The FAT/SAT Acceptance Glossary 57 REAL-WORLD TERMS · ENGLISH–CHINESE (TAIWAN USAGE)
Not textbook translations — the vocabulary actually used in acceptance protocols and on test floors, with the Traditional Chinese equivalents your Taiwanese counterparts really say. Compiled by a technical interpreter from FAT/SAT, commissioning and audit assignments. Scan it before the kickoff call; share it with your team before they fly.
Documents & planning
The paperwork that appears in contract annexes and emails before anyone touches the machine.
The buyer's source document defining what the equipment must do; the final yardstick at acceptance.
The supplier's design answer to the URS; FAT items usually trace to it line by line.
Also "test protocol" — the document executed and signed item by item on test day.
Who inspects what, when; witness and hold points are flagged here.
Said "P and I D"; one copy per person during pipe walks and valve checks.
Rhymes with "bomb"; the unpacking inspection is checked against it.
Core term shared by training and audits; usually "follow the SOP".
Field changes marked in red pen; merged later into as-builts.
Final drawings reflecting what was actually installed; mandatory at handover.
As-builts, test records, certificates and manuals as one handover bundle — the SAT finale.
Testing & verification
The highest-frequency action words while a FAT/SAT runs.
No material, no fluids — sequence check first.
Running with real material or liquids; the step after the dry run.
Verifying each signal loop from sensor to control system; daily bread of early commissioning.
Point-by-point confirmation that PLC inputs/outputs map correctly.
"Door open = no motion" protective logic; testers say "trip the interlock".
Always on the acceptance checklist; "hit the E-stop".
Verifying throughput, yield and precision against contractual guaranteed values.
Tens of hours of continuous running to prove uptime; "marathon run" in semi and automotive.
Time per part — one of the core acceptance numbers.
The target production rhythm to meet demand; German loanword, used as-is in US plants.
Full-dimension inspection of the first production piece; strictest usage in aerospace (AS9102).
The mutually approved reference piece later output is compared against.
Extended powered operation to expose early failures; common for electronics.
Quality & findings
The second half of every acceptance revolves around these.
The pass/fail line — one column next to every test item.
Measured value off spec; recorded and dispositioned via a deviation report.
The buyer's written "we accept this deviation"; Taiwanese QA says 特採.
Formal filing of a non-conformity; shared vocabulary of audits and acceptance.
Fix-it-now plus keep-it-fixed response to findings; some say "kappa".
End-of-acceptance to-fix list; one item = punch item; UK English: snag list.
Tracker of items not yet closed out; reviewed every morning meeting.
Inspection step the buyer may attend; work continues if they don't.
Mandatory stop — no proceeding without the buyer's sign-off. Harder than a witness point.
Traceability proof for measuring instruments; often the first stack checked at a FAT.
Mill certs, lot numbers, serials — the ability to trace everything back.
Commissioning & qualification
Required vocabulary for pharma, medical-device and semiconductor equipment (GAMP world).
Everything between installation and formal handover; spoken as "C&Q" with qualification.
Documented proof the equipment is installed, operates and performs correctly; Taiwan GMP circles say 確效.
Installed per design: utilities, piping, instruments, documents in place.
Each function behaves per spec across its operating range.
Consistent performance under real production conditions; the last of the trilogy.
Safety
The vocabulary US teams are most exacting about — mishearing costs the most here.
Isolating and locking energy sources before maintenance; OSHA core requirement, constantly on US engineers' lips.
Safety shoes, glasses, hard hats; page one of every site induction.
Written approval for high-risk work; hot work permit for anything with sparks or flame.
The 5–10 minute safety briefing before work starts.
Forced-stop logic of guard doors and light curtains; always tested at acceptance.
Chemical hazard and response information; formerly MSDS.
Commercial & handover
Before anyone signs, these words decide how money and liability flow.
Hardware installed, ready for commissioning; abbreviated MC.
Main functions usable, only trim work left; often tied to a payment milestone.
Conditional acceptance after SAT; PAC = provisional acceptance certificate.
Formal acceptance after warranty or performance period; the FAC closes the project.
Noun and verb: "sign off on the test" = countersign the record as accepted.
Final payment held until final acceptance or warranty end; typically 5–10%.
Pre-agreed compensation for delay or shortfall; spoken simply as "L-Ds".
Formal change to scope, price or schedule; verbal agreement doesn't count.
The start date is the classic dispute: shipment, SAT or FAC — whatever the contract says.
Operation and maintenance; permanent member of the turnover package.
Supplier-recommended consumables and spares; pricing often negotiated with warranty terms.
The climb from trial to full production; the ramp-up plan is usually the first post-SAT meeting.
The glossary helps you listen — the interpreter helps you answer
For your next FAT or SAT in Taiwan or with a Taiwanese team, put Nelson beside you on the floor.
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