What to send with a tooling enquiry so the quotation is worth reading
A quotation is only as good as the enquiry behind it. Six pieces of information turn a guess into a price you can compare against another supplier's.
5 min read · TJ-Teck engineering notes
3D data, or a sketch if that is all there is
2D and 3D data is ideal. A simple sketch idea is enough to open the conversation, and the quotation then states the revision or sketch it was written against.
The annual volume
This is the single most useful number and the one most often left out. Cavitation, mould type, steel grade and whether a hot runner pays for itself all follow from it.
The material, or what the part has to survive
If the grade is fixed, name it. If it is not, describe the duty: outdoors, food contact, transparent, chemical exposure. Shrinkage and steel grade both depend on the answer.
Surface requirement
Polish level, grain code, printed or moulded markings. Surface drives steel grade and draft angle, and a surface requirement discovered late is a re-machining job.
Component and mould base preferences
If your maintenance team stocks Hasco or Meusburger spares, say so. Building to the standard you already hold is free at quotation stage and expensive to retrofit.
Where the tool will live
A tool that ships to your own plant is built and documented differently from a tool that stays in Dongguan for part supply. Say which you want and the quotation covers the right scope.
Frequently asked questions
What if the design is not frozen?
Send it anyway and say so. The quotation is written against the version supplied and revised when the design settles.
How long does a quotation take?
1-3 working days from receiving the data.
Related notes
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Standard, prototype, reversed, multi-cavity, unscrewing, hot runner, 2K over mould and 2K rotational: what each one is for and what it costs you.
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6 min readApply this to your own part
Send 2D and 3D data with the annual volume and the surface requirement. A quotation comes back in 1-3 working days.