Before an RO system is packed, match the equipment to the approved project documents, review the recorded factory checks, and assign every unfinished item to an owner. Keep the inspection report, equipment identity and packing list together so the receiving team can connect each record to the delivered system.
For an industrial RO system, the useful output is a traceable handover package: what was checked, under which conditions, what remains open, and what the installation team must prepare.
1. Agree the checks before the inspection
Use the approved equipment list, drawings and project requirements to define the inspection. For each check, record the method, acceptance criterion, responsible person and required evidence. Identify which checks will take place at the factory and which require the installed site system.
A factory acceptance test (FAT) should have an agreed protocol. A video can help explain a result; the corresponding test record should identify the equipment and measured conditions.
2. Use a pre-shipment handover table
| Check | Record to request | Handover question |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment identity | Model, serial number, equipment tags and drawing revision. | Do the report, nameplate and packing list identify the same system? |
| Supplied components | Equipment list and component models, with substitutions identified. | Have changes been reviewed against the approved configuration? |
| Dimensions and connections | Final layout and tagged feed, product, concentrate, drain and electrical interfaces. | Can the receiving team locate and connect each interface? |
| Mechanical inspection | Recorded checks under the approved inspection procedure, including identified defects and repairs. | Which items are closed, and which need another inspection? |
| Controls | Results for the installed operating modes, alarms and interlocks listed in the protocol. | Are the tested functions and any deferred checks clearly identified? |
| Operating test | Test conditions, readings, instruments, duration and result against the agreed criteria. | Can the engineering team interpret the result for the intended site duty? |
| Documents and loose items | Document index, manuals, agreed spares, accessories and their package locations. | Can the site team find each item without reopening every crate? |
| Packing | Package identification, actual dimensions and weights, handling instructions and packing photographs. | Does the receiving plan match the equipment being shipped? |
3. Keep the operating conditions with the readings
For the RO operating record, capture the test-water source and analysis, temperature, feed and operating pressures, feed/permeate/concentrate flows, relevant water-quality readings, instrument identification and test duration.
Pressure, temperature, salt concentration and recovery affect membrane performance. Record these alongside the result when factory test water differs from site feed water. Use the selected membrane’s design projection to assess the intended operating range. DuPont’s performance-factors bulletin explains these relationships.
The site start-up package should connect the process diagram and equipment list to instrument checks and initial operating data. DuPont’s FilmTec manual, sections 5.2 and 5.6 provides the RO start-up and record-keeping context.
4. Carry open items into a named action list
Give each outstanding item an equipment tag or document reference, description, owner, required evidence and agreed completion point. Mark a deferred site check explicitly and carry it into the commissioning plan.
For example, a connection awaiting the site’s final pipework needs an interface drawing and an assigned site check. Record the completed factory work separately so the receiving team can see the remaining action.
5. Confirm preservation and receiving arrangements
Identify whether membranes travel separately or installed, their wet or dry condition, the applicable preservation instructions, storage conditions and receiving checks. Use the selected manufacturer’s instructions for the actual element and system condition; DuPont addresses these topics in sections 7.2 and 7.4 of the manual linked above.
Before dispatch, assign responsibility for unloading, storage, installation and start-up. Confirm the access route, foundation or support arrangement, utility connection points, drainage and service access against the final drawings. Put any planned delay between arrival and start-up into the storage plan.
6. Assemble one receiving package
Keep the final document index, equipment list, drawings, inspection results, open-item list, packing list and preservation instructions together. Add the agreed site responsibilities and contact route for resolving discrepancies.
For the broader project, use the industrial process-water application page to organize the water duty and equipment interfaces before the inspection plan is finalized.