Stop Sending RFQs Like This — Here’s Why Shops Won’t Quote It

We here at Practical Machinist have a goal to grow our communities, part of that is education. I have seen lots of comments throughout about people struggling to get an item quoted, or to take it from idea to manufactured….. I want to help change that, my goal as an Engineer was to try and bridge the gap from shop floor to the engineering office. As shop owners/machinists we all have gotten the requests with not enough info to quote the job, so I thought it would be a good topic to help those get some of the needed info to approach a machine shop and it go smooth(er)! Some things you should have ready when asking for a RFQ (Request for Quote): 02:47 Quantity (its ok if youre not sure but give some context, ex: I need 1 piece to verify fitment/see in real life but I plan to run 100 pcs, or ill run more initially to bring price down, or give you target price, the shop can give you a quantity) 03:28 Material (if youre not 100% sure, ask their opinions, give them some background on what the item will be used for and see what they say. Choosing a material that is overkill can drive costs and cause issues in the manufacturing process, under specifying can lead to a potential product failure or other quality concerns). 10:12 Leadtime (rushed time frames can drive costs, if you don't need it tomorrow ask for the shop to quote their standard lead time, or if you know a time frame you need it by give them that info). 05:25 Tolerances (over tolerancing can just add unnecessary costs) 12:07 Technical Drawing/CAD Files (these are often needed for most items unless its a simple 2 dimensional shape, without this CAM software can be difficult to use and program without creating a file to work form. If you don't have these you can expect to pay an engineering or design charge in most cases). 04:11 Tell them your story! (what makes your product, part or dream unique….this may help the shop lean to quoting or working with you because they want to see your project flourish!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connect with Justin here: Instagram:   / zealous_mfg   Linkedin:   / justin-webb-750b2314a   https://zealousmfg.com/ [email protected] +1.414.335.4386 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Practical Machinist is the largest and most engaged #metalworking community across the web. With more than 200,000 registered members and 400,000+ social media followers, Practical Machinist is the easiest way to learn new techniques, get answers quickly, and discuss common challenges with your peers. Visit Practical Machinist today to join the community and start connecting with your peers. Become a Practical Machinist member (https://www.practicalmachinist.com/) Like us on Facebook ( / practicalmachinist ) Follow us on Instagram ( / practicalmachinist ) Follow us on Twitter ( / prac_machinist ) Follow us on TikTok ( / practicalmachinist ) Connect with us on LinkedIn ( / practical-machinist ) #machineshop #metalworking #machining