On our RFQ page, we ask for a few pieces of information. We start by asking for typical data like name, email address, delivery date, and CAD files. But in question 4, we ask, “What else should we know about your project?”
A lot of customers don’t add any notes to that section, thinking that a 3D file is sufficient. It’s true that we can usually quote and make a part with that level of information. But additional information can have a big effect on how we plan to make your part and the pricing you receive in your quote.
Here are some questions we often ask customers to make sure we provide exactly the service they are needing. If you let us know the answers when you’re submitting an RFQ, that can help us optimize your manufacturing process right from the start:
1. Is this a prototype? Will it soon go into production?
Sometimes we receive RFQs from customers for a small number of parts without any additional context. From past experience, the needs of customers vary drastically depending on what stage of a project they are in, and we want to be as helpful as possible.
If a customer is working on a first round prototype, the number one goal is often to get parts that are in tolerance quickly. The efficiency and consistency of the machining process in this case is not nearly as critical as quick programming and simple fixturing.
For customers who are getting closer to production, it is often helpful to spend a little more time optimizing the process to ensure great tool life, short cycle times, consistent tolerances, and repeatable fixturing. That takes more time, but it allows us to provide detailed information and the best pricing for future production orders which can save a lot of money in the long term.
2. What level of inspection is required?
As an AS9100 machine shop, we can make high-quality parts for customers in aerospace or any other industry. Every job we do has an internal inspection procedure, but the level of inspection required varies from customer to customer and part to part. To offer you the best value, we need to know the inspection criteria when you submit an RFQ. Inspection is a rapidly growing cost for many parts and industries, but depending on the project it does not always have to be a major cost driver.
On the more affordable end, some customers don’t require any documentation, or only require a certificate of conformance. We still inspect parts for these customers and keep internal records, but the frequency of inspections may be reduced, and there is a lot less paperwork required which keeps cost down and can ensure shorter lead times.
On the other end of the spectrum are customers who require an AS9102 First Article Inspection for new parts, or who have parts that require 100% inspection of critical features. Those jobs have a lot more up front and production costs associated with them and can also have longer lead times due to extra planning up front.
Either way, we never compromise on quality, but there is no value to a customer if we spend more time on inspection than their project requires.
3. Have there been any issues with previous revisions that we should know about?
When we receive drawings, we may see that the customer is already on revision Q. We immediately know that this customer has been through a lot with this part – but we can only offer limited support without more background information.
Everyone knows that a fresh set of eyes can spot things that have been overlooked by the people closest to a project. While we’re not engineers, we are here to help, and we have a lot of experience spotting common design and assembly issues. We also have a lot of experience manufacturing parts and features to help solve these problems. If you are in a cycle of constant revisions, or you have been told by other manufacturers that the features you need can’t be done or are too expensive, bounce your questions and ideas off of us and let us help nail down the final revision! We offer free DFM advice, and we are really good at it.
Talk to Us About Your Next Project
We have decades of experience and expertise in manufacturing. We love solving manufacturing problems at our precision machine shop. If you’re having some trouble with a part or assembly, ask us questions about how we can help. In the end, good collaboration and a strong partnership almost always leads to better pricing, faster delivery, and overall better results.
Request a quote now to work with us – and be sure to provide us with relevant details if you have them!