Factory audit: seven checks that actually change the outcome

A well-run factory audit takes less than two days and answers one question: can this plant repeat the same unit a thousand times? These are the checks that produce real information, in the order worth doing them.

1. Weigh a finished unit

It is the hardest check to fake. Our standard configuration weighs 1.25 to 1.3 tonnes for a given size; low-cost market configurations run 0.8 to 0.9 tonnes. The 1.4 to 1.6 times difference is material: steel, zinc, insulation and floor board. If the weighbridge is not on site, ask where they weigh and go there.

2. Measure profile thickness

Callipers, three points on the frame. Our standard is 2.2 / 2.45 / 2.75 / 3.0 mm with 4.0 mm on request; typical low-cost is 1.45 / 1.8 / 1.95 / 2.1 mm. Measure the 50×50 top tube as well: low-cost stock starts at 1.2 mm and often runs out of tolerance.

3. Verify the zinc coating

Hot-dip galvanising at 60 g both faces in our standard, up to 300 g. Market reference is 40 g. Ask for the coil certificate and the galvanising bath record.

4. Inspect the corner blocks

Folding units: 3.5 / 4.0 mm galvanised. Flat pack: 4.0 mm top and bottom. Low-cost uses black iron at 3.0 / 3.2 mm and 3.2 / 3.5 mm. It is the lifting point and the water entry path — worth ten minutes.

Finished unit in the factory yard before packing.

5. Open the floor

We use only grade A magnesium board and sanded cement board, asbestos-free. Low-cost production uses grade B or suppliers without technical capability, with salt efflorescence that eventually damages the structure. Ask for the board brand and the asbestos-free certificate.

6. Read the test reports, not the brochure

• Fire resistance certificate for the sandwich panel.
• Wind resistance test report.
• CE certification of electrical components to destination country.
• ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management certificates.

Check that the batch number on the report matches the batch in production. A generic certificate with no batch is useless in a tender.

7. Per-unit traceability

Ask for the inspection record of a previous order: unit number, configuration, date, inspector and photographic checklist. If a supplier can show the record for the last 200 units, uniformity stops being a promise.

What a two-day visit cannot tell you

Ten-year durability is not visible in two days. That is why the audit has to be paired with a written specification: zinc grammage, profile thickness, coil brand, board type and fastener type belong in the contract, not in the catalogue. The visit confirms the plant can meet the specification; the contract makes it enforceable.