A non-standard automation RFQ rarely fails on price alone. It fails because the buyer and the builder are quoting two different machines. One side pictures a workstation that feeds, positions, presses, inspects and unloads; the other side reads a list of keywords and designs something narrower. Before a supplier can estimate a realistic cycle time, structure or control scope, they need the process described in the same detail you would hand a new operator — and they need to know which parts of that description you already control.
What the equipment has to handle
Start with the workpiece, not the machine. Send drawings or samples for every part the equipment will touch, and state the tolerance range, the surface condition on arrival, and whether the parts come in nested, loose, on trays or in bulk. A feeding mechanism that works for a machined bracket in one orientation is a jam for the same bracket in another. If you can also state how the parts are presented today and how you expect them to arrive in the future, the supplier can tell you whether they are designing a feeder, a singulation station or a manual load position.
The process steps in scope, one by one
List every action in the cell in sequence: load, orient, position, assemble, press, cure, mark, test, sort, unload. Mark which steps you want automated, which stay manual, and which are open for discussion. For each automated step, say what "done" looks like — a dimension within a range, a function that passes, a visual defect below a size threshold. A supplier who is told "automated assembly" will design for the minimum; a supplier who is told "press to a controlled depth, then verify concentricity and reject NG parts into a bin" designs the press, the sensor and the sorting logic. If your line has more than one candidate design, ask for both. Custom machinery is rarely a single-answer problem, and a comparison of two proposals exposes assumptions faster than a question about price.
Cycle time, capacity and volume mix
Give the takt time you need, the shift pattern, and the annual volume — plus the product variants that must run through the same equipment and how often changeovers happen. Changeover frequency is the variable that quietly decides whether you need quick-change fixtures, a recipe-driven control system or two smaller workstations. Say whether the target applies to one part number or a family, and whether the volume is steady or seasonal.
Quality standard and inspection method
Describe the defect types you care about, how they are judged today, and what the acceptable escape rate is. State whether inspection happens in-line, at the end of the cell or downstream — that decision drives sensor count, reject handling and the amount of data you can collect. If you keep inspection records now, share the format; if you want records and have none, say so, because traceability requirements change the control architecture and the deliverables.
Site conditions and utilities
Provide the available floor space and layout drawing, ceiling or column height limits, floor loading, door widths for delivery, power supply and phase, compressed-air availability, and any environmental constraint — cleanroom class, temperature, humidity, dust, explosion risk or washdown exposure. A machine that fits on paper often cannot pass a doorway or cannot be serviced with the clearance given. Note the network and data interfaces the equipment must connect to, if any.
Control system, safety and standards
Name the PLC, HMI or motion platform your maintenance team already supports, or ask for a recommendation if you have no standard. State the safety expectations: guarding, light curtains, interlocks, e-stop arrangement, lockout requirements and any applicable directive or national standard for the installation country. Safety scope is where unpriced assumptions appear most often, so state it as a requirement rather than leaving it to the builder.
Commercial and delivery terms that change the quote
State whether drawings exist, at what revision, and who owns them after the project. Confirm the delivery model you expect: design only, prototype, small batch, or full production line. Specify the acceptance method you intend to use — a factory acceptance test against cycle time and yield, then an on-site run at your plant — and who pays for travel, training and spare parts. List required deliverables explicitly: layout, 3D model, 2D fabrication drawings, electrical schematics, PLC and HMI programs, fixture drawings, BOM, operating manual, test report and acceptance criteria.
The questions that expose an unsuitable supplier
Ask what the supplier plans to test before shipment and what they cannot verify without your samples. Ask which parts of your request they would do semi-automatically rather than fully automatically, and why. A builder who agrees to automate every step you asked for, without pushing back, has not read the process description carefully. Ask who will run the mechanical, electrical and software work internally and what is subcontracted, then ask how commissioning, training and after-sales support are handled once the machine is on your floor.
If you want a proposal that can be compared line by line, send the same complete package to each supplier and require the same structure back. Our engineering team works from process analysis through machine build, testing and on-site delivery — see our non-standard automation equipment services, the engineering services we provide around equipment development, and the integrated engineering team services for projects that need design and build support together. Send your part drawings, process list and target takt time to sales@powerde.net and we will tell you which steps are worth automating first.
