How to Write an RFQ That Gets You an Accurate LCD Quotation
Why an RFQ comes back vague
When a request arrives without a drawing or a quantity, the only honest answer is a wide price range. That is why one supplier replies with “0.30 to 1.20 USD” and another replies with a firm price — the difference is usually the request, not the factory.
The eight items that matter
- Outline drawing — DXF, DWG, PDF, or a photo with dimensions. This defines tooling and therefore the largest fixed cost.
- Duty and bias, or the controller you use — it decides the glass design and the number of pins.
- Operating voltage and temperature range — these drive the LCD fluid and polarizer choice.
- Viewing direction — 6 o’clock for a device looked at from above, 12 o’clock for a handheld.
- Display mode — reflective, transmissive or transflective, and positive or negative.
- Connector and pinout — FPC, metal pin or zebra, with the assignment if you already have it.
- Annual quantity and order pattern — one order of 50,000 and twelve orders of 4,000 are different prices.
- Target date — whether you need samples for a design review or production parts for a build.
What to do if you do not have a drawing
Send what you have: a photo of the display you are replacing, the dimensions, the digits you need to show, and the housing it must fit. A drawing can be produced from that, and it is usually cheaper than discovering a mismatch after tooling.
What a good reply looks like
A serious quotation states tooling cost, unit price at two or three quantity breaks, sample lead time, production lead time, MOQ and the payment terms — plus the questions the supplier still needs answered. If a reply contains none of these, the price is a guess.