1. Define the material and required result
List each material grade, incoming condition, product form and required metallurgical, mechanical or surface result. Identify which requirements are mandatory acceptance criteria and which are production targets.
2. Describe the coil load
Provide coil inner and outer diameter, width, individual mass, number of coils per stack, maximum batch mass and any separators or supports. Include the expected operating range, not only the largest coil.
3. Establish the thermal cycle
State the heating, soaking and cooling requirements and the location and method used to evaluate product temperature. If an existing cycle is available, provide recorded data together with the load definition.
4. Specify atmosphere and purge criteria
Define the working-gas composition and quality, nitrogen purge supply, pressure and flow interfaces, ventilation and hazardous-area basis, and the applicable alarm, interlock and emergency principles. Any dew-point or oxygen limit should be tied to the product and agreed measurement method. The term “all-hydrogen” does not replace these project values.
5. Convert production goals into a system configuration
Provide annual and shift production, product mix, operating calendar, maintenance assumptions and the required flexibility. Bases, heating hoods, cooling hoods and handling resources should be evaluated as one production system.
6. Define safety, utilities and plant interfaces
Identify applicable codes and company standards, hazardous-area requirements, gas detection, purge and interlock philosophy, emergency actions, utilities, foundations, layout, handling, emissions and interfaces with plant automation or data systems.
7. Agree verification and acceptance
The RFQ should state the required design review, material and welding records, inspections, leak tests, interlock checks, trial operation, performance tests, acceptance loads and responsibility for measuring instruments and test material. A guarantee is meaningful only when the measured variable, test method, load, cycle, utilities, instrumentation and acceptance limits are defined.
8. Compare proposals on the same basis
Create a deviation list for battery limits, exclusions, utilities, consumables, spares, documentation, installation, commissioning, training and acceptance. Cycle time, capacity and consumption claims are comparable only when their load, process and utility assumptions match.
