Sending us your first RFQ: what to expect

If you have not bought machined parts from us before, the process from enquiry to first delivery may seem opaque. It is simpler than it looks. Here is what to send and what happens next.

Send a 2D drawing in PDF with dimensions, tolerances, material and finish, and a 3D model in STEP format if you have one. Tell us the quantities you need, both for samples and for the yearly volume, and any inspection or documentation requirements. If the drawing is confidential, ask us for our NDA first; we sign before you send anything, and only the engineers on your job can open the files.

Within two working days, an engineer reviews the drawing and may call you with questions: an unclear datum, a tolerance tighter than the function seems to need, a thread that would be cheaper in a standard size. This conversation often reduces cost. Within five working days, you receive a written quote with the lines broken out, a lead time for samples and one for production.

When you place a sample order, our programmer writes the program, the setter proves it and the first parts are measured on our CMM in the temperature-controlled room. You receive the samples with a full first-article report, usually within ten working days, and photos if you would like them before dispatch. Once samples are approved, production follows in three to five weeks. Your project engineer stays the same from the first call to the last delivery, and their mobile is on every document we send you.