Sheets and guides for a first order.

Six work sheets and three short guides for a first order. Ask for the one you need and we send the current version by email, with the date on it.

Also searched as: landed cost calculator, first order checklist, inspection report sample, PO specification template, fastener grade chart, incoterms explained

Work sheets

R1–R6

#	Tool	What it covers	Format	Get it
R1	Landed cost sheet	FOB / CIF / DDP side by side, with duty lines, freight and port charges	Excel, sent by email	Request →
R2	Fitment confirmation method	How we cross a part number against an OE reference or a VIN	One-page guide	Request →
R3	First-order checklist	Enquiry, quotation, sample, sealed sample, production, inspection, shipment	One-page guide	Request →
R4	Inspection report sample	The layout and photos we send before a container is released	PDF sample, sent by email	Request →
R5	PO specification template	Part number, property class, thread, length, coating, standard, packing	Editable template	Request →
R6	Metric / imperial thread conversion	Common metric and UNC / UNF sizes used on the parts we list	One-page chart	Request →

Guides

Three guides

How to read a fastener grade

The number stamped on the head is a property class, not a material. It tells you what the bolt will carry, and nothing about the coating.

8.8, 10.9, 12.9

The first number is tensile strength in hundreds of MPa, the second is the yield ratio. 8.8 means about 800 MPa tensile and 640 MPa yield. 10.9 means 1000 and 900.

A2-70 and A4-80 are not stronger

A2 and A4 are stainless steel groups in ISO 3506, usually supplied as 304-type and 316-type material. The exact grade comes from the mill certificate, not from the group label. Both sit below property class 8.8. On a load-bearing joint stainless is picked for corrosion resistance; it does not add strength.

Coating decides the service life

Zinc plating is the cheap option and the first to go red. Zinc flake and dacromet last longer and cost more. Ask for the salt-spray report number, not the word anti-rust.

What to write on a PO

Property class, thread pitch, length, coating and the standard it is made to. A drawing without the standard is an argument waiting to happen.

Incoterms for a first order

FOB, CIF and DDP move three different things: cost, risk and paperwork. Most first-order arguments come from mixing them up.

FOB

The seller clears export and puts the goods on board at the named port. Ocean freight and insurance are yours. Risk passes when the cargo is on the ship.

CIF

The seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port, but risk still passes at the port of shipment. Paying for the freight does not mean carrying the risk.

DDP

The seller delivers to your door with duties paid. For the US, the importer of record has to be a US entity, so a DDP quote needs the customs structure agreed before the price means anything.

The comparison trap

A CIF price and a DDP price are not the same number. Put both on a landed-cost sheet before you decide which supplier is cheaper.

2026 product catalog

What each part number in the catalogue carries, and what we do not put in it.

On every line

Part number, OE cross-reference, dimensions, material, property class, MOQ, lead time, packing and carton size.

Not in the catalogue

Prices. They move with quantity, coating and freight, and a printed price is wrong within a quarter.

Where the catalogue is

Tell us which categories you buy and we send the current version by email, with the date on it.

Selection questions

8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — which bolt do I need?The head marking is a property class, not a material. The grade guide above explains the two numbers and what to write on a PO.Read the grade guide →Hand socket or impact socket?Impact sockets have thicker walls and tougher steel. A chrome hand socket on an impact gun cracks before it rounds the nut.Impact Sockets & Accessories →420, 428 or 520 chain size?The three sizes do not interchange. Chain size, tooth count and the mounting dimensions all belong on the part number.Front & Rear Sprockets →What does a drawing need before we can quote?Tolerance stack, datum scheme, surface finish and material grade. We come back with questions before we give a price.CNC Machining to Drawing →OE number, or just the model name?We confirm fitment against an OE number or a VIN. A model name alone does not identify the exact part.See a part page →First article or pre-shipment inspection?The first article is measured against the drawing before the batch runs. Pre-shipment inspection checks quantity, marking, packing and a sample against the approved sample.Inspection & Quality Control →

Want the current version of one of these?

Say which sheet or guide and which categories you buy. We send it by email with the date on it.

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