Why "just send us your drawing" isn’t the whole story
Every machine shop says the same thing: send us your print and we’ll quote it. True, but that’s the minimum, not the fast path. The shops that get a quote back same day or next day aren’t lucky. They sent a complete package the first time. The ones waiting a week almost always sent a PDF with a question mark where the material spec should be.
We quote work for aerospace and defense suppliers, general manufacturers, and local job shops across Middle Tennessee, and the pattern holds no matter who’s asking. Here’s what to send so a CNC machining Murfreesboro shop like ours can turn your quote around fast, and what slows it down.
The five things every fast quote needs
- A real drawing, not a photo of one. PDF drawings with dimensions and tolerances called out, plus a STEP or IGES model if the part is anything beyond simple. A picture of a napkin sketch means a phone call before anyone can price it.
- Material, spelled out. "Aluminum" isn’t a spec. 6061-T6 is. If it’s a certified material for an aerospace job, say so up front so we can plan for cert paperwork and traceability from the start.
- Quantity, and whether it’s a one-time buy or a running number. Prototype pricing and production pricing are different conversations. Tell us if this is one part or the first of an annual release.
- Tolerance and inspection requirements. If everything on the print is +/- .010 that’s a different machine, fixture, and price than a part with a couple of critical features held to a tenth. Flag the tight stuff so we’re not guessing at what actually matters.
- A real target delivery date. "ASAP" tells us nothing. A date lets us tell you honestly whether it’s a normal run or a rush, and what a rush costs.
Send all five and most shops, including ours, can turn a straightforward part quote around in a day or two. Send three of the five and expect a round of emails before pricing starts.
What slows a quote down
The usual culprits: drawings with no revision level, so nobody knows which version is current. Finish or coating called out by a brand name with no spec number behind it. No indication of whether the part is form-fit-function critical or cosmetic. And on defense work, missing information about export control status, which we have to sort out before technical data changes hands at all.
None of this is complicated to fix. It just has to happen before the RFQ goes out, not after a shop asks for it.
What happens after you send an RFQ
At a shop like ours it typically runs: RFQ received and reviewed for completeness, a quick process plan (mill, turn, sheet routing, welding, or some combination) to figure out real cycle time, then pricing back to you with lead time. If it’s a new supplier relationship, there’s a short setup step alongside that, a W-9, any required certifications, and for defense-related work whatever’s needed to confirm we can legally handle the data. None of that has to slow down the number you actually want to see, which is price and lead time.
If you accept, a PO moves it to the floor. If you don’t, that’s fine too. We’d still rather have quoted it right than fast and wrong.
Why it helps to quote local
A machine shop Middle Tennessee company can walk to isn’t just convenient, it changes the conversation. We can talk through a tricky feature on a call the same day, adjust a fixture design without three rounds of email, and if something needs eyes on the actual part, that’s a drive, not a flight. We’re an ITAR-registered, AS9100-aligned shop doing CNC milling and turning, large-format sheet routing, and welding, and we’re also a FANUC Authorized System Integrator and control panel builder, so if a job grows from "make this part" into "automate this cell," that conversation happens with people who already know your parts.
FAQ
Q: Do you quote prototypes or only production runs?
A: Both. Tell us which one it is so the pricing reflects it.
Q: Can you handle ITAR-controlled drawings?
A: Yes, we’re ITAR-registered. Let us know the export control status up front so we handle the data correctly from the first email.
Q: What file formats do you need?
A: PDF drawings with dimensions and GD&T called out, plus STEP or IGES models for anything beyond a simple bracket or plate.
Q: How fast is fast?
A: A complete RFQ on a straightforward part is usually a day or two. Complex parts, large assemblies, or a first-time material cert can take longer, and we’ll tell you that up front instead of guessing.
Q: What if I don’t have a finished drawing yet?
A: Send what you have and tell us what’s still open. We can usually tell you whether it’s quotable as-is or what’s missing before you spend more time on the print.
Ready to send an RFQ? Request a quote at blackpearlllc.com and we’ll tell you exactly what we need to get you a number fast.