FAT Checks for a Coordinate Measuring Machine: Turning Specifications into Pass/Fail Tests
A buyer's guide to defining practical factory acceptance test criteria for a CMM, using catalog reference values for measuring travel, resolution, and maximum workpiece mass as starting points for verification.
Before signing off a coordinate measuring machine, decide which acceptance checks will be pass or fail at the supplier's site, not after installation. Start with the measuring travel: the catalog reference lists 500 × 700 × 400 mm, so ask the supplier to demonstrate probing across that envelope and define how any shortfall is recorded. Treat resolution of 0.0001 mm as a reference value, and ask what repeatability check the buyer can witness rather than assuming that figure guarantees performance.
For inspection of industrial workpieces, agree on a test part and a written procedure. Will the supplier run a supplied artifact, a customer workpiece, or both? How many repeat measurements, and what pass limit applies? For maximum workpiece mass of 180 kg, confirm the load used in the demonstration and whether fixturing counts toward it. Ask whether environmental conditions during the test are recorded, since results without them are hard to compare.
Before requesting a quote, confirm with the supplier which checks are included in the factory acceptance test, who provides the test part, how results are documented, and what happens if a check fails.