- Perform acceptance against the technical agreement, site conditions and safe-use requirements, verifying equipment parameters, installation condition and actual handling functions.
- Ten key categories: appearance and structure, mounting, working envelope, air supply, operating tests, tooling safety, safety devices, cycle-time validation, operating feel and accompanying documentation.
- Load testing must use actual workpieces or equivalent loads. Overloading during acceptance is prohibited; verify stable balance.
- Test each safety device and tooling function individually and record the results. Correct and recheck nonconformities before final acceptance.
Match each equipment requirement to site conditions during acceptance. Check installation and supply conditions, perform unloaded, loaded and workpiece handling trials, and record the functional status of tooling and safety devices. Incorporate the following ten categories into an acceptance checklist alongside the technical agreement to record results and nonconformity resolution.
01Check the appearance and structural integrity of the equipment
On arrival, inspect packaging and transport condition first, then the column, base, arm, joints, rails, overhead brackets and tooling. Record deformation, impacts, cracks, paint damage, looseness and other visible transport damage.
Inspect structures according to the mounting arrangement. For column-mounted equipment, check column verticality, base flatness and rotary-part assembly. For track-mounted or overhead equipment, check the integrity of track beams, hangers, connection plates, trolleys and end stops. Structural parts must match the design drawings or technical proposal. Parts must not be omitted, holes modified or temporary reinforcement welded on arbitrarily.
02Check installation fixation and anchor bolts
Installation acceptance must verify base connections and measures against loosening. Secure the column base to the floor using anchor-bolt specifications, quantities, embedment depths or expansion anchoring methods that meet the design. Bolts must be fully tightened and washers, spring washers or other locking measures complete. The base must not rock, remain unsupported or be visibly uneven.
For track-mounted, wall-mounted and overhead equipment, include the load-bearing steelwork and site supports. Verify their loading requirements, connection-bolt tightness, smooth rail joints and reliable end stops.
03Check the scope of work and key parameters
Check working radius, lifting stroke, rotation angle, station coverage, lowest pickup height and highest placement height against the technical agreement. Verify each actual pickup and placement point and check extreme positions for interference with columns, guards, racks, machine tools and conveyors.
For articulated equipment, check each joint's design rotation angle and limit position. For track-mounted equipment, check trolley travel, end stops and buffers. If actual stations differ from the original proposal, reassess coverage and pickup and placement locations.
04Check air supply system and pneumatic components
Start air-supply acceptance by checking pressure, pipe size and flow against equipment requirements. Use pressure parameters from the nameplate, manual or commissioning records, and observe the effects of supply on balance, motion stability and tooling retention during operation.
Inspect hoses for kinks, wear and aging; fittings for leaks; valve assemblies for proper response; the filter-regulator for correct installation; the pressure gauge for stable readings; and oil/water separation and drainage for correct operation. Route hoses to prevent pulling, crushing or abrasion by moving parts. Install hose clamps, cable carriers or protective sleeves where required.
05Conduct no-load, balanced and load running tests
During unloaded operation, check movement of handles, joints, arms and track trolleys. Motion should be smooth, without significant binding, impacts, vibration or abnormal noise, and without significant drift after the operator stops moving it.
Using actual workpieces or equivalent loads, test lifting, lowering, transfer, rotation, positioning and release in sequence. Check balance within rated capacity; the operator should not need to provide substantial upward support or downward force. If rising, dropping, rebound or lag occurs, readjust the balancing system, pressure or control-valve parameters.
06Focus on safety inspection of fixtures
Follow the workpiece contact and retention path when inspecting tooling, covering gripping faces, locating blocks, suction cups, jaws, clamping mechanisms, pins, sensors and anti-disengagement structures.
Use actual workpieces to test gripping and release. Tooling must hold securely without crushing, scratching or deforming the workpiece, and release must be controlled without sudden dropping or binding. For vacuum, cylinder-clamping or internal-expanding tooling, verify the effectiveness of the specified air-loss protection, fall-prevention mechanism, check valve, mechanical self-locking or alarm function. For turning, tilting or large workpieces, give particular attention to the center of gravity and tooling measures against swinging.
07Confirm safety devices, markings and protection
Inspect emergency-stop buttons, mechanical and pneumatic travel limits, brakes, buffers, anti-collision blocks, stops, safety pins and guards individually. The emergency stop must be clearly located and function reliably. Activating it must stop hazardous motion; operation may resume only after reset.
Check that load, supply pressure, operating direction, warning labels and nameplates are clear and complete. Where personnel routes, equipment interference or pinch-point risks occur within the motion envelope, add warnings or segregation and reduce operating-error risks through structural limits and protective measures.
08Trial workpiece handling and cycle-time validation
Select representative workpieces and perform repeated trials through the actual pickup, transfer, positioning, assembly and placement sequence. Compare action times with process takt time and record posture adjustments, workpiece positioning and tooling changeovers.
For multiple workpiece specifications, cover the largest, smallest, heaviest and most difficult to grip. Record each handling-cycle time at demanding stations. Include overly long paths, restricted rotation and complex tooling adjustments in the acceptance record as a basis for operating improvements.
09Pay attention to the operating feel and abnormal phenomena
Check operating feel through actual pushing, lifting, rotation and positioning. Look for significant binding, heaviness, kickback, drift or sudden acceleration, and use loaded-operation results to judge whether motion is smooth and controllable.
Listen to bearings, joints, cylinders, trolleys and valve assemblies during operation, while observing hose tension and structural movement. Investigate and resolve abnormal noise, leakage, vibration or unstable positioning before signing acceptance.
10Confirmation of accompanying documentation and training records
Verify accompanying documents individually, including the manual, certificate of conformity, major-component list, wear-parts list, pneumatic schematic, maintenance requirements, installation and commissioning records, training records and acceptance form.
Site training should demonstrate basic operation, daily inspection, air-supply checks, tooling use, emergency-stop reset, common fault recognition and safety precautions on the actual equipment. On completion, retain signatures from the equipment administrator, team leader and principal operators for future reference.
11On-site acceptance checklist for Pneumatic Industrial Manipulator
| Acceptance Item | Inspection Details | Acceptance criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance and Structure | Are the columns, bases, cantilevers, joints, tracks, and tooling units complete? | No deformation, cracks, missing parts, or obvious impact damage |
| Installation and fixation | Anchor bolts, connecting plates, hangers, track interfaces | Secure fastening; no rocking or unsupported gaps. |
| Operating Range | Working radius, stroke, rotation angle, covering station | Covers actual pick and place points without interference |
| Air supply system | Air pressure, hoses, fittings, valve assemblies and filter-regulators. | The pressure is stable, there is no air leakage, and the operation is normal. |
| No-load operation | Lifting, lowering, rotation and transfer. | Smooth, no jamming, no abnormal noise |
| Load operation | Rated load or actual workpiece handling | Stable balance without unintended sinking or rising. |
| Tooling function | Grab, release, position, prevent falling | Reliable grabbing, controllable release, no damage to the workpiece |
| Safety devices | Emergency stops, travel limits, brakes, guards and markings. | Functions operate correctly; markings are clear. |
| Cycle-time validation | Continuous handling, positioning, and placement time | Meets process cycle-time and operating requirements. |
| Accompanying documentation | Instructions, certificates, drawings, training records, acceptance forms | Complete documents and complete signatures |
12Common non-conformities and handling suggestions
- The equipment drifts or falls during operation: Usually related to insufficient air pressure, improper adjustment of balance parameters, load changes or pneumatic component status. The actual workpiece weight should be rechecked and the balance system should be adjusted.
- Insufficient scope of work or interference: The size of the on-site workstation, the height of the pick-and-place point and the installation position of the equipment should be reviewed, and if necessary, the position of the column, limit angle, clamp length or operating path should be adjusted.
- The gripper is unstable: It may be caused by the surface condition of the workpiece, offset of the center of gravity, wear of the suction cup, insufficient clamping force or unreasonable positioning surface. The workpiece should be tried again and the anti-drop and loss-of-air protection functions should be confirmed.
- Air leakage or pressure fluctuation in the air supply system: The joints, pneumatic tubing, valve groups, filter pressure reducing valves and the compressed-air supply capacity of the on-site main pipeline should be checked to avoid slow movement or unstable load of the equipment during continuous operation.
- Incomplete safety markings, documentation or training: complete the documents, labels and signed training records before final acceptance so that operation, maintenance and delivery records are complete and traceable.
