Aerospace RFQ Checklist for Machined and Fabricated Parts
An aerospace RFQ should give a supplier everything that affects price, schedule, and acceptance: the drawing at the right revision, material and finish specs, inspection and FAI requirements, cert package, export classification, quantities, and a real need date. Anything left out gets guessed, padded, or argued about after the PO.
Why a complete RFQ saves money and time
Suppliers price risk. When a requirement is missing, a careful shop either adds margin to cover what might be required, or quotes the minimum and sends a change order once the real requirement surfaces. Both cost you more than stating it up front.
A complete RFQ also makes quotes comparable. If one shop assumed a full first article and another did not, the lower number is not a better price. It is a different job. The checklist below is built so you can copy it into your own RFQ template.
The checklist
1. Technical data
- Drawing number and revision letter, with every referenced drawing and parts list
- 3D model (STEP or native) if one exists, and which governs when model and drawing disagree
- Applicable specifications called out on the drawing, at their revision
- Any engineering changes, deviations, or redlines not yet incorporated
2. Material
- Alloy, temper, and material specification (for example an AMS or ASTM spec)
- Whether you supply the material or the supplier buys it
- Mill certs and heat lot traceability required, yes or no
- Specialty metals or domestic melt requirements if the contract carries them
3. Finish and special processes
- Finish specs with type, class, and color where applicable
- Heat treat, NDT, plating, passivation, or cleaning specs
- Whether processors must be Nadcap accredited or on your customer's approved list
- Marking and identification method and location
4. Inspection and acceptance
- First article inspection required, full or partial, and to which standard (usually AS9102)
- Inspection level for production: sampling plan or 100 percent
- Key characteristics and any required CMM reports
- Source inspection or government source inspection, if any
5. Certifications and quality clauses
- Certificate of conformance contents
- Material and process certs to be delivered
- Your quality clauses or flow-down document, by number and revision
- Required supplier quality system (for example AS9100)
- Counterfeit parts prevention requirements for purchased components
6. Export control and data handling
- Export jurisdiction and classification: ITAR (USML category), EAR (ECCN), or not controlled
- Whether the data is controlled unclassified information and which DFARS clauses apply
- How files will be transferred, and that only US persons may access controlled data
- NDA requirement before files are released
7. Commercial terms
- Quantities to quote, ideally two or three price breaks
- Need date and whether partial shipments are acceptable
- DPAS rating, if the order is rated (DO or DX)
- Packaging, preservation, and labeling requirements
- Ship-to location, Incoterms or FOB point, and quote due date
What each item protects you from
| RFQ item | Why it matters | What goes wrong if it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing revision | Defines the exact configuration | Parts built to an old rev, rework or scrap |
| Material spec and certs | Sets cost and traceability | Wrong temper, no mill certs, parts rejected at receiving |
| Finish and process specs | Drives outside processing cost and source | Non-approved processor, parts stripped and refinished |
| FAI requirement | Inspection labor is priced in or not | Surprise change order or delayed acceptance |
| Quality clauses | Tells the supplier what it must comply with | Missing records your customer audits later |
| Export classification | Decides who may see the data | Unauthorized export, compliance exposure for both parties |
| Quantities | Spreads setup cost | Unit prices that do not reflect your real demand |
| Need date | Sets schedule and expedite cost | Late parts or paid expedites |
| DPAS rating | Creates legal priority obligations | Supplier unaware it must accept or reject on time |
Drawings, revisions, and the model
State which document governs. Many aerospace drawings are model-based or reference a model for some features. If the drawing and model disagree and the RFQ is silent, the supplier has to guess or stop and ask. Send the full drawing tree, not only the top sheet, and list every specification the drawing calls out so the supplier can confirm it has access to each one.
If you are buying to a drawing that is about to change, say so. Quoting a revision that will be superseded before the PO is a common source of rework.
Material, specialty metals, and supplied stock
Name the material specification, not only the alloy. Two lots of the same alloy bought to different specs may not be interchangeable for your customer. If you will furnish material, say how much, its condition, and whether it comes with certs.
For DoD contracts, DFARS 252.225-7009 restricts certain specialty metals, including titanium and many alloy steels, nickel alloys, and cobalt alloys, to material melted or produced in the United States, its outlying areas, or a qualifying country, and the clause flows down to subcontracts for items containing those metals. If it applies to you, put it in the RFQ so suppliers quote compliant material and certs.
Inspection, FAI, and certs
Say whether you need a first article, and if so whether it is full or partial and to which standard. AS9102 is the usual aerospace standard. Our first article inspection guide explains the three forms and when a new FAI is triggered.
List what the certificate of conformance must state and which other certs must ship with the parts. If your customer requires a specific C of C format, attach it. If purchased electronic parts or hardware are part of the build, include your counterfeit prevention requirements; see counterfeit parts avoidance.
Export classification and controlled data
Every RFQ for aerospace or defense hardware should say whether the technical data is controlled under the ITAR, the EAR, or neither. The classification decides who may see the files and how they must be sent. If the data is controlled unclassified information under a DoD contract, the safeguarding clauses in that contract, such as DFARS 252.204-7012, usually need to flow down as well.
Do not attach controlled drawings to a general RFQ email or upload them to a public web form. With us, ITAR, EAR, and CUI data never moves through the website. It moves by secure transfer to US persons only, after an NDA. See our confidentiality and export control page for how that works.
Quantities, need date, and rated orders
Ask for two or three quantities. The spread between them shows how much setup you are paying for and helps you choose a sensible lot size. Give a need date you can defend, and say whether partial deliveries help.
If your order carries a Defense Priorities and Allocations System rating, put it on the RFQ and the PO. Under 15 CFR 700.13, a supplier generally must accept a rated order, and must accept or reject a DO rated order within 15 working days of receipt and a DX rated order within 10 working days. A supplier who does not know the order is rated cannot meet those obligations.
Common RFQ mistakes
- Sending only the top-level drawing without referenced sheets and specs
- Writing "per print" for certs without saying which certs
- Leaving out the finish or process source requirement
- Requesting one quantity when the real demand is several releases
- Giving a need date with no room for outside processing
- Attaching export-controlled files to an open email thread
- Changing requirements after quotes are in without re-quoting everyone
Most of these show up later as price changes, missed dates, or rejected paperwork. Ten extra minutes on the RFQ usually avoids all of them. The aerospace machining cost guide shows how each of these items moves the price.
Send a complete RFQ to one point of contact
Use the CNC machining quote form and attach what you have. A person replies within 1 business day, and if something on this checklist is missing, we ask for it rather than guess. We flow your requirements to the suppliers we match, so every quote reflects the same scope, and you get one quote, one lead time, and one purchase order. For controlled data, contact us first and we will set up secure transfer. More on the service at aerospace CNC machining.
Questions
What should be included in an aerospace RFQ?
At minimum: the drawing and its revision with all referenced sheets and specs, material specification and cert requirements, finish and special process specs, first article and inspection requirements, the certificate of conformance contents and quality clauses, export classification, quantities with price breaks, and a need date. Add packaging, ship-to, any DPAS rating, and counterfeit prevention requirements when they apply. Leaving any of these out invites padded or non-comparable quotes.
Should I send export-controlled drawings with my RFQ?
Not by ordinary email or a public web form. Classify the data first under the ITAR or the EAR, then send it only to suppliers whose people are authorized to receive it, through a secure transfer method. Aerospace Sourcing never takes ITAR, EAR, or CUI data through its website. Controlled files move by secure transfer to US persons only after an NDA. Our confidentiality page explains the process.
How many quantities should I ask suppliers to quote?
Two or three is usually enough. For example, quote your immediate need, your expected annual quantity, and a middle point. Because setup and first article costs are spread over the lot, the unit price often drops as quantity rises. Seeing the spread helps you decide whether a larger lot or a blanket order with scheduled releases is worth it, without committing to inventory you do not need.
Do I need to tell suppliers my order is DPAS rated?
Yes. A DPAS rating on a defense order creates legal duties for the supplier. Under 15 CFR 700.13, a supplier generally must accept a rated order and must accept or reject a DO rated order within 15 working days and a DX rated order within 10 working days. Put the rating on the RFQ and the purchase order so the supplier knows its obligations from the start.
What is the most common reason aerospace quotes come back wrong?
Missing or vague requirements. Writing "certs per print" without naming them, leaving out the finish source requirement, or sending only the top drawing sheet forces suppliers to assume. Some assume the minimum and change-order you later, while others pad the price for what might be required. A complete RFQ makes quotes comparable and keeps the PO price close to the final cost.
Related
Sources
- Acquisition.gov, DFARS 252.225-7009 Restriction on Acquisition of Certain Articles Containing Specialty Metals
- Cornell Law (eCFR text), 15 CFR 700.13 Acceptance and rejection of rated orders
- SAE International, AS9102C Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement
- Acquisition.gov, DFARS 252.204-7012 Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting
- Acquisition.gov, FAR 52.246-26 Reporting Nonconforming Items
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