Testing is where a control project either de-risks itself or postpones its problems to site. A defect found at FAT costs a bench hour. The same defect found during commissioning costs a crew, a crane and a day of plant time.
What we run
| Activity | Where | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Point-to-point test | Workshop | Every terminal matches the loop drawing |
| Internal pre-FAT | Workshop | The system is actually ready to be witnessed |
| Witnessed FAT | Workshop | Client signs off against an agreed protocol before shipment |
| SAT | Site | The system survived shipping and installation |
| Loop checking | Site | Field device to operator graphic, loop by loop |
| Startup support | Site | Engineers on hand while the plant takes the system |
How a FAT protocol is built
An agreed protocol is what separates a test from a demonstration. We write it from the I/O schedule and the functional specification, and we send it before the test — not on the morning of.
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Hardware | Power-up, redundancy switchover, network fault injection, card removal and replacement |
| I/O | Every point exercised and observed at the graphic |
| Logic | Interlocks, sequences and permissives driven through their trip conditions |
| Alarms | Priority, limits and annunciation behaviour |
| Graphics | Navigation, faceplates, trend and historian links |
| Failure cases | What the system does when something is unplugged |
Punch list discipline
| Category | Meaning | Effect on sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| A | Blocks shipment | Must be closed before the cabinets leave |
| B | Does not block shipment, must close before SAT | Tracked with an owner and a date |
| C | Cosmetic or documentation | Closed with the as-built handover |
Categories are agreed with the client before the test starts. Deciding what counts as an A while standing in the workshop is how FATs turn into arguments.
What you get on handover
| Document | Contents |
|---|---|
| FAT report | Signed protocol with per-case results and the punch list at close |
| SAT report | Site verification, deviations from FAT, resolution record |
| Loop check sheets | One line per loop, signed by both parties |
| As-built drawings | Marked up during commissioning, reissued after startup |
| Configuration backup | Restorable archive, plus a record of every change made on site |
Scope boundary
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Configuration, testing, loop checking, startup support | Field instrument calibration and installation |
| Test protocols and all test documentation | Process commissioning and plant operation |
| Defect resolution within our scope | Third-party package defects — we log and escalate them |
Bring us in before the hardware ships
The cheapest time to add a testing scope is before manufacture is finished, not after the cabinets are on a boat. Contact us.
Bring us in before the hardware ships
The cheapest time to add a testing scope is before manufacture finishes, not after the cabinets are on a boat.