How to deal with foundry in China?

Some foreign friends once asked me how to deal with foundry in China, so I think it is necessary to share our experience about this issue.

Before you are planning to deal with a metal foundry, I think you have already seen their websites and already have a good image to them. Then, you could deal with them by the following steps.

1. Send enquiry to the foundry

You need to send photos, drawings, annual demand and other technical requirements to the foundry, including the unit weight for rough castings or machined parts. The requirements should also include surface coating, painting, packing, heat treatment, casting hardness, material degrees etc. In short words, provide all information in your hand. More information will help the foundry to calculate the detail production costs, then their quotation will be more accurate.

2. Negotiate payment terms and delivery

When you think the prices of some foundry are reasonable, then you could negotiate the payment terms and delivery terms. Take our Dandong Foundry as example, as for small order, such as several tons, we normally need 30% prepayment (payment in advance) with orders, then 70% payment after delivery with the copy of Bill of Lading (B/L). As for the larger orders, normally 30% prepayment, 50% after delivery, and final 20% within 30 days after acceptance. Of course, the payment terms is negotiable.

As for the delivery, normally, FOB at some sea port in China, or CIF at the destination port in the country of clients.

3. Place an order for samples

If your demand is large, then samples are necessary in case of big loss. Normally, the foundries could supply the samples free of charge if the sample is not very large. However, the buyers need to pay the costs for casting patterns. If the foundry is failed to meet the quality requirements, and give up the project, then the buyers could collect the patterns, or request some refund payment to the patterns. Of course, it will not be a happy thing when this case happens.

4. Collect and inspect the samples

Normally, the buyers need to collect the samples, then inspect them by their own engineers or third party inspection lab. This step is important to establish a standard to the product quality. If the samples are not acceptable, then the buyers need to instruct the problems, and the foundry need to solve the problems, and remake the samples until all aspects are acceptable and qualified.

5. Please an initial small order

Even the samples are qualified, it will not mean there will be no problems for the batch production. During mass production, the new problems will happen. So, it is necessary for the casting buyers to place a small order as for the initial trial, then they need to inspect the quality to the castings, and check if all of the products are qualified, and solve the new problems together with the foundry. After that, the buyers could place more and more orders.

When you deal with foundry, you should have preparation to the failure. Sometimes, the foundry can not solve the technical problems. Making a new type of metal casting is not an easy thing as you buy an existed product. Of course, both casting buyers and foundries should have trust, confidence and patience to each other, otherwise, the successful cooperation will be impossible.

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