A factory audit is your last line of defence before signing a purchase order. Do it well and you catch capacity fraud, quality shortcuts and financial distress before they hit your project.
Typical audit duration
6–8 hours
1 audit day per site
Cost — self-conducted
$1,500
flights + interpreter
Cost — third party
$1,800
SGS/TÜV/Intertek
What to inspect on the module line
- Stringer machines running (not idle) — count units and cycle time
- EL testing done at 100% of production, not sampled
- Sun simulator flash test with archived IV curves per serial
- Lamination temperature and time recorded and archived
- Junction box automated soldering, not manual
- Frame corner rivets vs corner keys — corner keys stronger
Questions that reveal capacity fraud
- Show me last month's production output vs nameplate capacity
- Which of these lines is owned vs OEM contract manufacturing
- Show me a randomly selected finished pallet — trace it back to a specific order
- Which certifications belong to this factory address vs affiliate factories
Frequently asked questions
QShould I bring a technical expert?
For orders >$500k, yes — either your own engineer, a China-based sourcing agent, or a third-party inspection firm. For smaller orders, this checklist plus interpreter is sufficient.
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