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.
People search “what is FAT/SAT” when a foreign OEM is about to walk their floor.
Understanding the terms isn't the same as answering on your feet. When the US engineer fires off punch list, deviation and hold point in one breath, you want someone beside you rendering both the technical detail and your position in real time — not finding out after the meeting that a spec slipped through. That's the job I do: I read your specs and test protocol before the assignment, so I'm in the conversation from minute one.
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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