What files do I need for an injection moulding quote?

A STEP file of each part is the essential input. Add a 2D PDF drawing wherever you have tolerances, threads, cosmetic requirements or critical dimensions — the drawing carries intent that a solid model cannot. Nordmould's quote form accepts STEP plus drawing uploads.

What information speeds up an injection moulding quote most?

Five useful inputs are the 3D model, material grade or required properties, first-batch and repeat volumes, cosmetic surfaces, and critical dimensions. These help suppliers identify scope and assumptions before quoting. Clarification, drawing changes or a process review may still be needed.

Should I specify the exact resin or the required properties?

Specify the exact resin if you have a proven one. Otherwise specify the requirements — stiffness, impact, temperature range, chemical exposure, UV, flammability rating, food contact — and let the moulder propose grades with datasheets. Properties-first avoids over-specifying an exotic grade you do not need.

What should a good injection moulding quote contain?

Tooling price and lead time, unit price at your volumes with cavitation stated, material grade assumed, finish assumed, tolerance basis, payment terms, tool ownership and storage terms, and validity period. Nordmould itemises tooling and unit price separately on every quote.

What are red flags in a moulding quote?

Check quotations with no tooling/unit split, cavitation or cycle basis, material grade, sampling schedule, or tool-ownership terms. A lower price can reflect different scope or assumptions. Ask for a written explanation before treating offers as equivalent.

Do I need an NDA before sending drawings?

If drawings contain confidential information, agree an NDA and its scope with Nordmould before file transfer. Contract terms, including governing law, must be agreed for the project.

Injection Moulding RFQ Checklist: What to Send for a Fast, Accurate Quote

Updated: 2026-10-22

A useful RFQ gives suppliers the same revision, requirements and quantities. Mark unknown decisions explicitly so preliminary assumptions are visible. A low price alone does not show poor quality, and complete inputs do not guarantee that no clarification will be needed.

Prefer a printable version your team can tick off? The free DFM & RFQ checklist PDF condenses this guide into a 5-page working document with checkboxes for part data, DFM readiness, materials, tooling, quality and logistics.

How can you compare two quotations on the same scope?

Download the editable quote-comparison worksheet (CSV). It opens in spreadsheet applications and has two blank supplier columns. Fill them from written quotations. A missing figure means unconfirmed, not zero cost. If the file opens in one column, import it as UTF-8 with comma separators.

Start with the same drawing revision, material grade, finish, accepted-part quantity and delivery destination. Then compare tooling and recurring charges separately. Ask both suppliers to clarify sampling, corrections, inspection, maintenance, ownership, storage and transfer terms before comparing totals.

Difference between quotes	Question to resolve
Lower tool price, higher part price	At the volume you can use before a design revision, which total is lower?
Different cavities or tool material	Are tool-life targets, cycle assumptions and maintenance responsibilities equivalent?
One price excludes sampling or freight	What is the first-batch total after adding each applicable charge?
Different inspection scope	Do both offers cover the same critical features and acceptance criteria?

For the first batch, compare tooling + quantity × unit price + setup + inspection + finishing + packing/freight + other applicable quoted charges. Keep taxes and import handling on the same basis. For repeat batches, account for agreed maintenance and further setup charges. A lower comparable total does not establish supplier capability or quality: check those separately.

What files should the RFQ include?

Item	Required?	Why it matters
STEP (.stp) per part	Essential	The geometry the tool is priced from
2D drawing (PDF)	Strongly recommended	Carries tolerances, threads, finish marks, cosmetic faces, critical dimensions
Material spec or requirements	Essential	Drives resin cost, shrinkage, tool steel and process
Annual + lifetime volumes	Essential	Sets tool class, steel and cavitation
Target timeline	Recommended	Determines tooling route (aluminium vs steel) and slot availability
Assembly context (mating parts)	Helpful	Reveals tolerance stack and weld-line constraints
Compliance needs (food, medical, UL, REACH)	If applicable	Filters materials and documentation requirements

Which specifications move the price most?

Five items account for most of the quote. The 3D model sets machining time and mechanisms. The material sets resin cost and shrinkage behaviour. Volumes help assess cavitation and tool construction alongside geometry, resin and the required service life. Cosmetic requirements set polishing and texturing hours. Tolerances set machining method, steel quality and inspection effort.

Two of these are habitually over-specified. Tolerances: apply tight limits only to functional features — blanket ±0.05 mm across a drawing multiplies cost without adding function. Finish: specify per face, not per part — mirror-polishing internal ribs is pure waste. The surface finishes guide maps the grades to costs.

What should the quote tell you?

A quote you can act on itemises: tooling price and lead time; unit price at your stated volumes with cavitation and assumed cycle; the material grade quoted; the finish standard assumed; the tolerance basis; payment terms (typically a deposit on tooling); tool ownership, storage and maintenance terms; and validity period.

Compare tooling cost plus unit price multiplied by expected lifetime volume, with maintenance and other quoted charges included. A more expensive tool with a lower unit price becomes cheaper only when enough parts are ordered. The break-even quantity is the extra tooling cost divided by the unit-price saving. Use the part-cost calculator and the cost-per-part guide with comparable assumptions.

What are the red flags?

Check five gaps: one lump figure with no tooling/unit split; no cavitation or cycle basis; no named material grade; no sampling milestone; and no written tool-ownership terms. A lower price can reflect differences in scope, tool construction, inspection or commercial assumptions. Ask suppliers to explain those differences before comparing their totals.

How does the Nordmould RFQ process work?

Send the STEP model, drawing, material requirements and volumes for a written quotation and free DFM review. Nordmould confirms the quotation schedule after reviewing the project scope. Use 100 parts and €3,000 tooling only as preliminary budgeting assumptions, not a guaranteed minimum quantity or fixed price; Nordmould confirms the actual scope and prices in the written quotation. If confidentiality terms are required, agree them before uploading sensitive files.

Turn the checklist into a comparable enquiry

Use the RFQ brief builder to organise your part revision, first and repeat quantities, material decision, critical features and open questions. Copy the result into your procurement brief; it is preparation, not a quotation or a file upload. Write “not yet decided” beside unresolved items rather than supplying a guessed requirement.

For example, “black enclosure, 500 first-off and 2,000 per year, screw bosses must survive repeated assembly; resin grade not selected” is more useful than “quote in ABS”. Add the assembly load and test requirement when known. Do not apply tight tolerances to every dimension to compensate for missing functional requirements.

Once written offers arrive, use the quote comparison tool to expose different quantities, tooling charges and exclusions. Keep any unconfirmed charge open until the supplier answers. When the brief and confidentiality arrangements are ready, request a quotation with the current model and drawing.