Heat Exchanger RFQ Checklist: What to Prepare Before Requesting a Quote
When overseas buyers request quotes for heat exchangers, the most common problem is not finding suppliers. It is that suppliers receive too little information and can only give rough prices. A heat exchanger is not an off-the-shelf product. The same "plate heat exchanger" or "shell-and-tube heat exchanger" ends up with a completely different design when the fluids, temperatures, pressures, pressure drop, corrosion, fouling, cleaning method or certification requirements change. If a buyer only writes "need a 100 m² heat exchanger" or "please quote 10 plate heat exchangers", the supplier cannot work out the model, materials, number of plates, gaskets, connections, inspection or delivery time. The result is often quotes that cannot be compared, or a low bidder offering an incomplete scope first and adding charges later.
This checklist helps buyers turn a request for a price into a discussion of engineering specifications. If you already have a process package, a TEMA datasheet, a P&ID, a general arrangement (GA) drawing or the nameplate of the existing unit, you can submit them directly through the RFQ form. If you do not have complete documents yet, use the tables below to organize the key data so suppliers can see which direction to take.
1. State the Purpose of the RFQ
Start the RFQ email with the project goal, then give the detailed data. Typical goals are a new project, replacement of existing equipment, capacity expansion, an energy-saving retrofit, replacement after a failure, a spare parts purchase, a supplier price comparison or a trial unit. This affects how the supplier designs the unit. When replacing existing equipment, for example, connection sizes, installation space, foundations, nozzle orientation, shipping dimensions and the shutdown window often matter more than the "optimal" heat transfer area. A new project puts more weight on life-cycle cost and process fit.
| RFQ purpose | What to add | Effect on the quote |
|---|---|---|
| New project | Process package, design code, project location, expected start-up date | The supplier can select from scratch, so prices vary more |
| Replacing existing equipment | Nameplate, old drawings, site photos, reason for failure | Connections and installation limits must match |
| Energy-saving retrofit | Current temperature difference, pressure drop, energy use, cleaning interval | Current performance must be compared with the retrofit gain |
| Spare parts | Original manufacturer, model, plate and gasket drawing numbers, quantity | Compatibility and materials must be confirmed |
2. Thermal Data Is the Core of the Quote
A heat exchanger quote needs, at minimum, the fluid on the hot and cold sides, the mass or volume flow rate, inlet temperatures, target outlet temperatures, operating pressures and allowable pressure drops. Many buyers give only the heat duty without flow rates and temperatures, so the supplier cannot judge velocity, pressure drop or fouling risk. Put these figures in a datasheet or an RFQ attachment so every supplier starts its thermal and mechanical assessment from the same basis.
| Parameter | What to provide | What happens if it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Fluid | Water, steam, oil, glycol, seawater, acids or alkalis, slurry, etc. | Materials and fouling risk cannot be judged |
| Phase | Liquid, gas, condensing, evaporating, two-phase | The thermal model and safety margin cannot be chosen |
| Flow rate | kg/h, m³/h or Nm³/h, with units stated | Velocity and pressure drop cannot be checked |
| Temperatures | Inlet and outlet on both sides, or the target heat duty | Area and approach temperature cannot be set |
| Pressures | Operating, design and test pressure | Pressure vessel requirements cannot be judged |
| Allowable pressure drop | Maximum pressure drop on each side | Affects channel or tube-pass design and pump power |
3. Give Material and Corrosion Information Up Front
Materials are not a detail to settle at the end. They define the scope of the quote from the start. Seawater, chlorides, sulfides, acids and alkalis, slurries with particles, food-grade cleaning agents and pharmaceutical process fluids all change the material choice. According to ASME's public description, BPVC Section VIII covers the design, fabrication, inspection, testing and certification of pressure vessels and addresses many materials and fabrication methods, including welding, forging and brazing. If you require ASME, PED, GB, NB/T, API, TEMA or third-party inspection, state it at the start of your RFQ documents.
For gasketed plate heat exchangers, the key points are the plate material, the gasket material and the gasket temperature limit. For brazed plate heat exchangers, confirm the brazing material, cleanliness and maintainability early. For welded plate heat exchangers, welds, non-destructive testing and the cleaning method directly affect the price.
4. Site Constraints Decide Whether the Quote Is Realistic
The dimensions a supplier offers depend not only on thermal calculations but also on site space, nozzle orientation, maintenance access, lifting route, foundation loads and transport conditions. Buyers can provide the general arrangement drawing, site photos, maximum overall dimensions, the flange standard, nozzle orientation requirements, whether insulation is needed and whether the unit must suit hazardous areas or outdoor use. For heat exchanger units, also state the requirements for pumps, valves, instruments, the control panel and the power supply. For air-side equipment, say whether it will be installed indoors, outdoors, on a roof or in a duct.
5. Prepare All Attachments at Once
A good RFQ package can include a process datasheet, the old nameplate, the P&ID, the general arrangement drawing, a nozzle schedule, material requirements, inspection requirements, project specifications, photos, the target delivery date and packing and shipping requirements. If you do not have complete documents, you can upload hand sketches or site photos and note which data is confirmed and which is only estimated. The RFQ form accepts images, Word, Excel, PDF and CSV files, so you can submit all of these together.
6. Questions to Ask Suppliers
Besides the price, ask suppliers to explain why they chose the type and materials, their estimated pressure drop, the cleaning method, recommended spare parts, inspection items, warranty scope, the documents supplied and their experience with similar projects. These questions work well at the end of your RFQ:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Why do you recommend this type of heat exchanger? | Stops suppliers from offering only what they have in stock or know best |
| How did you choose the main materials and gaskets? | Affects corrosion, temperature limits, service life and food or pharma compliance |
| Can you provide a summary of the thermal calculation? | Makes different suppliers' designs comparable |
| How should cleaning and maintenance intervals be judged? | Affects downtime costs |
| Which documents are included in the delivery? | Affects inspection, acceptance and installation |
| Do you have references with similar operating conditions? | Shows the supplier's real experience |
7. How to Tell Whether Your RFQ Is Complete
A usable RFQ does not have to be perfect, but it should let the supplier answer three questions. First, where does the heat come from and where does it go? Second, what pressure, temperature, fluids and corrosion must the unit withstand? Third, where will it be installed, how will it be maintained and to which standard will it be accepted? Once these three questions are clear, the supplier can give a technical quote with a defined scope instead of a sales quote.
If you are not yet sure whether you need a plate, shell-and-tube, welded plate or air heat exchanger, browse the product catalog and the manufacturer list, then send your preliminary operating conditions to HeatEx Direct. We organize the RFQ by duty, industry and completeness of data and pass it on to the best-matched suppliers.
8. How to Use This Checklist Inside Your Company
This checklist works best when several departments confirm it together. A heat exchanger RFQ usually involves process, equipment, purchasing, quality and logistics, and if any one of them leaves out information, the supplier may give a quote that looks complete but cannot be carried out. A safer approach is for the process or user department to confirm the heat duty, fluids, temperatures, pressures and flow rates first. The equipment department then confirms the design pressure, design temperature, materials, connections, installation space and standards, and purchasing sends the package to suppliers. This way, suppliers can judge the selection direction in their first reply instead of asking for basic data again and again.
If you do not have a complete datasheet yet, sort the items into three groups: confirmed, to be added and open. Confirmed items usually include the product type, fluids, temperatures, pressures, flow rates, quantity, industry and delivery location. Items to add include materials, connection type, design code, cleaning and maintenance requirements and whether spare parts are needed. For open items, you can ask the supplier for a recommendation. Stating openly that something is uncertain is safer than filling in a random number, because the supplier can list its assumptions in the quote and later technical clarifications are easier to track.
9. How to Compare Quotes After Sending the RFQ
When quotes arrive, compare the technical scope as well as the total price. First, check whether each supplier used your original data and listed its thermal assumptions, material scope and exclusions. Second, check whether the scope is the same, for example whether gaskets, spare parts, supports, packing, documents, inspection and freight are included. Third, check whether the delivery time starts from drawing approval or from the order date. Many price differences come from different scopes, not different manufacturing costs.
Put every supplier's reply into the same table: model, heat transfer area, design pressure, design temperature, main materials, connection sizes, quantity, standards, document package, payment terms, delivery time and deviations. Only when these items are comparable does the price mean anything. In the notes field of the RFQ form, you can ask suppliers to "list all technical assumptions and commercial exclusions". This speeds up screening and keeps cheap but incomplete quotes out of the next round.
Sources and Related Pages
- TEMA Heat Exchanger Specification Sheet: https://support.tema.org/images/TEMA_USC_DataSheet.pdf
- ASME BPVC Section VIII Division 1: https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/find-codes-standards/bpvc-viii-1-bpvc-section-viii-rules-construction-pressure-vessels-division-1
- HeatEx Direct gasketed plate heat exchangers: https://heatexdirect.com/products/shanghai-heat-transfer-equipment-co-ltd/gasketed-plate-heat-exchanger
- HeatEx Direct brazed plate heat exchangers: https://heatexdirect.com/products/siping-juyuan-hanyang-plate-heat-exchanger-co-ltd/brazed-plate-heat-exchanger
- HeatEx Direct welded plate heat exchangers: https://heatexdirect.com/products/shanghai-heat-transfer-equipment-co-ltd/tp-welded-plate-heat-exchanger
- HeatEx Direct heat exchanger units: https://heatexdirect.com/products/lanzhou-lanshi-heat-exchange-equipment-co-ltd/plate-heat-exchanger-unit
- HeatEx Direct shell-and-tube heat exchangers: https://heatexdirect.com/products/siping-viex-heat-exchange-equipment-co-ltd/tubular-heat-exchanger
- HeatEx Direct air heat exchangers: https://heatexdirect.com/products/siping-viex-heat-exchange-equipment-co-ltd/air-heat-exchanger