Capability fit
Start with the technical essentials: press capacity against your profile's circumscribing circle, alloy and temper range, die engineering support, finishing and fabrication capability, and demonstrated tolerance performance on features similar to yours.
- Press capacity and profile size range
- Alloy-temper combinations routinely produced
- In-house vs. subcontracted finishing and machining
- Straightening, aging and precision-cutting equipment
Quality systems
Ask how first articles are inspected, what documentation accompanies production lots, how material traceability works and how quality issues are escalated. For regulated or safety-critical applications, documentation requirements belong in the RFQ from day one.
Commercial terms
Clarify die ownership and maintenance, minimum order quantities, quote validity and metal-price mechanisms, packaging standards and delivery performance expectations. Ambiguity here is the source of most buyer-supplier friction later.
Communication and engineering engagement
The best manufacturers respond to the technical content of your request — flagging manufacturability issues and suggesting improvements before quoting. That behavior predicts how the relationship will run during production, so weigh it heavily.