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Machinery Inspection
A machine that switches on is not a pass. We run it, measure it and check its safety, markings and crating at the factory — before you pay the balance and before the crate closes.
CNAS-accredited to ISO/IEC 17020
ISO 9001:2015 quality system
Serving importers since 2006
48hInspector on-site at any major factory in Asia after booking
24hPhoto-documented PDF report delivered after the inspection
20+Years inspecting products for US and EU importers
0Critical defects permitted under the default AQL criteria
The Expensive Way to Find Out
Most machinery buyers who call us already paid for a lesson once. These are the four that come up again and again.
Dead on arrivalThe crate opens, the machine doesn't start. Your customer wants a refund, not a repair story.
One wrong part, every machineA cheaper motor fitted on Monday is fitted on all 200 units by Friday. Catching it early costs a part; catching it late costs the order.
Crew waiting at destinationInstallers charge by the day. A machine that won't run on arrival burns money before it makes any.
No evidence, no argumentWithout photos, measurements and an agreed checklist, a quality dispute is your word against the factory's.
What We Check on a Machinery Order
Everything is measured against your PO, your drawings and your approved documents — not the factory's word.
Documents & rating plate
PO, drawings, manuals, rating-plate data and the spare-parts list are reviewed before anyone powers the machine. Conflicts get clarified with you first.
Workmanship & assembly
Welds, paint and coating, rust at joints, fasteners, sharp edges, panel fit, and hoses or cables routed so they don't rub on moving parts.
Dimensions & weight
Measured against your drawings, not the sales brochure. An oversize or overweight machine breaks installation plans and freight budgets.
Function & safety
Sampled units run through their operating stages. Guards, covers and the emergency stop get checked on every unit we test.
Electrical & marking
Voltage, frequency, plug type and input power against your destination market. CE, ETL and RCM marks matched with the paperwork behind them.
Accessories & packing
Attachments, tools, spare parts and manuals counted against the PO. Crates checked for the trip ahead, not just for the photo.
Machinery We Inspect
From benchtop units to production-line machines. If your order has moving parts, a motor or a control panel, this checklist applies.
Production & packaging machinesFilling, sealing, packing and assembly equipment built for production lines
Agricultural & outdoor power equipmentTillers, mowers, harvesters and irrigation equipment
Power & air equipmentGenerators, compressors, pumps and industrial fans
Commercial & workshop equipmentFood processing machines, garage and workshop equipment, small industrial units
Pick the Checkpoint That Matches Your Order
Most machinery buyers book the final check. On a custom-built machine, catching problems earlier is much cheaper.
Early check — first units built
Materials, components and the first assembled units checked against your drawings. Wrong steel grade or wrong motor gets caught before the run.
About Initial Production Inspection
Mid-production — 30–50% made
Assembly is under way. We compare output with the approved spec and catch drift before every unit carries the same mistake.
About During Production Inspection
Final check — 100% made, 80%+ packed
Function runs, safety checks and packing verification on the finished machines. The pass or fail answer before you pay the balance.
About Final Random Inspection
Loading day
Crated machines are heavy and awkward. We watch the loading, check the securing and record the seal number before the doors close.
About Container Loading SupervisionWe Run the Machine, Not Just Look at It
A machine can power on and still fail where it matters. The same stage-based method we use on appliances applies to your equipment.
Setup firstLeveling, supply voltage and transport restraints are checked against the manual before testing. A wrong setup creates fake failures — we rule it out before judging the machine.
Every stage runStart, run, speed change, stop, cycle change — every function on the checklist gets completed, not assumed. Error codes, alarms and safety stops are recorded as they happen.
Empty and loadedControls and basic movement are checked empty first. Loaded runs happen only when the load, method and acceptance values are defined in your approved documents.
Controls that must work every timeButtons, selectors and switches are operated repeatedly where the checklist calls for it. A button that works on the third try is a defect, not a quirk.
See the method in detail: Washing Machine Inspection Checklist — the same stage-by-stage logic, applied to appliances.
What Happens on Inspection Day
One full-time UTS engineer, your checklist, and a full day at the factory.
Arrival and status checkProduction and packing status confirmed first — the machines are really finished and really there, not "ready next week".
Documents on the tablePO, drawings, manuals and rating-plate artwork cross-checked against what is actually being built.
Samples pulled to the planUnits pulled per the agreed sampling plan — or every machine, when that's what you booked.
Machines run, not just seenEach sampled unit goes through its operating stages. Errors, alarms and abnormal noise get recorded as they happen.
Measured and photographedDimensions, weight, electrical values and every defect — photographed with something in frame for scale.
Packing, marks and countCrates, securing, shipping marks and the final count against your packing list, before anything closes.
On-Site Tests with Real Numbers
Input power
Electrical draw
Measured against the rating plate where the approved scope includes it.
mm & kg
Dimensions & weight
Checked against your drawings — installation space and freight class depend on them.
RPM
Rotation speed
Measured with suitable equipment when a defined method and acceptance value exist.
Noise & vibration
Abnormal operation
Grinding, scraping, knocking and excessive movement are recorded and filmed, not shrugged off.
Leakage
Oil, water & air
Seals, hoses, pumps and gearboxes checked during and after the run.
100%
Serial & barcode scan
Every sampled serial number and barcode scanned and matched against your list.
Measured values need a defined method and a buyer-approved acceptance value. Where your spec sets the number, your document wins.
Safety on the Floor, Marks on the Paperwork
Safety checks on every sampled unit
Guards and covers in place over moving parts. Emergency stop pressed, not just pointed at. Warning labels present and legible. No sharp edges where hands go, no oil leaks at seals, no cables rubbing where the machine moves. Safety covers removed for testing must go back on before packing — we check that too.
Marks matched to their documents
A CE mark is checked for placement and matched with the Declaration of Conformity and the exact model — see how CE marking checks work. ETL marks are checked for format, control number and model consistency (ETL listed meaning), and RCM supplier registration for Australia and New Zealand (RCM marking checks).
Straight talk: we check that marks, labels and paperwork are consistent. Certification itself is issued by laboratories and notified bodies — never by an inspection.
Defects We Catch Before You Pay for Them
Typical findings on machinery orders. Cheap to fix at the factory, painful to fix after the crate opens.
Runs, then dies mid-cycleThe machine powers up but stalls, overheats or throws an error under normal operation. Found at the factory, not at your customer's site.
Wrong voltage or plugA 220 V unit built for a 110 V market, or a plug your customer can't use without an adapter.
Guards missing or looseSafety covers removed for testing and never reinstalled, or emergency stops that don't stop anything.
Rust under the paintCoating sprayed over unprepared metal. Corrosion at welds, fasteners and unpainted edges shows up weeks later.
Oil and fluid leaksSeepage at seals, hoses and gearboxes during and after the run — a return waiting to happen.
Wiring shortcutsCables routed across moving parts, loose terminals, missing grounds, panels that don't close flush.
Accessories shortTools, attachments, filters and spare parts counted against the PO — the box that ships without them costs you a complaint.
Manual mismatchWrong language, wrong model, or safety pages missing. On machinery, the manual is part of the product.
When the Factory Says the Machines Inspect Themselves
More factories now run cameras, lasers and X-ray on the line. That helps — but a supplier's dashboard is not proof your order passed.
Records we can reviewImage quality and lighting setup, defect libraries, calibration records and false-call handling — compared against your specification, approved sample and inspection plan.
What we don't doWe don't certify AI models, validate proprietary algorithms or act as the factory's equipment integrator. Anyone who offers that inside an inspection is overselling.
Why it still mattersAutomated checks improve coverage and traceability, but someone still has to define the feature, the method and the acceptance limit. Owning the equipment doesn't prove the shipped lot meets your requirements.
More on this: Automated Quality Inspection in Manufacturing — how importers should read machine-vision data.
Send Your PO and Machine Specification
Our office team reads your PO, drawings, manuals, rating-plate artwork and packing files — then confirms the checklist and test scope with you before anyone enters the factory.
A Good Machine in a Weak Crate Is Still a Problem
Machinery travels rough: forklifts, cranes, weeks at sea. We check the packing the way the trip will treat it.
Crate & baseCrate construction, and the machine anchored to its base so nothing shifts or rattles. A loose machine inside a strong crate still arrives damaged.
Moisture & rust protectionWrapping, desiccant and protective coating checked against your packing specification — sea freight finds every unprotected surface.
Marks & labelsShipping marks, orientation and lifting marks, and center-of-gravity marks on heavy units, matched with your artwork.
Count vs POMachines, crates and spare-part boxes counted against your PO and packing list — short shipments get caught at the factory, not at your warehouse.
Loading day option: container loading supervision puts an inspector at the container to watch the securing and record the seal number.
Sampling to ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 (ISO 2859-1)
We sample by the standard US and EU buyers know, and the report says exactly how many units each check covered. See the ANSI sampling tables and our defect classification guide.
Machinery lots are often small. A run of ten large machines can be checked unit by unit instead of sampled — tell us the lot size and we confirm the plan with you before booking. Your own approved criteria can replace these defaults on any order.
0
Critical
Missing guards, failed emergency stops, live wiring exposed — one critical finding fails the lot.
2.5
Major AQL
Problems that stop the machine working or selling: function failures, leaks, wrong voltage, missing accessories.
4.0
Minor AQL
Small cosmetic flaws — paint blemishes and finish marks that don't affect operation or safety.
A Report You Can Act On the Next Morning
Production and packing status, lot size, the units checked, the AQL applied, defect counts with photos, every test condition and the actual measurements — including anything that couldn't be checked on site, and why.
Clear pass / fail / hold result — release, rework or reject with evidence in hand.
Re-inspection after rework confirms the fixes and checks for new problems before the machines ship.
An inspection does not replace certification or lab testing. We don't issue certificates, and the release decision always stays with you.
Wherever Your Factory Is, We Get There
13 provinces in China
Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shandong and the rest of the manufacturing belt — including the machinery clusters around the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta.
13 countries and regions overseas
Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and Cambodia.
One booking, any stage
Early checks on the first units, mid-production checks at 30–50%, a final random inspection when machines are finished and 80% packed, or loading-day supervision.
When This Inspection Pays for Itself
First order with a new supplierThe samples were good. Mass production is a different story — trust is not a QC plan.
Before the balance paymentThe report is your evidence to release, hold or demand rework while you still have leverage.
Repeat order quality driftThe factory knows the product by now. That doesn't stop cheaper motors and thinner steel from creeping in.
Commissioning already bookedInstallers and electricians at destination cost money by the day. The machine has to run when the crate opens.
Tender or project deadlineA failed machine on a fixed-date project costs more than the machine.
What It Costs
No hidden lines on the invoice. Here is the whole pricing logic.
Priced per inspector-dayOne inspector, one day, one factory. The rate depends on where the factory is, how many machines you have and how much testing the order needs.
No travel feesNo weekend surcharges either. The quoted inspector-day rate is the full cost.
Loading supervisionContainer loading supervision starts at $298 per day.
Sample evaluationA pre-production unit checked against your spec — a documented case ran about $300. See the sample evaluation service.
Fast quoteSend your PO and factory address — the office replies within 2 hours on working days.
Exact numbers come with your order details. Every quote is confirmed in writing before anyone travels.
An Accredited Inspection Body, Not a Freelancer
UTS is accredited by CNAS against ISO/IEC 17020 — the international standard for inspection bodies — and runs an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. We have been inspecting products for importers since 2006, with full-time, university-educated engineers on staff.
Brands That Book Our Inspectors
Importers, retailers and brands across the US and Europe use UTS for pre-shipment quality control.
Booking Takes One Email
Send your documents
PO, machine list, drawings, manuals, rating-plate artwork, packing files and test requirements.
We confirm the checklist
Our office reads every document, prices the job per inspector-day, and asks you first when anything conflicts.
Inspector on site
A full-time UTS engineer runs the machines, works the checklist and photographs everything.
Report and decision
You get the PDF report with photos within 24 hours and decide: ship, rework or reject.
Questions Buyers Ask Us
Does a machinery inspection replace CE certification or laboratory testing?
No. A third-party inspection verifies that the sampled machines match your purchase order, approved specification and marking documents. Certification, notified-body assessment and laboratory performance or endurance testing are separate services that an on-site inspection cannot replace, and UTS does not issue certificates or approve the use of certification marks.
Can the inspector run my machine under load at the factory?
Basic functions are always run on the sampled units. Loaded runs, measured values and special tests are only carried out when the load, method and acceptance values are defined in your approved documents, and when the factory setup — power supply, installation and test conditions — allows a valid result. Anything that cannot be checked on site is stated in the report, with the reason.
How do you sample when the order is only a few large machines?
The default baseline is ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 with General Inspection Level II, Critical: none permitted, Major: AQL 2.5 and Minor: AQL 4.0. For small lots of high-value machines, buyers often choose to have every unit checked instead of sampling. The plan is confirmed with you before the inspection is booked.
How fast can an inspector get to the factory?
For major manufacturing areas in China and across Asia, an inspector is on-site within 48 hours of booking. The photo-documented PDF report follows within 24 hours of the inspection.
What happens if the inspection finds defects?
Defects are labeled, photographed and classified as critical, major or minor in the report. You decide on rework, acceptance of deviations or rejection, and a re-inspection can be booked after the factory reworks the machines.
What do you need to book a machinery inspection?
The purchase order, the machine and quantity breakdown, approved specifications or drawings, manuals, rating-plate artwork, packaging files, accessory and spare-parts lists, plus any buyer-defined test requirements. Where documents conflict, the office team asks you before the inspection, not after.
Can you inspect a whole production line, or only single machines?
Both. The scope follows your purchase order — a single benchtop unit, a batch of identical machines, or several different machines in one project. Each machine type gets its own checklist, and loaded or measured tests are run when the method and acceptance values are defined in your approved documents. Send the machine list and we confirm the plan before booking.
How much does a machinery inspection cost?
Inspections are priced per inspector-day and depend on the factory location, the number of machines and the test workload. There are no travel fees and no weekend surcharges. Send your purchase order and factory address for an exact written quote.
Related Services Machinery Buyers Also Book
Same team, same booking process, same 24-hour report.
Container Loading Supervision
Crate count, container condition, securing of heavy machines and seal number — recorded on loading day.
About loading supervision
Factory Evaluation
Before you wire a deposit: company details, production areas, equipment and real operating conditions, checked on site.
About factory evaluation
Full Inspection
Every machine checked instead of a sample — the right call for small lots of high-value equipment.
About full inspection
Sample Evaluation
The pre-production machine checked against your drawings and spec — before the bulk run starts.
About sample evaluationShipping More Than Machines? We Inspect Those Too
Machinery buyers usually have other product lines in the same container plan. Same booking, same 24-hour report.
Lighting Products
Electrical function, hi-pot and grounding checks, assembly quality, labeling and packaging.
Lighting inspection checklist
Home Appliances
Stage-by-stage function runs, leakage, noise and vibration — the same method as machinery.
Appliance inspection checklist
Electronics
Function, safety and workmanship checks for consumer and industrial electronics orders.
Why electronics need third-party QC
Furniture & Hardlines
Stability tests, sharp-edge checks, load checks and packaging review for heavy goods.
Furniture inspection checklistRead Before You Book
Washing Machine Inspection Checklist — Wash Function, Water Leakage, Noise and Vibration
How stage-by-stage function testing works on machines with moving parts.
Automated Quality Inspection in Manufacturing — How Importers Review Machine Vision Data
What to ask when a supplier says their machines inspect themselves.
CE Marking Checks During Product Inspection
Label placement, declaration matching and the limits of an on-site check.
ETL Listed Meaning for Buyers
Mark format, control number and model consistency for the US market.
How to Prepare for a Final Random Inspection
Specifications, AQL setup and packaging files, step by step.
Let's Check Your Next Machinery Order
Send your PO and machine specification — we confirm the checklist and test scope with you, then send a full-time UTS engineer to the factory.
