Every ice bath chiller supplier will send a catalogue, a price list and a photograph of a production line. None of those proves that the unit you order will be built the same way next quarter.
An audit is not a tour. It is a set of questions with evidence attached, asked in the same order every time so that two suppliers can be compared.
| Dimension | The question | The evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | Can they build the volume you need, in the configuration you need? | Lines, in-house processes, monthly capacity, peak-season plan |
| Consistency | Will unit 500 match unit 1? | IQC, IPQC and OQC records, calibration, final test data |
| Compliance | Can the unit be sold in your market? | Test reports, declarations, labels, certification scope |
| Continuity | Will they still supply you in two years? | Component sourcing, spare parts, warranty, service |
Ask which processes happen on site and which are outsourced: compressor assembly, sheet metal, brazing, leak testing, controller programming and final test. A factory that assembles purchased modules is a legitimate business, but the audit questions are different from a factory that forms its own cabinets.
Ask for monthly capacity by model and the plan for peak season. A supplier who cannot state capacity in units per month is guessing.
Quality is a process, not a promise. Ask to see incoming inspection records for compressors and controllers, in-process checks for brazing and leak testing, and final test data for each unit — not one certificate for a model.
If the supplier claims 100% inspection, ask what is recorded and for how long. A claim of full inspection without records is a claim about intention.
Where sampling is used instead of full inspection, the sampling plan should follow a recognised standard such as ISO 2859-1, with an acceptance quality limit that matches the risk of the component.
Certificates on a website are often logos. Ask for the test report, the declaration of conformity and the exact standard and edition. For the EU, the relevant directives include the Low Voltage Directive, the EMC Directive and RoHS; for the US, UL or ETL listings and FCC rules apply depending on the product; for Australia, the SAA mark and the applicable AS/NZS standards.
Check who is named as the manufacturer on the label and in the declaration. If the answer is the brand, the brand carries the obligation — and the supplier's files need to support it.
IEC 60335-2-40 is the safety standard commonly applied to electrical heat pumps and air-conditioning equipment. Confirm with the certification body which standard and edition apply to your chiller.
If you are comparing suppliers, send us the audit list you are using. We will answer it in writing, with the records that apply to the models you are considering.
The compressor control type decides how a chiller behaves once the tub is at temperature — how tightly it holds the setpoint and how often it starts. Here is what to put in a request for quotation, and which standards answer each question.
Read Article →Most of our chiller range can be ordered as cooling-only or as cooling-and-heating, and one model does both at once. Here is how to decide per market, and how to write the configuration into the purchase order so the right unit is built.
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