A magnet enquiry usually stalls for the same reason: the message describes a magnet but not the job. The reply then becomes a round of questions, or two quotations that cannot be compared because each one assumed something different. The fields below are what a manufacturer needs in order to answer once and answer accurately.
The fields that unblock a quotation
Dimensions or a drawing. A PDF, DXF or STEP file is ideal, and a dimensioned sketch works too. Include every controlled dimension, the surfaces that matter and the tolerance the assembly needs.
Quantity. State the quantity for the first order and the volume expected per year. Tooling, setup and coating decisions depend on both, and a request for ten parts is a different production problem from a request for ten thousand.
Grade or performance target. A grade such as N42, or a measurement you need, such as a force at a given air gap or a flux value inside the assembly. If the grade is unknown, say so and describe the application instead.
Magnetisation direction. Through thickness, axial, diametral or multipole. Mark it on the drawing with an arrow or an axis, and state the pole pattern where there is one.
Coating and environment. Nickel-copper-nickel, zinc, epoxy or another finish, plus where the part will be used: indoor, humid, coastal, automotive or food-contact equipment, and the temperature it will see.
Application. Two sentences about what the magnet does are often the most useful lines in the whole enquiry, because they let the reply address the real requirement rather than the literal request.
When there is no drawing yet
Plenty of good enquiries start without one. Describe the space available, the force or the flux needed, the temperature, how the part is fixed, and what happens if the magnet is too weak or too strong. Where a design has failed, add a photograph and the conditions at failure. That description is usually enough to propose a starting point.
Commercial details worth settling early
Include the delivery location, the date the parts are genuinely needed, and the Incoterms you expect, because those change the delivered price even when the unit price stays the same. If you are comparing options for a project, say so: a feasibility question is answered differently from a firm order, and it is better to be explicit than to imply a commitment that has not been made.
Ask for the production lead time at the quoted quantity rather than a generic figure. For custom parts, tooling and first-article approval usually sit on the critical path, and both should appear in the reply.
Documents to request with the quotation
Depending on the industry, ask for the documents you will have to keep: a material or grade declaration, first-article inspection or a dimensional report, and statements on restricted substances. Where the product enters the European market or a supply chain that follows it, RoHS and REACH are the usual references to name in the enquiry. Mark the ones that are mandatory for the order instead of presenting every document as a wish list.
Import, duty and local handling
Rare-earth magnets cross borders as ordinary components, but the paperwork still matters. Confirm the tariff classification and any duty, exemption or documentation requirement with a customs broker or the Royal Malaysian Customs Department before the first shipment, and keep the classification on file for repeat orders. Magnet-specific transport rules, such as air freight conditions for strongly magnetised packages, are worth confirming with the forwarder.
Compare quotations beyond the unit price
Quotations written on different assumptions look comparable and are not. Line up the same grade or performance target, the same coating, the same tolerance, the same quantity and the same delivery term before reading the prices.
Then compare what happens after delivery: how the parts are packed, what is inspected, and how a non-conforming batch is handled. A cheaper quotation with an unspecified grade and no inspection plan is not a cheaper part; it is a different part.
Where the annual volume matters, ask how the price behaves in the next quantity band. The answer shows where tooling sits, and whether a small change, such as moving to a standard size, could reduce cost without touching the function.
A short checklist before sending
Drawing or dimensions, quantity now and per year, grade or performance target, magnetisation direction, coating and environment, operating temperature, application, delivery location and date, Incoterms, and the documents you need. If a field is genuinely unknown, ask the question in the enquiry rather than leaving it empty; a clear question is answered faster than a blank field.
Send the complete request and the reply usually brings a grade proposal, a price at your quantity, a tooling position for custom parts and a production lead time.
Two questions that prevent a revision
Ask what the manufacturer assumed where your request was silent, and ask which tolerance or grade range they can hold consistently rather than what they can achieve once. The answers show whether the quotation rests on a standard product or on a special process, and they usually save a revision later. If either question cannot be answered in writing, treat the figure as an estimate rather than a commitment.
Working with the reply
When the quotation arrives, check the assumptions in writing, especially where the grade, coating or tolerance differs from the request. Confirm the sample process and who pays for it, and agree how a first-article result is approved. That short exchange prevents most of the friction that returns later, when a production lot arrives and the question of the agreed specification comes back with it.
This guide covers the commercial checklist for a magnet enquiry in Malaysia. Compliance requirements, duty treatment and inspection expectations depend on your product and your customer, so confirm them with your own compliance and customs advisers.