What to send a foundry when you ask for a quote
Foundries quote from information. When an enquiry arrives with only a photo and the words how much, the reply is either a guess or a list of questions, and a week disappears. Here is what to include so the first reply is a real number.
1. The part itself
Send a drawing, a CAD file (PDF, DWG or STEP) or a physical sample. One of the three is enough. If you have none of them, send clear photos next to a measuring tape, with the overall length, the main diameters and the thickness of the walls.
2. What it is for
Say what machine or vehicle it belongs to and what the part does. This matters more than it sounds: it tells the foundry whether the part is loaded, heated or under pressure, which decides the material and where the metal needs to feed during casting.
3. Material, or the problem it must solve
If your drawing specifies a grade, quote it. If not, describe the duty and let the foundry recommend. Saying the old one cracked at the flange is more useful than naming a grade you are unsure about.
4. Quantity and how often
Price per piece moves sharply with quantity, because the pattern is a one-time cost. Say whether you need one, fifty, or fifty a month, and whether this is a trial for a longer supply.
5. How finished you want it
Make clear whether you want the part as-cast, part machined, or fully machined and ready to fit, and whether it should be painted, primed or bare. If only some faces are machined, mark them on the drawing or the sample.
6. The features that actually matter
Every part has two or three dimensions that decide whether it fits: a bearing bore, a bolt circle, a mounting face. Point them out. A supplier who knows which features are critical can control them properly and quote with confidence instead of padding the price.
A message you can copy
Fill in the blanks and send it by email or WhatsApp with photos attached:
- Part: [name, e.g. rear axle tube]
- Machine / vehicle: [model and year]
- What it does: [carries the axle shaft to the wheel]
- Material: [grade if known, or: the old one cracked at the flange]
- Quantity: [how many now, and how often after]
- Finish: [as-cast / machined on the flange and bore / fully machined]
- Critical features: [bore diameter, bolt circle, flange face]
- Attached: [drawing / photos / I can send a sample]
What a good quote comes back with
A proper quote names the material, separates the one-time pattern cost from the price per piece, states what machining is included, and says how the part will be checked. If a quote has none of that, ask, because the gaps are where disputes come from later.
Common questions
I do not have a drawing. Is that a problem?
No. A sample part is just as good, and often better, since it shows wear and fit that a drawing does not. Even photos with a few measurements are enough for an indicative price.
Should I send the sample straight away?
Send photos and details first and get an indicative price. Send the sample once you are serious, since the foundry needs it in hand to measure properly and make the pattern.
Who owns the pattern once it is made?
Agree this in writing at the start. Practice varies: some foundries keep the pattern and store it for repeat orders, others hand it over if you have paid for it in full.