RFQ Guide for Custom CNC Machines: What to Include

The quality of the quotes you receive depends almost entirely on the quality of your request for quotation. Send a factory three vague lines about "a VMC for general parts" and you will get a vague price that changes at order time. Send a structured RFQ and you will get a firm configuration, a realistic lead time and quotes you can actually compare. Having read thousands of inquiries at VITOP Machinery over 13+ years, here is what a good RFQ contains.

1. The Parts, Not Just the Machine

Start with what you cut. Attach one or two representative part drawings, with material, stock size, batch quantities and the tolerance band you hold in production. This lets the factory recommend the right machine class instead of upselling. A shop cutting aluminium connectors needs a very different spindle speed range than one roughing steel mould bases, and the drawings show that instantly.

2. Envelope and Travels

State your largest workpiece dimensions and weight. A practical rule used across the industry: match the machine envelope to your largest part plus 20 to 30 percent clearance for fixturing, tool overhang and coolant flow. If you already know the machine class, say so, for example "VMC with 1000 x 500 mm table class". If you do not, let the factory propose and justify the choice against your drawings.

3. Spindle, Taper and Speed

Give your tooling reality: which taper you standardize on, if any, and the spindle speed range you expect. As a broad guide, BT30 suits light duty, BT40 covers standard production work, BT50 handles heavy cutting, and 12,000 to 24,000 rpm suits aluminium and composites while 8,000 to 12,000 rpm with higher torque suits steel. If you already own BT40 holders, say so; changing taper standards has real hidden costs.

4. Control Preference

Name the control you want, and if you have none, ask for the factory's recommendation. Fanuc is the most common control in Southeast Asia, Siemens is strong in Malaysia and Indonesia, and Mitsubishi has a growing presence. Also state your operator situation: if your programmers only know one control family, that constraint belongs in the RFQ.

5. Site Conditions

Electrical supply (voltage and frequency, for example 380V/50Hz or 415V), floor loading limits, available air supply, and climate. For tropical installations, mention humidity and voltage fluctuation; these affect the electrical configuration and whether a stabilizer is recommended. Customs context helps too: telling the factory the destination country lets them plan packaging, marking and paperwork such as certificates of origin.

6. Options List

List what you want quoted as options: 4th axis, angle heads, chip conveyor, through-spindle coolant, tool presetter, automation readiness. Pricing these separately keeps the base machine comparable across suppliers. For custom attachments, describe the feature they must reach, not just "angle head".

7. Commercial Framework

State the trade term you expect (ex-works, FOB, CIF), your target order timing, and whether you need installation, commissioning and operator training quoted. Remember that tooling, installation and training commonly add 20 to 40 percent over the machine price, so ask for these lines explicitly instead of discovering them later. Lead times for this class of equipment commonly run 60 to 120 days; if your schedule is tighter, say when you need the machine running.

What Comes Back

A good factory replies with a line-item quotation: base machine specification, each option priced, packing, trade term and lead time, plus any engineering questions about your parts. If the reply arrives without questions about your drawings, be suspicious; no factory can quote custom work accurately without them. Compare replies line by line, not by the single number at the bottom.

Talk to VITOP Machinery

Planning a machine purchase or need help matching a model to your parts? Send your drawings or questions to vitopmachinery@163.com, or message us directly on WhatsApp: +86 183 1908 0212. You can also browse all machines at www.vitopmachinery.com. We reply within one business day.