A procurement manager and a QA engineer are planning a two-day visit to a lithium forklift battery factory before a first multi-unit order. They have an ISO certificate on file but no checklist for what to look at on the production floor.
Audit the process, not the showroom. Cover seven areas: incoming cells and components, pack assembly and BMS programming, in-process and final testing, traceability from cell lot to shipped serial number, calibration of test equipment, handling of nonconforming product, and shipping documents. For each area, ask to see a record from a recent real batch, not only a written procedure.
What to check, area by area
- Incoming cells and parts. Cell brand, grade and lot records, incoming inspection (voltage and internal-resistance sorting), and how BMS boards, busbars and enclosures are approved. ISO 9001:2015 clause 8.4 expects the factory to evaluate and monitor its external providers.
- Assembly and BMS. Joining method, torque control, and BMS firmware and parameter control: who can change cut-off voltages and current limits, and how a change is recorded.
- Testing. What is tested on every pack and what is sampled, with the pass/fail limits written down. Ask for the test record of the serial numbers you choose.
- Traceability. Clause 8.5.2 calls for unique identification and retained records where traceability is required. From one serial number, can the factory pull the cell lots, BMS version and test results?
- Calibration. Clause 7.1.5 covers monitoring and measuring equipment. Look for status labels and calibration dates on capacity cyclers, meters and torque tools.
- Nonconforming product. Clause 8.7 expects identification and control. Look for a segregated area, disposition records and a rule for when the customer is told.
- Packing and documents. Labels, packing list, and the UN 38.3 test summary for the exact model.
What Redway publishes
Redway’s quality management page describes QC follow-up at the assembly line and quality control before shipment, and Redway runs a burn-in test before shipment. Ask for the burn-in record for your serial numbers. The factory operates under ISO 9001/14001 management systems, and the certificate is available on request. Redway’s About page lists UN 38.3 and Grade-A cells (CATL, EVE), along with UL1973, UL2580 and IEC62133; scope is confirmed per model and order. Redway’s batteries are designed and tested to UL-related standards (for example UL 2580 for EV batteries). The test report is typically issued in the customer’s name, and scope and applicable standards are confirmed at quotation. Ask for a report under your own company name and check the standard number, model and date. See also our supplier audit guide.
Risk limits
A visit shows one line on one day, so confirm that the line you saw builds your order. Choose the serial numbers yourself instead of accepting a prepared sample. A management-system certificate covers the factory’s processes; it is not a product approval. Use a third-party auditor where your company’s supplier-qualification rules require one. This article is a general checklist, not a formal audit method.
Additional perspectives
Send the checklist and a document request five working days before the visit, so the factory can prepare records instead of presentations. Score each area 0, 1 or 2 and agree a corrective-action deadline in the purchase order. Write an audit-access clause into the supply contract so you can return.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Procurement perspective
Trace backwards: pick two serial numbers from finished goods and ask for cell lot, test record and BMS version for each, timed on the spot. Also check that a pack that failed a test is retested to the same limits, not a looser one.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Quality / QA perspective
Ask to see the UN 38.3 test summary for your model. IATA guidance lists what a summary must contain, including the laboratory, a unique report number, the date and the model numbers. A summary for a different model does not cover yours.
Redway Tech Editorial Team – Logistics and compliance perspective
Specifications are taken from Redway product pages as of October 2026. Where a figure isn’t published, this article says so. Confirm current specifications for your model with Redway before ordering. This article is general guidance, not a site-specific engineering assessment.
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