Factory acceptance testing, often shortened to FAT, gives the client and manufacturer a structured opportunity to inspect custom museum exhibits before they are packed and shipped. It is most useful when the acceptance plan is connected to approved drawings, samples, interaction requirements and contract deliverables. A last-minute factory visit without clear criteria can become a subjective review of color and appearance while important questions about mechanisms, controls, reset, documentation and packing remain unresolved. This guide explains how museum owners, science centers, design firms and project managers can organize a practical exhibit QA checklist. The exact test must still be adapted to the exhibit type, destination requirements and agreed responsibilities.

Build the factory acceptance plan from approved project information

Begin by collecting the information that defines the manufactured result: approved shop drawings, equipment schedules, finish and material samples, interaction descriptions, control requirements, graphics, labeling, agreed standards, packing scope and client-supplied items. Mark the latest approved revision. If documents conflict, resolve the conflict before inspection rather than expecting the factory floor to determine design authority. FAT should test an agreed result; it is not the stage for introducing a new concept or silently changing the performance requirement.

Convert this information into inspectable questions. Dimensions can be measured, finishes can be compared with approved samples, an interaction can be operated and observed, and documents can be checked for completeness. Some criteria require a simple pass or fail; others may allow an agreed tolerance or visual benchmark. The contract and responsible technical parties should define safety-related criteria. Avoid copying a generic checklist without considering whether the exhibit uses water, air, moving mechanisms, electrical controls, loose parts, audiovisual equipment, climbing or other project-specific systems.

Agree the attendance and evidence method. Identify who represents the client, design authority, manufacturer and any required independent party. Confirm whether the review is in person, remote or hybrid, and what camera views, recordings or measurement evidence are acceptable. Allow enough time for functional testing and document review, not only a factory tour. Establish how findings will be numbered, assigned, corrected and closed before the exhibit is released for packing.

Inspect appearance, dimensions, assembly and visitor-facing details

Start with identity and configuration. Confirm the exhibit number, module count and drawing revision so the team is inspecting the correct item. Check overall dimensions, critical interfaces, fixing points and module joints against the approved information. For systems that will connect to floors, walls, utilities or neighboring exhibits, verify the location and type of those interfaces. A small error in a factory aisle can become a larger problem when it meets a finished building or another contractor’s work.

Review visitor-facing surfaces under representative lighting. Compare color, gloss, texture, graphics and visible joints with approved samples or proofs. Look for sharp unfinished edges, exposed fasteners that should be concealed, inconsistent gaps, surface damage, unstable trim and parts that can be removed unintentionally. The objective is not to impose an undefined idea of perfection. It is to check whether the delivered finish matches the agreed level and whether details are appropriate for repeated public interaction and the intended cleaning method.

Check assembly and access. Doors, hatches and removable panels should open as intended and provide practical access to the components they are supposed to serve. Confirm that keys, special tools and fasteners are identified. Review module separation and reassembly points if the exhibit will be broken down for transport. Where a complete installation cannot be reproduced in the factory, pre-assemble the critical interfaces needed to show that dimensions, connections and visible transitions are coordinated.

Test the complete interaction, mechanism and control response

Operate the exhibit from the visitor’s point of view. Confirm the starting condition, the expected action, the visible or physical response and the return to a ready state. Repeat the cycle enough times to reveal inconsistent behavior without pretending that a short FAT is a complete lifetime test. Observe whether instructions and feedback are understandable, controls are reachable for the intended audience, moving parts behave smoothly and the next visitor can begin without an unclear staff workaround.

Then inspect the supporting mechanism. Listen for unexpected contact or vibration, check alignment and travel, and confirm that guards, enclosures and fasteners required by the approved design are present. Review how staff reach adjustment points and parts expected to need inspection or replacement. For water or loose-material exhibits, examine containment, drainage, cleaning access, refill or collection points and reset procedures. For air systems, review hoses, connections, filters and access. The responsible engineers must determine the technical test method and acceptance limits for each system.

Electrical and control checks should follow the approved design and applicable responsibilities. Confirm component identity, cable routing, terminals, labels, ventilation, access, control sequences, sensors, indicators, emergency behavior where specified and the process for powering down or restarting the exhibit. Check that software or media versions are identified and that client-provided content is correctly loaded if this is part of the factory scope. FAT cannot certify local electrical compliance unless that work and authority are specifically assigned to qualified parties.

Review maintenance information, spares and handover documents

A functioning prototype on the factory floor is not a complete handover. Review operating instructions, normal inspection points, cleaning methods, reset steps, consumables, troubleshooting guidance, electrical or control information, approved drawings and parts identification. The exact closeout package depends on the contract, but the venue team should receive enough information to understand normal use, recognize a problem and communicate accurately when support is needed.

Check spare and wear-part arrangements. Confirm which items are included, their quantities, identification and packing location. Ask whether commercially available components are described well enough for later replacement and whether custom parts have drawings or ordering references. Avoid broad promises such as “lifetime spare parts” unless availability, response process, exclusions and commercial terms are documented. The practical objective is to reduce uncertainty for the operator, not to create an unlimited obligation that no party can verify.

Make sure training and site commissioning are not confused with FAT. Factory demonstrations can help client representatives understand the exhibit, but the operating team may still need training after installation in the real venue. Site commissioning must account for final utilities, network, neighboring work, anchoring, calibration and local conditions. List what remains to be done at site and who is responsible so the factory release does not imply that the complete venue is ready to open.

Close the punch list and verify packing before release

Record findings in a controlled punch list. Each item should identify the exhibit, location or component, requirement, finding, responsible party, due date and closure evidence. Classify items according to the agreed release logic. A blocking item may prevent safe operation, functional verification, shipment or later access; a minor cosmetic correction may be closed with photographs before packing. The classification and authority to accept deviations should be agreed, not decided informally by whichever person is present.

After corrections, verify closure. Photographs can be useful, but functional or dimensional findings may require a repeated test or measurement. If the client accepts a deviation, record what changed, who approved it and whether drawings or manuals must be updated. Preserve the final signed or acknowledged record with the project documents. This traceability is valuable when a module is unpacked months later or when the site team needs to distinguish transport damage from a known factory condition.

Finish by reviewing packing. Confirm module numbers, orientation, fragile and lifting information, moisture or impact protection where required, internal restraint, loose-part boxes, document packs and the relationship between packing lists and installation drawings. Photograph the exhibit before packing and the key packing stages. Confirm the release point, shipping basis and who receives the records. A strong museum exhibit factory acceptance process ends when the approved product and its information are ready to move through logistics—not when the factory tour ends.

Museum exhibit factory acceptance checklist

  • Confirm exhibit identity, approved drawing revision, module count and client-supplied items.
  • Check overall dimensions, critical interfaces, fixing points, joints and utility connections.
  • Compare colors, finishes, graphics, visible gaps and visitor-facing details with approved samples.
  • Operate the complete visitor interaction and verify response, reset and repeated cycles.
  • Inspect mechanisms, guards, fasteners, service access and replacement routes.
  • Check electrical and control behavior, component identification, cable routing and restart process.
  • Review operating, cleaning, inspection, maintenance and troubleshooting documents.
  • Confirm included spares, tools, loose parts, labels and packing locations.
  • Record punch-list items, owners, deadlines, release status and closure evidence.
  • Verify module identification, protection, packing list and installation-document references before shipment.

Frequently asked questions

When should the FAT checklist be prepared?

Prepare it while drawings, samples and performance requirements are being approved, then update it before the inspection. Waiting until the factory visit makes acceptance subjective.

Can factory acceptance testing be completed remotely?

It can be completed remotely when the parties agree the camera views, records, measurements, demonstrations, document access and authority needed to make decisions.

How many operating cycles should an interactive exhibit complete?

There is no responsible universal number. The test plan should reflect the mechanism, identified risks, contract requirements and any separate endurance-testing scope.

Does FAT replace site commissioning?

No. Site commissioning verifies the exhibit after installation with final utilities, anchoring, networks, neighboring work and local conditions.

Can an exhibit ship with open punch-list items?

Only when the agreed release authority accepts the classification, responsibility, closure method and impact. Blocking functional, safety-related or installation items should not be hidden inside a general promise to finish later.