To request or ask questions about a quotation, please contact Aaron and Mike at info@bwprecision.com .


Here are a few suggestions for submitting quotations (if any are more confusing than helpful, please just ignore or ask us to clarify):

1. NDA.  If your work is sensitive and you would like us to complete a non-disclosure agreement before looking at it for manufacturing advice or quotation purposes, we’re happy to sign an NDA.  There are many good NDA templates available on the internet for no charge.
   
   

2. Part Drawing(s).  Please include clear drawing(s) of the part(s) in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format whenever possible.  Include dimensional tolerances and surface finish requirements.  We are happy to offer guidance in this phase of any project, as these are the two factors that most highly affect part cost.  Drawings can be computer generated or neatly drawn hand sketches.
   
   

3. Requested Qty. to Quote.  Please include requested quantities.  We are happy to quote additional quantities at your request (e.g., QTY. 5, 10, 25, 50), however, please do not ask us to quote quantities that are not in within the scope of reality, as quotations take a significant amount of non-billable time to generate.
   
   

4. Designer’s Contact Info.  Please include the contact information for the part designer in the event we have questions about the drawing or associated annotations.
   
   

5. CAD Model(s).  When possible, please include a CAD model of the part we can use for quoting purposes.  If a model is not available and one needs to be made for manufacturing, please tell us and we can quote the time necessary to create the CAD model(s).  Common CAD model formats with which we like to work are (in order of preference) SolidWorks, STEP, and IGES.
   
   

6. Required Delivery Time.  Please include the timeframe, from the time a PO is issued, to the time you would like the parts.  5 weeks is standard, 3 weeks is typically available for a modest upcharge, and 7 weeks will allow extra flexibility for us to provide you with the absolute lowest manufacturing cost if we're unusually busy and your parts delivery is not time-sensitive.
   
   

7. Material Certs. & First Article Inspection Reports.  Please note whether you require material certificates to be tracked and/or a formal inspection report to be completed for parts manufacturing.  We always measure in process parts to ensure they meet the drawing tolerance requirements, but it costs more if you want a formal copy for your records.
   
   

8. Deburring.  We prefer to do as much deburring as possible in our machines, but that sometimes requires tiny tools that are too weak to be practical.  In those cases, we can add the manual deburring time to the quotation, or we can use a vibratory tumbling station that uses small pieces of ceramic or plastic media to abrasively wear away any remaining sharp edges.  Please let us know if you prefer one over the other as they both produce high quality, deburred part edges, but the vibratory tumbling station results in a slightly lower part price.
   
   

9. Sales Tax.  Please let us know if the part is for resale or if you are the end-user.  If the part is for resale, provide a copy of your tax-exemption certificate at the time an order is placed.

10. Shipping Details.  Please let us know if you have a preferred shipping method.  We suggest the courier of your choice (e.g., Fed-Ex, UPS, USPS) with insurance for the value of your order.  If you have a shipping account number, please provide it when placing an order.  We do not upcharge for shipping; you pay the actual amount charged and no more.
    
    

11. Rush Quotations / Orders.  If you are submitting a request for quotation and are in a rush, please let us know so we can give your request the priority it deserves.  We typically try to turn quotes around within 48 – 72 business hours, depending on the number of parts, their complexity, and how long it takes to obtain vendor quotations for materials and any custom tools which may be required for the job.  If you request an expedited quote, reciprocate in kind by getting back with the shop quickly with questions or letting them know if they are being awarded the job.
    
    

12. Your Quotation Preference.  If it matters, please tell us in which format you would like us to provide the quotation: (a) with simply the price per part for this order, or (b) with the one-time NRE (non-recurring expenses, like CNC programming time, and (when needed) custom tooling or work-holding costs) plus the lower price per part broken out separately.  The first format is simpler, the second provides the lower part price you would pay if you placed a subsequent order for the same part(s).
    
    

13. Ordering Frequency.  Whenever possible, please let us know the likelihood of this order repeating in the future.  We understand the lowest part price is always a top customer goal.  When making multiple parts, however, the job can be completed by machining one or two parts at a time in a machine, resulting in the lowest setup time and cost, or the job could be completed by designing and manufacturing a fixture to hold and machine several parts at a time (thus taking advantage of the economy of scales).  The best method depends on the number of parts and the likelihood of the job repeating in the future.  If the part quantities are low and likely just a one-time job, it typically doesn’t make sense to design dedicated fixturing.  However, if the quantities or modest or the job will likely repeat (or has in the past), then factoring in the fixture costs will likely still result in a lower price per part.  But we need to know which way you want us to quote the job.  Unless you specify otherwise, we will assume the job is a one-time order and quote accordingly.
    
    

14. Acknowledgement Request.  When submitting your quotation, please include a request for a short acknowledgement letting you know it was received.  Even in today’s age of modern technology, it’s surprisingly easy for an e-mail to not make it through a web-server that’s acting up, or past a company’s ever-improving digital firewall, or just into the wrong folder, virtually lost in cyberspace.  If you don’t receive a reply within 48 hours, forward a reply with your original quotation request politely saying you just wanted to follow-up to make sure the quotation was received.

Once you receive the quotation, please be mindful of the following:

15. Appreciation Reply.  Preparing part quotations is often a laborious and profitless job.  It can take a significant amount of time to review drawing(s), understand geometry and surface finish requirements, obtain material, tool, and/or work-holding quotes, determine the best way to make the part(s), estimate the time to make, inspect, and finish the part(s), and prepare any required supporting documentation.  Add in the fact that time spent preparing quotations is rarely, if ever, compensated, and it’s easy to understand why preparing quotes, while certainly a critical role, is rarely viewed as an exciting one.  Consequently, the first thing you should do is promptly send a short thank you e-mail, showing appreciation for the time it took to prepare your quote and an idea of when you believe you will make up your mind how to proceed.  The worst way to ruin a potential working relationship with a shop is to ghost them (whether intentionally or not) after they spent several hours working for free to give you a quote as quickly as possible.  So again, please send a short appreciation reply thanking them for preparing your quote and letting them know you’ll let them know if you have any questions and if you decide to go with them for the job; and then follow through on your word.

This is comprehensive list of how to submit RFQs to shops with which you wish to develop good working relationships.  If you have feedback on this list or suggestions for additional tips, please send us an e-mail at info@bwprecision.com with “B&W Precision RFQ Tips” in the subject line.

If you find this list helpful, click here for a downloadable .pdf version.