If you have never bought stamped or sheet-metal parts from Vietnam, the process is not complicated, but it has more stages than buying a catalog part. Knowing the stages in advance helps you plan your own schedule and avoid surprises. Below is the sequence we work through with US buyers at ALG Technology (CONG TY TNHH CONG NGHE ALG, Ho Chi Minh City). We do not own a factory. We coordinate partner workshops for die design, sheet-metal, stamping and CNC work, and we handle on-site quality inspection and export.
1. RFQ. You send drawings and basic commercial information (see our separate guide on what to include). The more complete the package, the faster everything after this goes. Incomplete drawings are the most common reason a quote slips.
2. DFM review. Before pricing, an engineer reads the drawing as a manufacturer. Typical questions: Can this bend radius be formed in the specified material? Is a hole too close to a bend or an edge? Is a tolerance realistic for stamping, or does it need a secondary operation? Which dimensions are critical and which are only reference? Expect a few questions or suggested changes. Answering them early is cheaper than discovering the problem on a finished tool.
3. Quote. Once drawings are complete, ALG issues a formal quote within 1–3 business days. A good quote separates tooling cost from piece price, states material and finish assumptions, and states the Incoterm. We quote FOB Vietnam port in USD. If something in the drawing is unclear, the quote will list the assumption made, so please read those lines carefully.
4. Tooling. If the part needs a stamping die, the die is designed, approved by you where you want to review it, then built. How long this takes typically depends on the die type (single-stage, compound or progressive), part complexity, the number of stations, and the workshop's current load. A simple blanking die and a multi-station progressive die are very different jobs. Parts made by laser cutting, bending or CNC without a dedicated die skip most of this stage.
5. T1 samples / first article. The first parts off the new tool are usually called T1 samples. They are inspected against the drawing and a measurement report is prepared. Parts are rarely perfect at T1. The usual cycle is measure, adjust the tool, run again. How many rounds are needed typically depends on part complexity, material behavior (springback in particular) and how tight the tolerances are.
6. Approval. You review the samples and the report and confirm they are acceptable, or tell us what to correct. Please give a clear written approval. Production should not start on "looks fine" in a chat message.
7. Production. The workshop runs the approved process. Lead time typically depends on order quantity, material availability, secondary operations (deburring, plating, painting, assembly) and how many parts are already in the workshop's queue. Raw material that is not a common grade or thickness can add waiting time, so mention material early.
8. Inspection. ALG can inspect on site at the workshop on your behalf: dimensional checks on critical features, visual checks, and checking against your drawing and any agreed sampling plan. Tell us in the RFQ what inspection you expect and what records you want to receive.
9. Packing. Stamped and formed parts can scratch, nest together or deform in transit. Agree on packing in advance: protective interleaving, trays or dividers, carton or crate type, labeling and quantity per box. Packing requirements are cheaper to build in from the start than to fix after the first shipment.
10. FOB shipment. We ship FOB Vietnam port. That means the goods are loaded on the vessel at the Vietnamese port, and from that point you are responsible for the ocean freight, insurance, import customs clearance and delivery in the US. Sea freight adds transit time that depends on the route and the carrier schedule. Ask your freight forwarder for current estimates rather than relying on a generic number.
Planning your own timeline
Add up the stages that apply to your part: RFQ and DFM, quote, tooling, sample rounds, approval, production, inspection and packing, then ocean transit. The two stages with the most variation are tooling and sample rounds. If you have a launch date, work backward from it and tell us the target date in the RFQ so we can say honestly whether it is feasible.
What helps most
- Complete drawings with tolerances, and a 3D file.
- Quick answers to DFM questions.
- Clear approval of T1 samples.
- Stating packing and inspection needs up front.
We are happy to sign an NDA before you send drawings. To start, send your files through our RFQ page at alg-sourcing.com/rfq.