Prepare a Custom Optics RFQ ——Complete checklist for technical inquiries
Knowledge Center · Engineering Selection Guide
Prepare a Custom Optics RFQ
Complete checklist for technical inquiries
Prepare a clear custom optics inquiry covering drawings, materials, dimensions, coatings, inspection, quantities and delivery. Includes a copy-and-complete English RFQ template.
View the Selection Table1. What Makes an Optical RFQ Complete?
A useful request for quotation gives a supplier enough information to assess manufacturability, price the same scope you expect to receive, and identify unresolved technical questions. It does not require every design choice to be final. Unknown items can be stated explicitly and submitted for engineering review.
Separate mandatory requirements from preferred targets and open design questions. A concise drawing with clear acceptance notes is usually more useful than a long list of unrelated high-performance specifications. The checklist below is a practical inquiry framework, not a substitute for an approved production drawing.
2. The Core RFQ Checklist
| Category | Information to provide | If not yet defined |
|---|---|---|
| Component identity | Part name, number, drawing revision and application | Use a project identifier and describe the function |
| Geometry | Dimensions, tolerances, aperture and interfaces | Attach a sketch and mark dimensions needing advice |
| Material | Manufacturer grade or approved material specification | State wavelength, environment and permitted alternatives |
| Optical performance | Transmission, reflection, wavefront or other functional limits | Describe the system need and request proposed targets |
| Surface requirements | Surface quality, figure, roughness and edge condition | Ask for recommendations with cost tradeoffs |
| Coatings | Faces, spectral band, angle, polarization and durability | Describe the intended surface function |
| Environment | Temperature, pressure, cleaning and relevant exposures | Give expected conditions and uncertainties |
| Quantity and schedule | Prototype, production quantities and required dates | Request separate options or a budgetary estimate |
| Inspection and documentation | Acceptance methods, sampling and reports | Ask what is included in the quotation |
| Delivery and commercial scope | Destination, packaging and requested cost breakdown | Identify items to be quoted separately |
3. Explain the Application and Optical Function
State whether the part transmits, focuses, reflects, filters or protects an optical path. Identify the source and detector bands and explain which performance issue matters most: signal loss, image distortion, thermal loading, glare, abrasion or another measurable concern.
For laser optics, include wavelength, continuous-wave or pulsed operation, power or pulse energy, pulse duration, repetition rate and beam size at the component. Define the beam-size convention if available. For imaging, include field of view, aperture, viewing angles and any requirement to preserve polarization.
You can provide a functional summary without disclosing an entire proprietary system. Include enough local operating information to avoid selecting a material or coating that is incompatible with the actual use.
4. Provide Controlled Drawings and Supporting Files
Attach a readable dimensional drawing, preferably as a PDF, and a suitable 3D model when curved surfaces, complex machining or assembly interfaces need clarification. For flat patterned parts, a dimensioned drawing plus DXF can help define the outline, holes and printed regions.
Identify the part number, revision, units and applicable notes. State the document hierarchy if the drawing, model and written RFQ overlap. Do not assume a model contains tolerances, optical requirements or inspection rules that are only present in a separate document.
Mark obsolete references clearly and ask the quotation to identify the revision used. Resolve conflicting dimensions through a controlled clarification before production.
5. Specify Geometry, Aperture and Mechanical Interfaces
Include overall size, thickness definition, dimensional tolerances, clear aperture and edge treatment. Add holes, slots, steps, flange dimensions, sealing surfaces and mounting datums where applicable. Identify cosmetic areas separately from precision optical zones.
| Component | Geometry details commonly needed |
|---|---|
| Window or plate | Outline, thickness, wedge or parallelism, aperture, chamfers and holes |
| Lens | Surface prescription, radii, center thickness, diameter and centration requirements |
| Dome | Inner and outer surfaces, opening, height, wall definition, flange and reference axes |
| Prism | Angles, face labels, dimensions, datums and functional faces |
| Display cover | Corner radii, holes, edge finish, print artwork and clear viewing region |
Avoid ambiguous percentages: state whether clear aperture refers to diameter, area or a defined region. Where thickness or radius can be optimized, label the target as provisional rather than presenting conflicting fixed dimensions.
6. Define the Material and Allowed Alternatives
Give the exact material grade when it is mandatory, including manufacturer designation if required. Add crystal orientation, homogeneity, inclusions, absorption or other material requirements only where relevant to the application.
If the material is undecided, provide the operating spectrum, temperature, mechanical exposure and optical targets. Ask the supplier to recommend candidates and explain the tradeoffs. Similar material names or nominal refractive indices do not establish an approved substitution.
State whether alternatives may be quoted, whether they require written approval, and what evidence is needed to assess them. If you will supply the blanks, include their dimensions, condition, quantity and material documentation, and clarify responsibility for processing yield.
7. Separate Optical Performance from Surface Appearance
Specify the optical quantities that affect the system rather than relying on “optical grade” or “high precision.” For each limit, include the wavelength, evaluation aperture and measurement definition when applicable.
| Requirement | Clarifications needed |
|---|---|
| Transmission / reflection | Wavelength range, minimum or average limit, angle, polarization and component versus surface |
| Surface figure | Reference shape, wavelength or length units, aperture, metric and permitted fitted-term removal |
| Wavefront error | Transmitted or reflected, test configuration, wavelength, aperture and mounting state |
| Surface quality | Named inspection system and edition, inspected zones and acceptance conditions |
| Roughness | Parameter, units, measurement area and relevant filtering or spatial scale |
| Wedge / centration | Angular or positional limit and datum or optical-axis definition |
Do not assume that a surface-quality grade specifies flatness or that a surface-figure limit guarantees the same transmitted-wavefront limit. If you need help selecting tolerances, explain the performance objective and request a recommended specification.
8. Specify Coatings and Functional Surface Treatments
Label each surface and identify the required function: AR, reflective, filtering, protective, conductive, AG or AF. Include the operating wavelength range, incidence angles, polarization and medium contacting each optical face.
Identify coating exclusions, bonding areas, electrical contacts and printed regions. For AG or AF display covers, provide appearance references and the intended cleaning or wear conditions. For conductive surfaces, state electrical targets and contact requirements in addition to transmission.
Request the performance of the finished component where that is what the system needs. A coating curve on a witness sample may support process control, but it is not automatically the same as measured performance across a curved or assembled component.
9. Describe the Environment and Assembly Conditions
Provide operating and storage temperatures, thermal cycles, pressure differential, moisture, chemicals, particles and cleaning procedures that the component will encounter. Identify the medium on each side and any contact with adhesives, seals or fluids.
Describe mounting, clamping or bonding when it can affect stress or optical performance. Clarify whether the supplier is quoting a bare optical component, a coated part, a sealed subassembly or a complete assembly.
For qualification-sensitive projects, name the required test specification, edition, severity and post-test acceptance criteria. Assign responsibility for assembly-level validation explicitly. Application labels such as “aerospace” or “high temperature” are not complete acceptance requirements.
10. State Quantities, Forecasts and Timing
Request separate prices for prototype and production quantities. If you are comparing volume options, list the exact quantities rather than asking only for a “best price.” Distinguish a planning forecast from a committed purchase quantity.
State the required arrival date and any earlier prototype or design-review milestone. Ask the supplier to identify what starts the quoted lead time, such as drawing approval, material availability or order confirmation, and whether manufacturing and transit are separate.
If the design is still changing, request a budgetary quotation and identify assumptions that may affect the final price. Ask whether tooling, setup or qualification charges recur on repeat orders; do not assume they are included or automatically credited.
11. Agree on Inspection and Documentation
Identify the characteristics that need measurement reports and the sampling required. Separate routine production inspection from first-article, destructive or environmental qualification testing.
Request appropriate traceability, material documentation, coating data or dimensional reports where needed. State whether data must be specific to each part, a production lot or a witness sample. A certificate of conformity and a measured test report serve different purposes.
Where acceptance can depend on measurement uncertainty or a visual comparison, agree on the decision rule or reference conditions. Ask the supplier to identify any requirement it cannot verify with the proposed inspection method before accepting the quotation.
12. Clarify Packaging, Delivery and Quotation Scope
Provide the destination country and postal code for freight estimates, and specify special packaging, individual identification, cleanliness or handling requirements. Sensitive surfaces may need packaging that prevents contact with the functional aperture.
Ask for unit prices, extended totals, one-time charges, inspection costs, packaging, freight and any exclusions. Request the currency, quotation validity, proposed payment terms and delivery terms. Where a trade term is used, identify the named place and applicable edition.
Have the supplier state whether duties and taxes are included or excluded rather than inferring this from a freight charge. Confirm what is being supplied and who is responsible for installation, calibration or assembly qualification.
13. Copy-and-Complete Technical RFQ Template
Subject: RFQ — [Component Name / Part Number / Revision]
Hello Felix Glass Team,
Please quote the following custom optical component and advise whether the specification is manufacturable as written. Please identify any assumptions, exceptions or recommended alternatives separately.
- Application and function: [Brief description; source/detector or optical task]
- Files: [Drawing number and revision; PDF/model/artwork; document hierarchy]
- Material: [Required grade, or request for recommendation; substitution policy]
- Dimensions: [Size, thickness, geometry, tolerances and mounting interfaces]
- Clear aperture: [Size, location and applicable faces]
- Optical requirements: [Transmission/reflection, figure, wavefront, wedge or centration; test conditions]
- Surface condition: [Surface quality system, roughness, edge requirements]
- Coatings: [S1/S2 functions, wavelength band, angle, polarization, masks and durability]
- Operating conditions: [Temperature, pressure, exposure, cleaning and mounting]
- Laser parameters, if applicable: [Wavelength, power/energy, pulse conditions, beam size and profile]
- Quantities: [Prototype quantities; production price breaks; nonbinding forecast if relevant]
- Schedule: [Required delivery date and intermediate milestones]
- Inspection and records: [Methods, sampling, traceability and required reports]
- Packaging and destination: [Protection, labeling, country and postal code]
- Open items: [Requirements needing advice; alternatives to evaluate]
Please provide unit and total pricing for each quantity, tooling or setup charges, lead time and its starting conditions, inspection scope, packaging and freight options, payment terms, quotation validity, and a list of technical exceptions. Please identify the drawing revision used for your quotation.
Best regards,
[Name / Role / Company]
[Email / Contact details]
Replace each bracket with a requirement or “not yet defined — please advise.” Remove inapplicable items rather than filling them with arbitrary precision values.
14. Frequently Asked Questions
Can I request a quotation without a finished drawing?
Yes. Provide a sketch, application, key dimensions, quantities and known performance needs. Identify the request as budgetary and ask what must be finalized before production.
Should I specify the tightest available tolerances?
Only where the function requires them. Unnecessary precision can increase manufacturing and inspection cost without improving the system.
Can the supplier recommend a material or coating?
Yes, when the operating conditions and performance targets are clear. Require approval of the final selection before production.
Is a photograph enough to reproduce an optical part?
It can help communicate appearance, but normally cannot establish material, optical prescription, tolerances or coating performance.
Should prototype and production requirements be identical?
State any differences explicitly. A simplified prototype may not demonstrate every production requirement, so document what it is intended to validate.
What if a drawing and model disagree?
Resolve the conflict and establish a controlling revision or written clarification before manufacture.
Does a quotation confirm every technical requirement?
Do not assume so. Review exceptions, assumptions, inspection scope and the referenced drawing revision before placing the order.
How can I compare quotations fairly?
Use the same revision, quantity, material, coating, acceptance criteria, documentation and delivery scope, and compare one-time charges and exclusions as well as unit price.
15. Send Your Custom Optics RFQ to Felix Glass
Send your drawing package and completed checklist to Felix Glass for a project-specific review. If the design is incomplete, identify the open decisions and the application priorities so recommendations can be evaluated against the intended function.
Before production, confirm the approved drawing revision, technical exceptions, inspection scope, quantities and commercial terms in writing. An initial inquiry starts the review; the agreed order and controlled specification define the deliverable.
Dongguan Felix Glass Co., Ltd.
Email: james@felixglass.com
