Installation and commissioning are treated as one messy phase, but they are two different jobs. Installation is mechanical and electrical: steel, belts, scanners and controls brought online. Commissioning is the proof: the system running at a verified rate with exceptions handled. Skipping the proof to hit a go-live date is how sorters fail in the first peak week, when there is no slack to fix them.
Key Takeaways
- Installation is mechanical; commissioning is proof. Do not conflate the two.
- Civil and power prep is on the critical path and is often late.
- The test plan must include broken inputs: no-reads, unmapped destinations, double reads.
- FAT at the builder and SAT on site are separate gates; skip neither.
- Commissioning to a verified rate prevents peak-week surprises.
Civil, Power and the Critical Path
Before steel arrives, the floor, power and network must be ready. This is the part most often behind schedule.
| Prep item | Why it gates install | Common slip |
|---|---|---|
| Floor flatness and rating | Sorter alignment depends on it | Assumed, not surveyed |
| Power capacity | PLC and motors need stable supply | Undersized panel |
| Network drops | WMS-PLC link needs them | Run late by IT |
These are owner responsibilities, and they sit on the critical path. A late power drop means a finished sorter that cannot turn on. The controls that the power feeds are covered in our integration guide.
Mechanical, Controls and the Test Plan
Once steel is aligned, controls are brought up and a test plan runs the system through good and bad inputs.
| Test | What it proves | Skipped at your peril |
|---|---|---|
| Empty run | Belts and diverts move | Low risk to skip |
| Good scans | Happy-path sort | Never skip |
| No-read handling | Exception lane works | Frequently skipped |
| Unmapped dest | Hold-and-alert works | Frequently skipped |
The skipped tests are exactly the ones that fail in peak. A sorter that only passed happy-path tests will mis-sort the moment a barcode smudges. The end-of-line behaviour the tests exercise is covered in our induction and takeaway guide.
FAT, SAT and Verified Rate
Factory acceptance testing (FAT) proves the build before shipping; site acceptance testing (SAT) proves it in your building at your volume.
| Gate | Where | What it confirms |
|---|---|---|
| FAT | Builder’s floor | Build quality, basic function |
| SAT | Your site | Rate at your volume, your inputs |
| Verified rate | Your site, loaded | Realised throughput claim |
SAT at your real volume is the gate that matters, because a sorter tested at the builder on clean cartons may not hit rate on your skewed mix. The verified rate is also what makes the payback in our ROI guide real rather than assumed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between installation and commissioning?
Installation is putting the mechanical and electrical system in and bringing it online. Commissioning is proving it runs at a verified rate with exceptions handled.
What preparations gate installation?
Floor flatness and rating, power capacity and network drops. These are owner responsibilities and sit on the critical path; a late power drop strands a finished sorter.
Which commissioning tests are skipped most?
No-read handling and unmapped-destination handling. They are the ones that fail in peak, because real cartons are not all clean and scannable.
What is FAT versus SAT?
FAT is factory acceptance at the builder’s floor; SAT is site acceptance in your building at your volume. SAT on your real mix is the gate that matters.
Why test with broken inputs?
Because peak produces broken inputs: smudged barcodes, unmapped destinations, double reads. Testing only the happy path hides the failures that cost the most.
How is verified rate established?
By running the sorter at your real volume and mix during SAT and confirming sustained throughput, not by quoting the nameplate rating.
Why commission to a verified rate?
To prevent peak-week surprises. A sorter that silently misses rate or mis-sorts in the first peak is far more expensive than the extra commissioning days.
Technical background: commissioning, factory acceptance testing and site acceptance test explain the acceptance framework referenced above.