Bently Nevada has performed its first Remote Factory Acceptance Test (Remote FAT) in Latin America for Arauco, testing 109 Field Monitoring Units (FMUs) by live broadcast from its Campinas, Brazil facility. The remote tests were 100% efficient and exceeded customer expectations, and the model is now a standard delivery option for projects where travel is constrained by cost, HSE policy or health restrictions.
Quick answer: what was Bently Nevada’s first Remote FAT in Latin America?
Bently Nevada’s local team performed the company’s first Remote Factory Acceptance Test in Latin America for Arauco. Because COVID-19 travel and health restrictions prevented the customer from attending in person, the team tested 109 Field Monitoring Units (FMUs)—three models, FMU 1 / FMU 2 / FMU 4, carrying 1, 2 and 4 vbOnline Pro units respectively—by live broadcast from the Baker Hughes Campinas, Brazil site. The test used four video cameras plus a Machinery Signal Simulator (MSS) feeding the System 1 platform so Arauco could verify the data in real time. It was 100% efficient and exceeded expectations.
Remote FAT at a glance
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Milestone | Bently Nevada’s first Remote FAT in Latin America |
| Customer | Arauco (referenced as Arauco Argentina S.A., part of the ARAUCO group); FMUs for Arauco’s pulp & paper project in Chile |
| Driver | COVID-19 travel and health restrictions; customer could not attend the Campinas, Brazil site in person |
| Equipment tested | 109 Field Monitoring Units (FMUs): FMU 1 (1 vbOnline Pro), FMU 2 (2 vbOnline Pro), FMU 4 (4 vbOnline Pro) |
| Method | Live broadcast with four video cameras; Bently MSS (Machinery Signal Simulator) + System 1 platform for live data verification |
| Broader project scope | System 1 EVO for Industrials, 1,550 accelerometer sensors, 20 Ranger Pro wireless sensors |
| Result | 100% efficient; exceeded customer expectations |
| Test site | Baker Hughes Campinas, Brazil (South American regional distribution & assembly hub) |
Why a remote FAT was needed
Traditionally, a Factory Acceptance Test is witnessed in person: the customer or its inspector travels to the manufacturing site to observe system testing and verification before shipment. For the Arauco program, COVID-19 travel and health restrictions made that impossible. The customer could not be physically present at the Baker Hughes Campinas site, where Bently Nevada’s regional distribution and assembly for South America takes place.
To keep the project moving, Bently Nevada designed and prepared a live broadcast that let Arauco participate in and interact with the testing process while maintaining social distancing and following travel-restriction protocols.
How the remote FAT was executed
The local team tested the three FMU models that make up the 109 panels. Each FMU model is configured with a different count of vbOnline Pro online monitoring units:
- FMU 1 — one vbOnline Pro unit
- FMU 2 — two vbOnline Pro units
- FMU 4 — four vbOnline Pro units
To give the customer a clear view of the hardware, the Test Technician and Project Engineer set up four video cameras at different angles. They used the Bently MSS (Machinery Signal Simulator) together with the System 1 platform so Arauco could check the data being tested and generated by the hardware. The combined audio and visuals allowed remote inspection of product quality and confirmation of proper system functionality.
One week before the official Remote FAT, Bently Nevada met with the customer to understand their expectations and requests. The tests were 100% efficient and exceeded customer expectations; Arauco was impressed with the professionalism shown while delivering the Remote FAT results.
Part of a larger Arauco program
The Remote FAT was the execution phase of a broader Arauco engagement. The full project scope also includes System 1 EVO for Industrials, 1,550 accelerometer sensors and 20 Ranger Pro wireless sensors. The same relationship later expanded into the brownfield contract described in our coverage of the Bently Nevada Arauco System 1 contract, which grows the installed base to almost 3,000 sensors across more than 1,100 machines. The Remote FAT demonstrated that a large, multi-panel scope could be witnessed and accepted without anyone flying to the test site.
From oil & gas to pulp & paper
Historically, Bently Nevada’s markets were predominantly oil & gas and power generation. Baker Hughes frames the Arauco Remote FAT as another significant milestone as the brand advances its reputation as a plant-wide solutions provider across industrial markets, including pulp & paper. For a continuous-process industry such as pulp and paper—where unplanned downtime on a single line can halt production for days—the ability to verify protection and monitoring equipment remotely shortens project cycles and reduces the risk that acceptance testing becomes a critical-path bottleneck.
Remote FAT as a standard delivery model
Remote FAT is no longer an exception forced only by a pandemic. Baker Hughes states that witnessed Remote FAT testing is available using HD streaming for customers wishing to limit travel for cost savings or HSE advantages. Manufacturing and FAT facilities are distributed across regions—South America (Campinas, Brazil), North America (Minden, Nevada), Europe (Fót, Hungary), the Middle East (Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Jebel Ali, Dubai), and Asia (Pune, Singapore, Seongnam, Shanghai)—so remote witnessing can be arranged close to where the equipment is built.
For plant operators, the takeaways are practical:
- Acceptance testing need not require travel — HD-streamed witnessing protects project schedules when borders close or HSE policy limits site visits.
- Data transparency is preserved — signal simulators and the System 1 platform let customers validate generated data in real time, not just watch a camera.
- Large scopes are feasible remotely — 109 panels across three FMU models were tested and accepted without on-site attendance.
- Remote diagnostics extend the model — the same remote-monitoring discipline underpins services such as Bently Nevada’s AI Machine Health Service for balance-of-plant assets.
For sites planning or operating Bently Nevada monitoring on continuous-process assets, our overview of condition monitoring for paper mill machinery covers the asset types typically brought under plant-wide protection.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Remote Factory Acceptance Test (Remote FAT)?
A Remote FAT lets a customer witness and verify factory testing without traveling to the test site. Bently Nevada broadcasts the test live—using multiple video cameras and its Machinery Signal Simulator (MSS) feeding the System 1 platform—so the customer can see and validate the data generated by the hardware in real time. It is offered as a witnessed option using HD streaming for customers who want to limit travel for cost or HSE reasons.
How many FMUs did Bently Nevada test remotely for Arauco?
Bently Nevada remotely tested 109 Field Monitoring Units (FMUs) for Arauco’s pulp and paper project. The 109 panels comprise three FMU models: FMU 1 (one vbOnline Pro), FMU 2 (two vbOnline Pro) and FMU 4 (four vbOnline Pro). The full project scope also includes System 1 EVO for Industrials, 1,550 accelerometer sensors and 20 Ranger Pro wireless sensors.
Where was the Remote FAT performed and why remotely?
The FAT was performed at Baker Hughes’ Campinas, Brazil site, the South American regional distribution and assembly hub for Bently Nevada. It was conducted remotely because COVID-19 travel and health restrictions prevented the customer from being physically present. Bently Nevada designed a live broadcast so Arauco could participate and interact with the testing process while maintaining social distancing.
Was the Remote FAT successful?
Yes. Bently Nevada reports the remote tests were 100% efficient and exceeded customer expectations. One week before the official Remote FAT, the team met with the customer to understand their expectations and requests. During the test, four cameras and the System 1 platform let the customer inspect product quality and confirm proper system functionality. The customer was impressed with the team’s professionalism.
Is Remote FAT now a standard Bently Nevada delivery method?
Remote FAT has become a standard offered option. Baker Hughes states witnessed Remote FAT testing is available using HD streaming for customers wishing to limit travel for cost savings or HSE advantages, with manufacturing and FAT facilities across South America (Campinas, Brazil), North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The Arauco case showed the model can run large scopes efficiently.
Related reading
- Bently Nevada Wins Arauco Contract: 3,000 Sensors and System 1 Across 1,100 Machines
- Bently Nevada System 1 at 20 Years: 10,000+ Users
- Condition Monitoring for Paper Mill Machinery
- Bently Nevada’s AI Machine Health Service for Balance-of-Plant Assets
Sources: Baker Hughes, “Major Pulp & Paper customer Arauco leverages remote FAT with Bently Nevada during COVID-19” (success story); Baker Hughes, “Complete system enclosure packages” (3500 packaged systems brochure, FAT facilities and witnessed Remote FAT note).
