Engineering · 6 min
Seven Details to Include in a Thermoforming RFQ
Better input produces faster, more comparable proposals. These seven details remove the most common unknowns before design and quotation.
TRAYVORA Packaging Team · Updated July 2026
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1. Product geometry and revision
Send dimensions, 2D drawings, 3D data and representative samples when possible. Record the product revision and indicate tolerances, flexible components and features still changing.
Mark surfaces that cannot be touched, fragile projections, control points and the intended orientation. A supplier cannot infer these reliably from an overall length and width.
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2. Package format and purpose
State whether you need a carded blister, clamshell, carton insert, lidded tray, handling tray or another format. Explain whether the priority is retail visibility, e-commerce protection, assembly-line handling or presentation.
Include drawings for interacting cartons, cards, lids or equipment.
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3. Performance and quality requirements
Define retention, movement, stacking, impact, ESD, cleanliness and cosmetic expectations where relevant. If tests are required, name the complete configuration and acceptance criteria.
Identify critical dimensions and how fit will be checked. Avoid vague directions such as strong, premium or anti-static without a measurable definition.
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4. Material objectives
Describe clarity, color, stiffness, temperature, sealing, recycled-content and market restrictions. Allow the supplier to recommend a material if you do not have a controlled specification.
If a specific grade is mandatory, provide the exact reference and documentation required.
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5. Forecast and release quantity
Provide annual demand, initial order and typical repeat order. These numbers affect tool construction, cavity count, setup allocation and inventory.
Ask for price breaks if the program is uncertain. Do not present an aspirational annual forecast as one purchase order.
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6. Packing, destination and line constraints
State manual or automated loading, line speed, denesting method, carton limits and preferred units per box. Include destination and delivery terms so export packing and freight assumptions are visible.
A part price without packing configuration may hide a significant landed-cost difference.
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7. Approval, timing and commercial scope
Define concept, prototype, tool sample and production approval stages. State the required launch date, but allow the supplier to build a project-specific schedule from file readiness and testing.
Request separate design, tooling and unit pricing, tool ownership terms, assumptions, exclusions and change-control rules.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Practical answers.
Can a supplier quote from photos only?+
A budget estimate may be possible, but reliable tooling and production pricing usually need dimensions, intended format, volume and performance requirements.
Are CAD files required?+
They are very helpful for complex geometry. Physical samples remain valuable for finish, flexibility and fit.
Why disclose annual volume?+
It helps select an appropriate tool and production method and prevents pricing based on the wrong scale.
Should the RFQ name a plastic?+
Only if it is controlled. Otherwise describe performance and market requirements and ask for a reasoned recommendation.