By Dovydas Kersys · Chapter 13 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.
Before online work begins, establish a known software baseline. The commissioning team needs to know which PLC, safety PLC, HMI, drive, servo and network files correspond to the machine currently being tested.
The backup package should include more than PLC code.
Why this matters during commissioning
A machine can be physically perfect and still lose hours if the wrong project is downloaded or if an emergency change overwrites the only known-good file.
Commissioning procedure
- Collect the released software package and record revision identifiers.
- Upload/compare from controllers where practical before downloading.
- Create a dated baseline backup before commissioning changes.
- Define who may make edits and how revisions are named.
- Archive verified final projects plus exports or reports that can be opened without the original engineering PC.
Common failure patterns
- “Final_final_v7” style filenames with no revision discipline.
- Different PLC and HMI projects using mismatched tag structures.
- Drive parameters changed locally but not stored in the project.
- Safety signature changed without an approval record.
Evidence to record
- Baseline file names
- Controller firmware / device versions
- Checksums or compare results where available
- Change log
- Final verified backup location
FIELD RULE: No commissioning change is truly safe if you cannot restore the previous state.
Continue the series
- Previous chapter: Sensors, Actuators and Mechanical Readiness: Commissioning Guide
- Next chapter: Digital Input Loop Checks: Commissioning Guide
- Browse all Machine Commissioning chapters
Adapted from Machine Commissioning for Maintenance and Automation Technicians, by Dovydas Kersys. © 2026 Dovydas Kersys. Featured cover image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.