Writing an RFQ for a Robot System: The Required Sections
The eleven sections every robotics RFQ needs
- Process description and current measured performance.
- Product range: size, weight, material, variants.
- Required output and cycle time, with the basis of the figure.
- Quality requirements and measurement method.
- Environment: temperature, dust, washdown, available space.
- Existing equipment and interfaces.
- Safety requirements and the applicable standards.
- Utilities available at the cell boundary.
- Deliverables: drawings, backups, manuals, training.
- Commercial terms: milestones, warranty, payment.
- Response format and the deadline for questions.
Ask for the same numbers from everyone
Handle the response as a table: cycle time, uptime assumption, delivery weeks, price, running cost estimate, and the assumptions the vendor used. Without a fixed format, a cheap offer and an expensive one are impossible to compare honestly.
State clearly that the lowest price is not automatically the winner. It changes how vendors bid — fewer hidden exclusions, better documentation.