Pack details
Pack type, dimensions, base size, filled weight, stability, fragility and surface condition.
Buying guide
Packaging conveyor quote checklist.
A conveyor quote is faster and more accurate when the enquiry includes the real production details. Use this checklist before sending photos, drawings or samples.
Layout planningUK supportLine integrationQuote checklist
Step-by-step
Use the checklist before requesting pricing.
A conveyor quote is faster and more accurate when the enquiry includes the real production details. Use this checklist before sending photos, drawings or samples.
Output target
Packs per minute or hour, current speed, desired speed and whether production runs continuously or in batches.
Line layout
Available footprint, direction of travel, infeed height, outfeed height and surrounding equipment.
Connected machines
Filler, capper, labeller, coder, weigher, inspection machine, case taper or manual packing station.
Environment
Dry, wet, washdown, dusty, chilled, hot-fill, chemical exposure or clean-area requirements.
Commercial details
Required delivery, installation needs, site access and whether the conveyor is a new line or retrofit.
Next step
Turn the guide into a better quote enquiry.
Once the details are ready, send pack photos, dimensions, output target and layout information so the conveyor type and integration route can be reviewed.
Useful links
- Compare conveyor systems
- View conveyor applications
- Request conveyor advice
- Plan installation and integration
FAQ
Common questions
Clear answers for choosing conveyor options, planning a line layout and preparing quote details.
Can I send photos instead of drawings?
Photos are useful, but dimensions are still needed for accurate layout planning.
Do samples help?
Yes. Samples help confirm stability, guide rail contact, belt surface and transfer behaviour.
Start your conveyor enquiry
Get a conveyor quote
Send the pack details, target output and available line space.
Send your product details, line speed and available space to get advice on the conveyor route that fits your packaging line.
Request-for-quotation control
Issue one conveyor duty, scope matrix and acceptance basis to every bidder.
A conveyor quotation is only comparable when each supplier receives the same product schedule, performance requirement, layout, interfaces and scope. Use this checklist to turn an early enquiry into a controlled request for quotation. Unknown values can remain open, but the quotation should state how and when they will be confirmed.
Keep the required good output separate from a conveyor’s maximum mechanical speed. Record the rate, product pitch and operating sequence at each interface. If a machine has a published speed, confirm whether it is proven with the same product and whether the rest of the line can accept it.
Describe the complete duty and its boundaries.
State where the conveyor scope begins and ends, including transfer plates, supports, side guides, sensors, control panel, cabling, guarding, installation, commissioning, documentation and training. Identify work by the customer, machine suppliers and other contractors. A low initial price can hide missing interface work that still has to be purchased later.
Provide a revision-controlled product list. Give dimensions, filled weight, base and contact restrictions, plus photographs and samples. Where the line handles several formats, identify which drives usable width, load, height, guide adjustment, sensor range and acceptance.
Ask suppliers to state assumptions and alternatives visibly.
Every proposed deviation should describe the technical and commercial effect. If a supplier changes belt type, width, motor location, frame material, ingress rating, guide system or control method, the quotation should explain why and confirm whether the acceptance duty remains unchanged.
Request a line-item scope matrix rather than relying on phrases such as “complete conveyor”. Use the detailed conveyor-system specification and project delivery pages to identify the interfaces that need ownership.
Conveyor RFQ schedule
| RFQ section | Information to issue | Supplier response required |
|---|---|---|
| Product schedule | All formats, dimensions, weight, base, orientation and contact restrictions. | Suitability, limiting formats and sample requirements. |
| Performance | Required good output, pitch, operating pattern, stop duration and recovery. | Proposed speed range, capacity basis and acceptance method. |
| Mechanical dimensions | Route, length, usable width, working heights, transfers and footprint. | Dimensioned proposal and interface assumptions. |
| Construction | Frame/contact material, belt or slat, guides, supports and finish requirements. | Specified materials and any exclusions. |
| Drive and controls | Supply, VFD, photoeyes, machine signals, alarms, rejects and safety interface. | Control philosophy, signal list and responsibility boundary. |
| Environment | Cleaning method, water, dust, chemicals, temperature and required site standards. | Selected component ratings and compatibility assumptions. |
| Guarding and access | Risk boundaries, operator routes, clearing, cleaning and maintenance envelopes. | Included guards and access provisions. |
| Delivery scope | Survey, drawings, installation, commissioning, training, documentation and spares. | Inclusions, exclusions, programme dependencies and deliverables. |
| Acceptance | Samples, rate, run sequence, stops, rejects, changeover and quality criteria. | Test location, duration, prerequisites and recorded result. |
Quotation comparison
Compare total scope and technical risk, not only the headline price.
Create a comparison matrix using the same rows as the RFQ. Mark included, excluded, optional and unclear items. Identify differences in dimensions, materials, belt or chain, drive, controls, ingress protection, guarding, installation and test. Clarify assumptions before selecting a supplier.
A lower-cost proposal can be correct if it uses a simpler route that still proves the duty. A higher-cost proposal can be justified if it includes integration work, controls, guarding or validation omitted elsewhere. The comparison should expose that difference rather than treating unequal scopes as equal.
Keep all clarifications with the final order and update the acceptance plan when an agreed alternative changes the design. The layout checklist should use the same final dimensions and interfaces.
Engineering questions
Questions to resolve before the conveyor is released
These answers define the evidence needed for a reliable specification and quotation.
Should I ask every supplier for the same conveyor type?
Issue the same duty and acceptance requirement. You can state a preferred type, but allow a supplier to propose a justified alternative and explain its effect on scope, performance and maintenance.
How should unknown specification values be handled?
Mark them as open technical points and state the evidence needed to close them, such as a sample trial, site measurement, machine drawing or cleaning review. Do not fill gaps with guessed values.
What is the difference between maximum speed and good output?
Maximum speed is a mechanical or short-term rate. Good output is accepted product delivered through the complete line under defined conditions after stops, rejects and normal losses are considered.
Should installation and commissioning be separate line items?
They should at least be clearly defined, including unloading, positioning, fixing, services, control connection, guarding, product supply, trial and handover. This makes quotations comparable.
What acceptance detail should be included before order?
State the product samples, condition, rate, test duration or cycle count, stop and restart cases, changeover, quality limits, location, prerequisites and how results will be recorded.
Quotation evidence pack
Issue the same product, interface and acceptance information to every conveyor supplier.
Comparable quotations depend on a controlled scope. Dimensions and output alone do not define product contact, stop behaviour, cleaning, controls, guarding or the evidence expected at handover.
Add technical schedules to the commercial request.
Include the limiting product set, measured layout, machine-interface schedule and current line-state description. Identify which tests are expected at FAT and which can only be completed at SAT. Ask suppliers to state exclusions, user-supplied items and assumptions rather than filling unknown fields with estimates.
Where a figure such as speed, capacity or ingress protection has not been verified, record it as an open requirement to be confirmed through design or testing.
Use the sample-trial guide, controls guide, guarding guide and FAT/SAT checklist.