First Automatic Cycle: Commissioning Guide

By Dovydas Kersys · Chapter 44 of 58 in Machine Commissioning.

Before you begin: Follow the machine documentation, risk assessment, site procedures and lockout/tagout requirements. Commissioning can expose personnel to electrical energy, stored pressure and unexpected motion. Never defeat a safety function merely to make a test easier. Examples and diagrams are generic and must be checked against the actual machine.

The first automatic cycle combines previously tested layers into one sequence. It should be performed at controlled speed with observers assigned to specific areas and a clear stop plan.

Why this matters during commissioning

Commissioning risk rises when several axes and devices move together. Good preparation turns the first automatic cycle into a test instead of a spectacle.

Commissioning procedure

Review what will move and assign observers.
Reduce speeds/accelerations where safe and appropriate.
Start from a known initial state.
Run one automatic cycle while watching sequence state, alarms and physical clearances.
Stop and correct the first abnormality instead of stacking multiple issues.
Repeat until several clean cycles occur before increasing speed.

Common failure patterns

Observers all watch the same area.
Cycle continued despite a small misalignment until it becomes damage.
Speed increased before repeatability is proven.
Fault recovery not tested until production shift.

Evidence to record

Measured value and test point
Expected value / expected state
Observed value / observed state
Pass/fail result and any deviation
Name/date or responsible person where required

FIELD RULE: The first automatic cycle should be boring because the individual layers were already proven.

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