A complete request for quote gets an accurate price the first time. Here is what aerospace buyers should send, and how to handle controlled technical data.
An incomplete RFQ doesn't just slow a quote down. It produces a price built on assumptions, and those assumptions tend to surface later as revised quotes, change orders or missed delivery dates. For flight hardware, where the drawing, the specifications and the quality clauses all carry weight, the information that goes out with the request matters as much as the part number itself.
This checklist covers what a machining and assembly supplier needs in order to quote aerospace components accurately the first time.
1. Part number and revision
Start with the full part number and the current drawing revision. A revision change can alter a material, a tolerance, a finish or a process specification, and a quote against the wrong revision is a quote for the wrong part. For assemblies, include the parts list so every detail component and purchased item is visible.
2. Quantities and delivery schedule
State the quantity you need now and any follow-on quantities you expect. Setup, first-article and inspection effort are largely fixed per lot, so quantity breaks change the unit price. Add your required delivery date, and say whether you want a single shipment or scheduled releases.
3. Material and specifications
List every specification the drawing calls out: the material specification, heat treatment, surface finish, plating or coating, and any special processes. If you will supply the material, say so. If the drawing references specifications by number only, confirm which revision applies.
Some processes can be performed in-house, which shortens lead time and keeps the part under one quality system. TEK Precision performs temper etch inspection per SS8705, thermal stress relief and SS8669 structural adhesive bonding at its Deer Park, NY facility.
4. Quality requirements and flowdowns
Include the quality clauses from your purchase order or contract, not just the drawing. These typically determine:
- Whether a first-article inspection report to AS9102 is required, and for which parts
- The certifications required with each shipment, such as certificates of conformance and material certifications
- Whether source inspection by you, your customer or a government representative applies
- Record retention and traceability requirements
- Any requirements your own customer has flowed down to you
Each of these affects inspection time, and therefore price. If you are unsure what a first-article inspection should contain, see First-Article Inspection: What Buyers Should Actually Expect.
5. Criticality
Tell your supplier if the part is designated flight safety-critical or a Critical Safety Item. That designation changes how the part is planned, inspected and documented, and it should be visible from the first quote rather than discovered at contract review.
6. Marking and packaging
Note any part marking requirements, such as MIL-STD-130 item identification, and any special packaging or preservation requirements. They are small cost items, but they are easy to miss when they are not in the RFQ.
7. Controlled technical data
Many aerospace and defense drawings are export-controlled under ITAR or the EAR. Controlled technical data should never be attached to an RFQ email by default. Identify the data as controlled, and agree the transfer method with the supplier before anything is sent.
TEK Precision's instruction is simple: for classified or ITAR-controlled program inquiries, call ahead on (631) 242-0330, and do not transmit controlled technical data by email.
A complete RFQ at a glance
- Part number and current drawing revision
- Parts list, for assemblies
- Quantities, follow-on quantities and delivery schedule
- Material and process specifications, including special processes
- Quality clauses and customer flowdowns
- First-article and certification requirements
- Flight safety-critical or Critical Safety Item designation
- Marking and packaging requirements
- How controlled technical data will be transferred
Sending an RFQ to TEK Precision
If the part is in our aerospace parts catalog, use the Request a Quote button on its part page and the part number is carried into the request form automatically. For anything else, use the request form and enter the part number in the Part Number field.
Related capabilities: Aerospace parts catalog · Quality system approvals · Special processes
