Delivery is an event.
Acceptance is evidence.
Write the path from final placement to an operating, verified and accepted machine before the purchase closes.
Commission the delivered configuration against agreed criteria.
A machine can arrive without being ready to produce. Placement, leveling, anchoring, utility connection, parameter verification, geometry, calibration, software, test cuts, training and documentation may belong to different parties.
Facts to establish
- Final placement coordinates, orientation, clearances and foundation readiness
- Leveling, anchoring, grout, settlement and recheck requirements
- Electrical, air, fluids, chiller, extraction and network readiness
- OEM or authorized startup, parameter and alarm checks
- Geometric, positioning, spindle, probe and process verification
- Acceptance part, cycle, measurement method, training and signoff
Documents and deliverables
- Installation responsibility matrix
- Pre-start safety and utility release
- Level, alignment and calibration records
- Configuration, parameter and software backups
- Acceptance-test procedure and results
- Punch list, warranty-start date and final signoff
Ask before the decision becomes expensive.
A useful answer identifies a person, document, number, date, scope or acceptance test. Replace assumptions with evidence.
Who has authority to energize?
Name the responsible electrician, installer, OEM or distributor roles and the prerequisites for startup.
What constitutes acceptance?
Use written, measurable criteria tied to the purchased configuration, required process and agreed test conditions.
When does the warranty begin?
Confirm whether shipment, delivery, installation, commissioning or acceptance starts each warranty period.
What survives after the technician leaves?
Retain reports, backups, credentials, manuals, training records, unresolved exceptions and support contacts.
Pause when the scope is vague.
- Final payment triggered only by arrival
- Acceptance described as 'machine runs' without measurable criteria
- No owner for geometry, calibration or test-part measurement
- Training delivered before the cell and staff are ready
- Open punch-list items omitted from the signoff
What a controlled file contains.
- Placement and utility release
- Startup and commissioning report
- Geometry and calibration evidence
- Acceptance part and measurement report
- Signed exceptions and closeout package
Use the source that controls the question.
These links provide a starting point. The exact machine, agreement, site, jurisdiction and qualified professionals control the final decision.
Connect this question to the whole machine.
Machine ownership is a chain. Use the next relevant guide instead of treating any one checkpoint as the complete answer.
Installation planning hub
Coordinate foundation, access, utilities and qualified trades.
Open the guide →TRAININGPrepare the people
Plan role-based training, supervision and safety before handover.
Open the guide →AGREEMENTMake acceptance enforceable
Put deliverables, timing, payment and exceptions in writing.
Open the guide →Direct answers, with the boundary intact.
Machine Blue Book organizes research. It does not replace engineering, legal, tax, insurance, safety, appraisal or trade advice.
Is delivery the same as acceptance?
No. Delivery records receipt; acceptance should reflect the written commercial and technical criteria in the agreement.
What should an acceptance test include?
The exact configuration, defined test conditions, measurable machine or process criteria, a measurement method and exception procedure.
Should a used machine receive commissioning?
The scope may differ, but placement, utilities, safety, configuration and functional verification still require a controlled plan.
Who decides whether the machine passed?
The agreement should name the authorized parties, evidence and process for acceptance or correction.
Machine Buying Guide
Carry this evidence into the rest of the decision—from machine identity through handover and final economics.