Filling machine buyer workbench
Filling Machine RFQ Checklist & Downloadable Worksheet
Give each supplier the same product, package, capacity and scope information. This RFQ checklist turns a general price request into a proposal that can be compared and tested.
Download a reusable project brief
The worksheet is a plain-text file that can be edited in any text editor and attached to an inquiry. It contains blank fields, a per-SKU record, scope categories and an acceptance section.
One row per product and package
| Field | Buyer input | Supplier response |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Recipe family, temperature, viscosity or flow, foam and particles | Proposed principle, product-contact path and trial assumptions |
| Container | Material, dimensions, neck finish, fill quantity and sample revision | Handling range, guides, fixtures and change parts |
| Closure and label | Closure, liner, label drawing and finished pack | Feeding, application, inspection and consumable limits |
| Output | Good bottles per shift, planned time and SKU schedule | Nominal and sustained rates with test conditions |
| Quality | What quantity and package outcomes will be measured | Method, sample plan, agreed limits and retest procedure |
| Cleaning | Recipes, change frequency and product-recovery needs | Tasks, parts, cleaning boundary and expected downtime |
State what the line starts and ends with
Identify whether the proposal starts with prepared liquid, raw ingredients, purchased bottles or PET preforms. Identify whether it ends at a filled bottle, a closed and labeled bottle, a shipping case or a pallet. This boundary changes the project more than the word “automatic.”
Require included, optional, buyer-supplied or excluded status for each item. Match the proposals for tanks, pumps, conveyors, cap handling, inspection, coding, labels, packers, change parts, utilities, documents, spares, testing and installation. Add a named owner to every interface.
A performance clause needs a test basis
Instead of “high accuracy and high speed,” specify the package, product condition, fill quantity, run duration, good-output basis, measurement procedure and agreed acceptance limits. If a substitute product is used at a factory test, record what it can and cannot demonstrate.
A useful supplier response states deviations openly. Ask for separate records of achieved output, rejected packages, fill measurements, closure checks, stoppages and unresolved items. A video supports the record but does not replace measured results.
Attach files that reduce assumptions
- Bottle and cap drawings with revision numbers; include samples when requested for testing.
- A product data sheet and relevant safety information for the actual formulation.
- Photos or a short video showing foam, flow, stringing or particles where useful.
- A dimensioned factory plan, access route and utility availability.
- The SKU and campaign schedule, including the most difficult product and format.
- Existing-equipment information when the new machine must integrate into a running line.
Remove unrelated confidential information from attachments. Retain a versioned copy of the RFQ and send the same version to each bidder so later changes can be traced.
Compare quotations in two passes
First, compare technical fit. Resolve package compatibility, demonstrated duty, equipment boundary, cleaning, utilities and acceptance. Mark assumptions that still need samples or drawings.
Then compare the commercial scope. Check currency, named delivery basis, payment and delivery milestones, packing, installation, travel, training, spares, warranty and service responsibility. This guide organizes the questions; agreed contractual terms belong in the actual supplier proposal and purchase documents.
Buyer questions
Can I request a budget estimate before samples are ready?
Yes. Label it as a budget-stage request and list the assumptions that need confirmation. Final engineering and performance commitments may require representative product and packaging.
What if one supplier excludes an item another includes?
Put the item into the scope matrix and obtain its cost and responsible party before comparing totals. Do not treat a blank or vague description as an inclusion.
Does using the worksheet send my information automatically?
No. The download and printable record are local templates. You choose what to complete and how to send it through the existing contact or inquiry route.
Continue your equipment specification
Next steps for this specification
Request a configuration for your actual product
Allot Tech helps buyers define and source filling and packaging equipment from China. Send the product, container, closure, required good output and destination so the proposed scope can be checked against your application.