# Robot integration checklist: 6 phases from spec to handover

> A phase-by-phase robot cell integration checklist: specification, site readiness, safety, commissioning, acceptance testing and handover documents.

Canonical: https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-integration-checklist/ | Published: 2026-10-27 | Updated: 2026-10-28 | Author: Jignesh Panchal

**Most robot projects fail in the gaps between vendors, not inside the robot.** The arm arrives, the conveyor is late, the safety review finds a missing interlock, and the acceptance test was never written down. A checklist prevents that.

This is the sequence we would use for an Indian factory cell: specification, site readiness, safety, commissioning, acceptance and handover, with the documents to demand at each stage.

## Phase 1: specification

- Part family, dimensions, weight range and surface finish.
- Required cycle time at production rate, not best case.
- Annual volume and shift pattern.
- Upstream and downstream equipment, with interface details.
- Quality checks the cell must perform.
- Environment: dust, coolant, temperature, washdown.
- Operator skill level and maintenance capability.

Write the cycle time as a number the vendor must demonstrate, not “fast enough”. The acceptance test in phase 5 will refer back to it.

## Phase 2: site readiness

| Item | Check |
| --- | --- |
| Floor | Load capacity, flatness, anchor points |
| Power | Voltage, phase, capacity, earthing, UPS for controls |
| Air | Pressure, flow, dryness, drain points |
| Network | Switch ports, VLAN, IP plan, Wi-Fi coverage |
| Space | Cell footprint, maintenance access, pallet routes |
| Environment | Dust, fumes, temperature, lighting |

Site readiness is the most common source of delay. A cell that arrives before the floor is anchored and the power is available sits in a crate while the project clock runs.

## Phase 3: safety

- Risk assessment completed before the layout is frozen.
- Guarding, light curtains and interlocks specified to the assessment.
- Emergency stops reachable from every operating position.
- Safety functions tested and recorded, not assumed.
- Lockout/tagout procedure written for maintenance.
- Operator training on safe entry and restart.

ISO 10218 and the Factories Act obligations apply in India. The risk assessment should be a document you can show an auditor, not a conversation.

## Phase 4: integration and commissioning

| Area | What to verify |
| --- | --- |
| Handshake | Every signal has an owner, default and timeout |
| Fault handling | Each fault has a code, message and recovery step |
| Manual mode | Jog, step and single-cycle available |
| Recovery | Power loss and restart behaviour defined |
| Data | Cycle counts, faults and status logged |
| Spares | Critical spares on site before handover |

## Phase 5: acceptance test

Separate the supplier-site test from the installed-site test using the [robot FAT/SAT acceptance checklist](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-cell-fat-sat-checklist/). Agree sampling, thresholds, retests and qualified safety-validation responsibilities before the order; the figures below are example contract targets, not universal standards.

An acceptance test should run for a defined period at production rate with production parts. The duration, number of cycles and availability target must be agreed for the application; the table below is illustrative.

| Criterion | Example target | How measured |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cycle time | ≤ 45 s per part | Timer over 200 cycles |
| Availability | ≥ 95% | Uptime / scheduled time |
| Quality | ≤ 0.5% reject | Measured parts |
| Safety | All functions pass | Functional test record |
| Documentation | Complete | Document checklist |

Do not sign acceptance on a demo. Demos use ideal parts, ideal operators and no production pressure. Run the test with the people who will actually operate the cell.

## Phase 6: handover documents

- Electrical drawings and I/O list.
- Network diagram and IP schedule.
- Robot backup and program archive.
- PLC program and HMI project files.
- Safety risk assessment and test records.
- Operation and maintenance manuals.
- Spare parts list with lead times.
- Training record with names and dates.

## Budget contingency

Plan 10–20% contingency on the installed cost. The overruns are predictable: extra guarding, a conveyor modification, a network switch nobody ordered, or a week of commissioning lost to a missing part. Contingency is not pessimism; it is the cost of doing this once.

## Failures this checklist prevents

| Failure | Cost | Prevented by |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cell arrives before site is ready | Weeks of delay | Phase 2 sign-off |
| Safety review after installation | Rebuild guarding | Risk assessment before layout freeze |
| Vague acceptance criteria | Dispute with vendor | Written test in the purchase order |
| No spares | Long downtime | Spares list at handover |
| Only one trained operator | Cell idle on leave days | Train two per shift |
| Missing backups | Program lost after failure | Archive at handover and after changes |

Related: [industrial robot cost](https://roboticsengineering.in/industrial-robot-cost-india/), [robot ROI](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-roi-calculation/), [robot safety standards](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-safety-standards-india/), [PLC vs robot controller](https://roboticsengineering.in/plc-vs-robot-controller/), [robot maintenance checklist](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-maintenance-checklist/).

**What should a robot acceptance test include?**

Cycle time at production rate, availability over a defined run, quality or reject rate, safety function tests and a complete documentation check, all using production parts and operators.

**How long should a robot cell acceptance test run?**

Common practice is several hours or a few hundred cycles, enough to expose intermittent faults. High-volume cells often run a full shift.

**Who is responsible for safety in a robot cell?**

The employer and the integrator share responsibility. The employer must ensure a risk assessment and safe system of work; the integrator must deliver a cell that meets the assessment.

**What documents should I receive at handover?**

Electrical drawings, I/O list, network diagram, robot and PLC backups, safety assessment and test records, manuals, spare parts list and training records.

**How much contingency should I budget?**

Ten to twenty percent of the installed cost, depending on how much of the surrounding line is being modified.

Operator training is part of handover; the [teach pendant guide](https://roboticsengineering.in/teach-pendant-programming-guide/) covers what they need to know.

Signal ownership matters; see [a worked PLC and robot handshake](https://roboticsengineering.in/plc-ladder-logic-examples/).

Put a measured [cycle time](https://roboticsengineering.in/industrial-robot-cycle-time-calculation/) in the acceptance test, with part, tool, path and external waits defined.

Network and fieldbus items are covered in [industrial Ethernet for robots](https://roboticsengineering.in/industrial-ethernet-robots-ethercat-profinet/).

Imaging items belong in the checklist too, starting with the [machine vision lighting guide](https://roboticsengineering.in/machine-vision-lighting-guide/).

Offline programming changes the commissioning sequence, as the [simulation software guide](https://roboticsengineering.in/industrial-robot-simulation-software-india/) explains.

Add relay function testing to the handover list using the [safety function verification steps](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-safety-relay-wiring-guide/).

Add the lease terms to the handover checklist using the [contract clauses that matter](https://roboticsengineering.in/industrial-robot-rental-india/).

The IO handshake in [the RAPID example](https://roboticsengineering.in/abb-robot-programming-basics/) is the same conversation the integration checklist describes.

Put the acceptance test in the contract, using the [ISO 9283 test method](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-repeatability-vs-accuracy-guide/) rather than a vendor demo.

Approve the dress pack route as a drawing during integration, using the [routing rules](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-dress-pack-design-guide/) to check it.

Control architecture belongs in the integration scope, so review the [reference architecture](https://roboticsengineering.in/plc-scada-robot-cell-india/) before signing off.

Approve fixture drawings during integration, and the [commissioning checks](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-welding-fixture-design-india/) give you the acceptance list.

Ask the integrator whether programs will be delivered from [offline programming](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-offline-programming-software/) or taught on site, and price the difference.

Regulated plants need a longer interface list, and the [pharma robotics guide](https://roboticsengineering.in/pharma-robotics-india/) covers the validation additions.

Add external-axis checks to the commissioning list when the cell includes a [7th axis](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-linear-track-7th-axis/).

Add sensor-to-robot communication and tracking-speed limits to the [integration checklist](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-welding-seam-tracking/) for weld cells.

For a [grinding cell](https://roboticsengineering.in/robotic-deburring-grinding-india/), add tool wear checks, dust extraction and spindle speed interlocks to the commissioning list.

Paint cells add colour change, gun purge and booth airflow to the [integration checklist](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-painting-cell-india/).

The machine handshake in a [die casting cell](https://roboticsengineering.in/die-casting-robot-india/) must prevent the die closing on the arm, so test it as a safety function.

A [retrofit](https://roboticsengineering.in/industrial-robot-retrofit-india/) needs its own acceptance test, including repeatability measured at the tool after the new controller is commissioned.

Error proofing and traceability belong on the [assembly cell](https://roboticsengineering.in/robotic-assembly-line-india/) commissioning list, not added later.

Budget for the integration work described here, and compare the figures in the [integration cost breakdown](https://roboticsengineering.in/robot-integration-cost-india/) before you approve the project.

## Sources and further reading

- [ISO 10218](https://www.iso.org/standard/76922.html) — robot safety requirements for manufacturers and integrators.
- [IEC](https://www.iec.ch/) — machinery electrical and safety control standards.
- [Bureau of Indian Standards](https://www.bis.gov.in/) — Indian standards for machinery and electrical equipment.
- [FANUC](https://www.fanuc.eu/) — cell integration and commissioning guidance.