appears technically similar; Acceptance criteria and numerical limits come from the approved specification and FAT procedure, never assumed.
Division boundary: FAT = equipment/system accepted before shipment; SAT/Site Testing = equipment accepted after installation (Divisions 01–16); Functional testing at FAT verifies the equipment's own functions; complete installed-system behaviour is verified on site; Factory photometric testing does not automatically replace site photometric testing.
Division 17 runs as a single continuous sequence per equipment/system, from planning through to the pre-dispatch FAT certificate. (1) FAT Planning — Establish scope, responsibilities, and acceptance requirements; (2) Procedure & Documentation — Approve the FAT procedure and review technical documentation; (3) Physical Verification — Inspect, verify nameplate, rating, and components; (4) Electrical Testing — Perform applicable electrical tests per the FAT procedure; (5) Functional & Performance — Verify intended functions and specified operating range; (6) Protection Testing — Verify applicable protection functions under simulated conditions; (7) Alarm Testing — Verify all applicable alarms and reset/clear operation; (8) Control Testing — Verify all control functions provided by the equipment; (9) Communication Testing — Verify interfaces in both directions before dispatch; (10) Photometric Testing — Verify optical performance where applicable; (11) Client Witness Testing — Conduct designated witness tests with the client/consultant; (12) Punch-List Review — Document incomplete, outstanding, or minor issues; (13) NCR & Corrective Action — Raise, action, and verify any non-conformances; (14) FAT Retesting — Repeat affected tests after corrective action; (15) FAT Acceptance — Determine final status against the complete technical evidence; (16) FAT Report — Compile complete objective evidence of testing; (17) FAT Certificate — Issue the formal pre-dispatch acceptance record; (18) Release for Dispatch — Equipment released to site for Division 01–16 site testing.
Factory Acceptance Testing confirms equipment performance before it ever reaches site.
Build the technical knowledge to understand what a FAT protocol actually verifies, how to read factory test results critically, and how catching a defect at the factory saves weeks of site rework later.
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