Guides / For Shops
Nine Things Buyers Send That Ceramic Shops Cannot Quote
May 7, 2026
Shops see the same nine problems in incoming ceramic RFQs. None of them mean the buyer is careless. They mean the drawing came from a metal background, which is where almost every ceramic part starts.
The shops that win these jobs are the ones that spot the problem, quote anyway and offer the fix.
1. A metal general tolerance block
A note saying ±0.05 mm on everything is impossible on as-fired surfaces, which land near 1% of the dimension, and it is expensive on ground surfaces that did not need it.
The question: which features must be ground, and which can stay as fired?
2. “Break all edges” or “deburr”
Meaningless on ceramic and dangerous, because the shop must choose an interpretation. Unchamfered edges chip in handling, and over chamfering ruins a fit.
The question: can we apply a 0.2 x 45 degree chamfer to all edges unless you specify otherwise?
3. Sharp internal corners
The wheel has a radius. The drawing does not.
The question: can we put R0.5 in the internal corners, or is the corner a functional fit?
4. Threads
Usually inherited from a metal design and rarely necessary.
The question: can this become a clearance hole with a metal fastener, or a brazed insert?
5. No stated quantity per year
A ten piece order and a ten piece order that repeats monthly are different parts commercially, and possibly different routes.
The question: what is the annual volume, even approximately?
6. A grade that is not a specification
“Alumina” or “ceramic” with no purity, density or grain size, on a part where those things matter.
The question: is the grade fixed by a specification, or would you like a recommendation based on the environment?
7. A blanket surface finish note
Ra called out across every face, when one face seals and five are structural.
The question: which faces are functional, and what do they do?
8. No function statement
The most expensive omission. Without it every surface looks equally important and the quote reflects that.
The question: in one sentence, what does this part do and what does it touch?
9. A date that does not account for blanks
Buyers assume machining sets the schedule. Blank availability and kiln loading usually do.
The question: is the grade flexible if it means meeting your date from stock?
How to ask all nine at once
Send one message with the four or five questions that actually apply, each with your recommended answer attached. That way the buyer can reply “yes to all” in one line, which is what busy engineers do.
It also demonstrates, without saying so, that you machine this material every week. That is worth more than any capability statement on a website. The buyer facing version of the same list is the ceramic RFQ checklist, which is worth sending as a link.
If you want requests that arrive with these answers already in them, register your shop. We ask the buyer before the request reaches you. Reply within 24 business hours.
Frequently asked questions
Should a shop quote an incomplete RFQ or ask first?
Ask, but ask once and ask specifically. A single message listing the four things you need beats a slow back and forth, and it positions you as the shop that knows the material.
How do you tell a buyer their drawing is wrong without losing the job?
Quote what they sent, then quote the alternative with the change and the saving next to it. Buyers respond to a number, not to a lecture about brittle materials.
Is it worth educating buyers at all?
Yes. The buyer who learns which callouts cost money sends better RFQs for years afterwards, and they send them to the shop that taught them.
Need a quote for this part?
Send the drawing. We match you with up to 3 shops that grind this grade and reply within 24 business hours.
Get matched with a ceramic shop