Pre-Shipment Inspection for Imported Machinery
What pre-shipment inspection is
Pre-shipment inspection (PSI) for imported machinery is a check carried out at the factory, before the machine is dispatched, that confirms build quality, function, and documentation match what was agreed. It happens while the equipment is still in the supplier’s hands, which is the point at which problems are cheapest to put right.
What it checks
A pre-shipment inspection on machinery typically covers:
- Build quality and finish: construction, welds, wiring, and components against specification.
- Function: the machine runs and meets its agreed performance and, where relevant, accuracy.
- Safety: guarding, emergency stops, and required markings are present and correct.
- Documentation: the manual, wiring and parts documentation, and CE paperwork are complete.
For higher-value or complex builds, inspection extends into factory acceptance testing, where the machine is run to the agreed specification before it ships.
Why it matters before dispatch
The reason to inspect before dispatch rather than on arrival is leverage. While the machine is at the factory, a fault is the supplier’s problem to fix on their floor. Once it has shipped, you are negotiating remedies across borders with the equipment already sitting in your facility and your project stalled. Inspection before dispatch is what keeps that leverage with the buyer.
As an EU-based intermediary, Indock arranges pre-shipment inspection as a standard part of the machinery sourcing process, and confirms the CE marking and Declaration of Conformity before the machine leaves the factory.
Frequently asked questions
Pre-shipment inspection (PSI) is a check carried out at the factory before the machine is dispatched, confirming that build quality, function, and documentation match the agreed specification while the equipment is still in the supplier's hands.
Typically build quality and finish, that the machine runs and meets functional specification, that safety guarding and markings are present, and that the documentation, including CE paperwork, is complete.
Because problems are far cheaper and faster to fix while the machine is still at the factory. Once it has shipped, you are negotiating remedies across borders with the equipment already in your facility.
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