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Sheet Metal RFQ: What Asia Factories Need
A weak sheet metal RFQ gets you three incompatible quotes and a “we need more info” loop that burns two weeks. Asia fabs — Vietnam, China, Thailand, Malaysia — can run laser, punch, brake, weld, and finish well when the package is complete. When it is not, they guess, and guessing shows up as wrong grain, missing weld symbols, or a finish that fails salt spray.
This guide is for buyers sourcing brackets, enclosures, cabinets, frames, and mounts. It complements our Vietnam notes on enclosures, brackets & mounts, and cabinets & toolboxes. Use it before you flood a long list; pair it with how to qualify Asia suppliers after quotes return.
1. Send a package, not a PDF alone
Minimum pack:
Drawing revision (PDF + native if you can: STEP/IGES for formed parts). State which file wins if they conflict.
BOM / cut list with material grade, thickness, and finish per part — not “steel, paint.”
Annual / batch volume and target first ship date. MOQ and nesting economics change the quote.
Acceptance criteria: critical dimensions, flatness, hole positions, cosmetic zones.
If the part is welded, include a weld map or clear symbols. “Weld as needed” is not a process.
2. Call out material and thickness like production will
Grade and standard (e.g. mild steel vs 304/316, aluminium series).
Thickness with tolerance or gauge callout.
Grain / coil direction if cosmetics or bend strength matter.
Substitutions: allowed or forbidden. Many Asia fabs will propose local mill equivalents — write yes/no and who approves.
Raw material origin affects lead time and certs. If you need mill certificates with heat numbers, say so in the RFQ, not after the pilot.
3. Forming, welding, and hardware
Factories price what they can see:
Bends — Inside radii, K-factor or “fab standard,” bend sequence notes if tight
Welds — Process (MIG/TIG), length, cosmetic vs structural, grind flush or not
Hardware — PEM / clinch part numbers, install before or after finish
Tolerances — General title-block + critical CTQs separately
If plating, powder, or galvanizing is outsourced, ask the fab to name the finisher and whether that cost is in the unit price. A tidy laser quote with “finish TBD” is incomplete.
4. QC, packing, and export
Ask for:
First-article method (CMM / height gauge / templates)
In-process checks on bends and hole patterns
Export packing: rust protection, edge guards, carton vs crate, marking
Metal freight damage is a quality problem. If you ship heavy cabinets or sharp brackets, specify stacking and moisture protection. Vague “export standard” packing is how dented doors arrive.
5. Commercial questions that belong in the RFQ
Tooling / fixture ownership (soft tools, weld jigs)
Quote validity and metal price adjustment rules
Lead time from approved FAI vs from blank PO
Who pays for gauges dedicated to your part
Compare quotes on the same revision and the same finish route. A low unit price that omits powder and hardware install is not cheaper.
6. What good fabs ask back
Treat silence as a warning. Strong plants ask about revision, weld access, finish after hardware, and cosmetic faces. Weak ones send a number in 24 hours with no questions — useful for a ballpark, not for award.
After quotes, shortlist and walk the line. For on-site structure, use how to conduct a factory audit in Asia. If you need help building the RFQ package and the fab shortlist together, OEM & Component Sourcing covers drawing-to-plant verification for metal programs.
A sheet metal RFQ for Asia is a production brief: revision, material, form/weld/finish, QC, packing, and ownership of tools. Send that once and you spend time comparing real options — not chasing missing thickness callouts.