Most magnet quotes come back slow or wrong for one reason: the RFQ didn’t say enough. “I need a strong 20 mm magnet, please quote” leaves the supplier guessing at grade, tolerance, coating, and temperature — so you get a list of questions instead of a price.
A good RFQ fixes that. It gives the supplier everything needed to price the part right the first time. This guide covers what to include, gives you a template to paste into an email, and lists the mistakes that slow every quote down.
What a Good RFQ Answers
A useful RFQ answers three things before the supplier has to ask:
- What is it? — shape, size, magnetization
- How well must it perform? — grade, temperature, coating
- How many, and under what rules? — quantity, compliance, lead time
Fill these in and you get a fast, accurate quote. Leave them blank and the supplier prices in the risk — meaning a higher number and a slower reply.
Here’s the difference:
| Item | Vague | Quote-ready |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | “strong magnet” | “N42SH, or your equivalent for 150 °C” |
| Size | “about 20 mm round” | “Ø20.0 × 5.0 mm, ±0.05 mm” |
| Magnetization | (missing) | “Axial, through the 5 mm thickness” |
| Coating | “coated” | “NiCuNi, ≥48 h salt spray” |
| Temperature | (missing) | “Continuous 120 °C, peaks to 150 °C” |
| Quantity | “some” | “5,000 pcs sample, 50,000 pcs/yr” |
| Compliance | (missing) | “RoHS + REACH, IMDS, Dy/Tb-free preferred” |
Grade: Give the Temperature, Not Just a Name
Pick a grade if you have a proven one (N42, N45SH, N52). But always add the working temperature — that’s what really decides the grade.
The letters after the number (M, H, SH, UH, EH) mean higher heat resistance, and higher grades use more dysprosium and terbium, which cost more. So if your part runs cool, don’t order SH out of habit — you’d be paying for heat resistance you’ll never use.
Not sure which grade? Just write “please recommend a grade for [temperature] and [application].” That’s a stronger RFQ than a wrong grade stated with confidence.
Size: Full Dimensions and Real Tolerances
A nominal size alone can’t be quoted. Include every dimension with a number, plus a tolerance on each (or one general note).
Tight tolerances cost more — every ±0.05 mm and below means extra grinding. So don’t put one tight tolerance on everything. Tighten only what matters for fit and function, and open up the rest. Suppliers price to the tightest number they see.
Magnetization: The Most-Forgotten Field
This one is left out more than any other, and it changes both tooling and price. Always state:
- Direction, tied to a dimension (“axial, through the 5 mm thickness”)
- Poles, for rings and rotors
- Magnetized or not on delivery (magnetized parts need special packing)
If you send a drawing, mark the direction with an arrow. Leaving it blank guarantees a follow-up question.
Coating: Match It to the Environment
NdFeB rusts without a coating, but the right one depends on where the magnet lives. Instead of guessing at a coating name, tell the supplier:
- The environment — dry indoor, humid, salt fog, chemical, or medical
- A salt-spray target if corrosion is a real risk (e.g. “≥48 h per ISO 9227”)
Options run from NiCuNi for indoor use, to epoxy for humidity, to zinc or specialty coatings for tougher conditions. Describe the problem and let the supplier pick the coating.
Temperature: Say How Hot It Gets
NdFeB loses strength as it heats, so temperature belongs in every RFQ. Give:
- Continuous temperature and peak temperature
- A note on the assembly (air gap, steel path, nearby magnets) if you can
This prevents the most common NdFeB failure: a magnet that tests fine on the bench but loses output once it’s hot in the real assembly.
Quantity: Show the Volume
Price drops with volume, so share the real numbers:
- Sample quantity and production quantity
- Annual usage, and whether it’s one-time or recurring
Telling the supplier your 5,000-piece sample leads to a 50,000-piece yearly order changes both the price and how fast you get quoted. Hiding volume usually just gets you sample pricing.
Compliance: Say It Up Front
Compliance affects lead time and paperwork, so put it in the RFQ — not after the PO. List what you need: RoHS, REACH, IMDS, a Declaration of Conformity, PPAP, or test reports.
One lead-time note worth stating: some high-coercivity grades rely heavily on dysprosium and terbium, which can fall under China’s dual-use export controls and add licensing time. Dy/Tb-free grades avoid that — they ship under standard procedure, often in about 25–30 days, with no dual-use permit. If your schedule is tight, ask which grades keep you on that standard, permit-free lane.
One Line of Context Helps a Lot
You don’t have to share your design, but one sentence about what the magnet does — “drives a BLDC rotor” or “holding magnet in a door latch” — often tells an engineer more than three lines of specs. It lets the supplier catch problems and suggest better options.
Copy-Paste RFQ Template
Paste this into an email, fill the brackets, delete what doesn’t apply, and attach a drawing if you have one:
NdFeB Magnet RFQ 1. Part / project: [ ] 2. Application: [what it does] 3. Shape: [disc / block / ring / arc] 4. Dimensions: [Ø / L×W×H, in mm] 5. Tolerances: [per dimension, or general] 6. Magnetization: [direction + poles; magnetized or not] 7. Grade: [grade, OR "recommend for temp + app"] 8. Temperature: [continuous / peak, °C] 9. Assembly: [air gap, steel path, if known] 10. Coating: [type, OR environment + salt-spray target] 11. Quantity: [sample + production + annual usage] 12. Compliance: [RoHS / REACH / IMDS / PPAP / reports] 13. Lead time: [needed by date] 14. Destination / Incoterms: [ ]
Fifteen minutes here saves several rounds of email.
Mistakes That Slow Quotes Down
- One tolerance on everything — prices to the tightest number
- Grade with no temperature — the heat is what sets the cost
- No magnetization direction — always the first follow-up
- Hidden volume — sample quantities get sample pricing
- Compliance after the PO — it changes price and schedule
- A photo instead of dimensions — a picture shows intent, not specs
FAQ
What does a supplier need to quote an NdFeB magnet? Shape and dimensions with tolerances, magnetization, grade or temperature, coating or environment, and quantity — plus compliance and lead time. The template above covers it all.
Do I have to name the exact grade? No. If you have a proven grade, give it. If not, give the temperature and application and let the supplier recommend one.
How do I specify coating if I don’t know what I need? Describe the environment and a salt-spray target. Let the supplier match it to a coating.
Why do suppliers always ask about temperature? Because NdFeB demagnetizes as it heats, and an open-circuit magnet loses strength at a lower temperature than one in a closed loop. Temperature decides whether your grade is safe.
How fast can I get a quote? A complete RFQ often turns around in a day or two. Standard Dy/Tb-free grades also stay on the permit-free export lane — often around 25–30 days for delivery.
Send Us Your RFQ
An application and a rough idea of what you need is enough to start. Send your specs — or just the application and target temperature — and we’ll come back with a grade recommendation, a coating that fits your environment, and a quote you can compare. We’ve quoted sintered NdFeB for years across Europe, Turkey, India, Vietnam, and the USA, and we’ll flag the Dy/Tb-free options that keep your shipment on the standard, permit-free schedule.
Email your RFQ to Tony Pan at tony@xh-magnet.com — we’ll reply with a real quote, not a list of questions.
