Two disputes about the same charger were settled differently, and the difference was a sealed unit in a cabinet. One buyer had a golden sample recorded with the revision of the enclosure, the firmware and the packaging; the other had a photograph and a memory of the first delivery. The first dispute was closed with a measurement and the second with a credit note.
Charger golden sample approval: the record
One unit, and the four revisions behind it.
The approved unit is the reference for everything that follows, and it is only useful if the records around it name what it represents. A unit without the revisions is a spare charger; a unit with them is the definition of the product.
Two disputes, one reference unit
The measurement replaced the argument.
In the first case the complaint concerned the surface finish of a later delivery, and the sealed sample was measured against the units in question in an afternoon. In the second, the same complaint was settled by a discount, which the buyer paid for on every subsequent order.
What the golden sample covers
Four attributes, and each is measurable.
The appearance of the enclosure, the printing and the label, the behaviour of the unit on a defined load, and the packaging with its inserts and its printed matter. Each of the four is recorded so that a later comparison is a measurement rather than an impression. The record names the load points, the light source used for the photographs and the revision of the artwork, so that a second person can repeat the comparison without asking the person who approved the unit.
The revision trail behind the unit
Four revision numbers, and the third is usually missing.
The enclosure revision, the firmware version, the label and packaging revision, and the bill of materials revision. Where the firmware is not recorded, a unit from a later run may behave differently for a reason that is correct rather than defective.
| Attribute | How it is recorded | Used for | Common gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enclosure appearance | Sealed unit and photographs | Finish and colour complaints | Lighting in the photographs |
| Printing and label | Artwork revision attached | Marking and language checks | Revision not named |
| Electrical behaviour | Test record at defined loads | Performance disputes | Load points not stated |
| Packaging | Assembled pack retained | Insert and print checks | Flat proof kept instead |
How it is stored
Sealed, labelled and held by both parties where possible.
A unit in the factory is available for every inspection; a unit at the buyer’s site is available when a delivery arrives. Where the unit is held by the buyer, the incoming inspection uses it rather than a photograph supplied by the factory. Where only one is kept, the factory’s copy is the one that inspections use, and it is stored away from the line rather than on it.
Where the golden sample goes wrong
Three patterns, and the third makes it useless.
A sample approved from a hand-built unit; a sample that was opened for a test and never resealed; and a sample approved against a packaging proof rather than an assembled pack. Each removes the reference value the unit was created to provide.
When it is re-approved
Four triggers, and one of them is routine.
A change to the enclosure, a change to the firmware or the label, a change of a critical component, and the annual review where the unit is measured again against the current production. The annual review is the one that catches drift before a buyer does.
What the approval document contains
Five lines, and each is checkable.
The unit identification, the four revisions, the measured results at the defined loads, the packaging revision, and the signatures with the date. An approval document carrying those five lines is what an inspection references a year later.
How the record is used in a dispute
When a complaint arrives, the first question is whether the delivered unit matches the approved one, and the sample is what answers it. The comparison covers the four attributes, and the outcome is a measurement rather than an opinion.
The record is what makes the comparison possible. Without the enclosure revision, the firmware version and the packaging revision, two units can differ for a correct reason, and the difference is then argued rather than established.
The second use is on the line. Inspectors compare against the sample at the outgoing inspection, and the comparison is only meaningful while the sample is sealed and the revision it represents is the one being built.
That is why the sample is re-approved rather than replaced quietly, and why the previous unit is retained after a change.
FAQ
How many golden samples should be kept?
Two where the parties are in different countries: one held by the factory for inspections and one by the buyer for incoming checks. Both are sealed from the same build. Label each one with the revision it represents, because a sample without the revision answers a question about the appearance but not about the configuration. Where a third party inspects at the destination, send it the photographs with the unit identification.
Can a production unit become the golden sample?
It should be a production unit rather than a hand-built one, taken from the pre-production build or the first article inspection. A hand-built unit represents the workshop rather than the line. Where only hand-built units exist, take one and record the fact, then re-approve from the first production run rather than treating the hand-built unit as the line reference. Record which build the unit came from.
What happens when the product changes?
The sample is re-approved and a new one is sealed, with the earlier unit retained rather than discarded. Keeping the sequence is what allows a complaint about an older delivery to be investigated. Retain the earlier unit because a complaint about an older delivery is answered from the sample that covered it, not from the current one. The sequence is what allows a delivery to be traced to the sample that covered it.
Does the packaging sample have to be an assembled pack?
Yes, because the insert, the closure and the print behave differently once assembled. A flat proof records the artwork rather than the pack. Keep the assembled pack with its inserts, because a flat proof records the artwork and not the way the product sits in the carton. Where the pack is supplied flat for local assembly, approve the assembled example as well, because the two behave differently in the hand.
Next step
Send the product and the markets to Wecent Group through the contact page. The reply sets out the approval record, the revisions it carries and the storage arrangement. Related reading: charger quality control, OEM and ODM charger manufacturing and charger manufacturing services. External references: BSI standards, IEC standards, UL solutions, Intertek testing services, TUV testing and certification and EU energy efficient products.
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