The short answer
To compare CNC turning quotes, first make them describe the same job: the same drawing revision, material grade, finish, inspection, quantity, Incoterm and delivery date. Then compare what it costs to get good parts to your door, not the unit price on the page. In 2018, Modern Machine Shop reported bids for the same job varying by as much as ten times, and one reason it names is that shops read the same drawing differently.
A note on who wrote this: we are a CNC turning factory in Dongguan, so our quote may be one of those on your desk. Each section gives the general method first, then how our own quotation handles it. Jump to the comparison sheet
Send every supplier the same request
Most quote differences start in the request. Send each supplier the same PDF drawing and revision, the material grade, the finish, the inspection and reports you need, two or three quantities, the Incoterm with your destination, and the date you need parts. Ask each supplier to state what it assumed wherever your drawing is silent.
How we answer: we quote new parts from a PDF drawing with dimensions, tolerances and material, and Yong Zhang, our Technical Director, reviews it for geometry, material, inspection and quantity first. A formal quotation follows within 1 working day of a complete drawing. What to include with your drawing
Put every quote on one basis
Line the quotes up in one table, then convert them to the same delivery point. Under the ICC Incoterms rules, an EXW price is at the factory gate, FOB is loaded on board at the Chinese port, and DDP is delivered to your address with duties and import VAT paid. To compare an EXW or FOB quote with a DDP one, add freight, duty and customs clearance, and ask how import VAT is handled: under DDP the supplier clears the goods, so check whether you can still reclaim it. Convert every quote to one currency at the same day’s rate, and spread one-time charges such as fixtures over the quantity you expect to buy over the part’s life. See a worked example
How we answer: we quote EXW, FOB or DDP. Our quotation always shows unit price and total, quantity, material, surface finish (when the part has one), production lead time, Incoterm and validity date. Fixtures, and freight on EXW and FOB quotes, are separate lines; a DDP price includes freight, duties and import VAT. Packaging is included in the unit price. If a shipment is short, we send the balance; extra parts are not charged. Each quotation states its validity, usually 7–10 days. What our quotation shows
Why the same drawing gets different prices
Some of the gap is real. Shops differ in machines, in how busy they are and in how they read a drawing. On turned parts, a feature that a Swiss-type or mill-turn machine finishes in one setup may take a second operation on a simpler lathe. Material is a large share of the price: about 40% of our unit price on average, and up to 70% on simple parts, so a quote for the wrong grade can look far lower. For undimensioned features we work to ISO 2768-mK unless the drawing says otherwise; a supplier assuming a looser class is quoting an easier part.
Quantity matters too: setup is shared across the batch, so a quote at a smaller quantity is not comparable with one at a larger quantity. The inspection method matters as well: on a C36000 brass sleeve, agreeing how the precision bore is gauged helped bring the cycle from 6 to 3.5 minutes a part. How batch size changes the unit price
Question the lowest quote before you accept it
A low quote can come from a better process, or from a mistake. Before you accept it, check whether the supplier asked any questions, named the material grade and finish, stated the inspection, the Incoterm and the lead time, and gave an expiry date. Then ask it to confirm in writing what the price includes. A supplier that revises its quote after your questions is not a bad sign; one that will not say what it assumed is.
How we answer: we cost every part on its real machining time, and if a price will not work for you, we tell you straight away.
Compare lead times on the same calendar
A lead time means little without its start date. Ten days from your purchase order, from your deposit and from your approval of the first article are three different delivery dates. Ask for production days and transit days separately, and ask whether outside finishing is included in the production days.
How we answer: typical production lead time is 15–20 days, usually counted from the day after the purchase order, and your quotation states the lead time for your order. On delivered quotes we state the transit time as a separate estimate.
Price the risk, not only the parts
The lowest quote can cost the most if parts arrive wrong. Compare what each supplier puts in writing: replacement or refund, who pays the freight, and how many days you have to report a problem. Ten questions to ask a supplier
How we answer: parts that do not meet the drawing are replaced or refunded free of charge, with freight both ways paid by us, if reported within 30 days of receiving the goods. We take trial runs from 200 pcs, so you can check our parts before you commit to volume. Send a drawing for a quote
A worked example
Illustrative numbers, not a quotation. Freight and duty vary with the part, the route and the tariff code.
| Per order of 2,000 pcs | Supplier A, EXW | Supplier B, DDP |
|---|---|---|
| Unit price on the quote | €1.20 | €1.55 |
| Freight and customs clearance | €400.00 | Included |
| Duty, assumed 3% | €84.00 | Included |
| Fixtures, one time | €300.00 | None |
| Delivered cost per piece, first order | €1.59 | €1.55 |
| Delivered cost per piece over 3 orders | €1.49 | €1.55 |
On the first order, B costs less. Over the life of the part, A does, because the fixture charge is paid once. Import VAT is left out of both columns: ask each supplier how it is handled, and check with your customs broker whether you can reclaim it.
The comparison sheet
Copy these lines into one table, with one column per supplier. Where a quote leaves a line blank, ask before you compare.
| Line | What to check | Why it moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing revision | The same revision on every quote. | A different revision is a different part. |
| Material | An exact grade and condition, such as 6061-T6, not “aluminum”. | On a simple turned part, material can be most of the price. |
| Surface finish | The named finish and specification, and whether it is in the price. | Anodizing, plating and heat treatment are usually bought in per batch. |
| Tolerances | The general tolerance assumed for undimensioned features. | A finer class means slower cutting and more checks. |
| Inspection | First-article check, sampling plan and which reports you get. | Every check takes machine or inspector time. |
| Quantity | The same quantity breaks from every supplier. | Setup is shared across the batch, so unit price falls as quantity rises. |
| One-time charges | Fixtures, programming and sample fees on their own lines. | Spread them over the quantity you expect to buy over the part’s life, not the first order. |
| Packaging | Included in the unit price, or charged extra. | Special packing can be a separate line on some quotes. |
| Currency | One currency, converted at the same day’s rate. | A quote in another currency carries exchange-rate risk until you pay. |
| Quantity tolerance | Whether the supplier may ship over or under the ordered quantity, and by how much. | You pay for what ships, and incoming inspection counts it. |
| Incoterm | The same term and the same destination. | EXW and FOB leave freight, duty and clearance to you; DDP includes them. |
| Lead time | Production days, the day they start counting, and transit days. | Ten days from your order and ten days from sample approval are different dates. |
| Validity | An expiry date on the quote. | Material prices move; an expired quote may be repriced. |
| Payment terms | Deposit, balance and when each is due. | Changes your cash flow and risk, not the part. |
What our quotation shows
| Always | unit price and total, quantity, material, surface finish (when the part has one), production lead time, Incoterm and validity date |
|---|---|
| When it applies | packaging method, fixtures, programming, sample fee and payment terms |
| On separate lines | freight on EXW and FOB quotes and fixtures |
| Not shown | A breakdown of our internal costs. We quote the part price and the total. |
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