NdFeB magnets appear in robotics, automation, medical equipment and electric motors, but each application creates a different request. Geometry, heat, motion, corrosion exposure, inspection and documentation decide whether the two quotations you receive describe the same usable component.
01
Robotics: compact motion with little room for hidden assumptions
Robotic joints, actuators, compact motors, encoders and end-effectors place magnets inside tightly constrained mechanical envelopes. Connect your drawing to moving mass, duty cycle, nearby heat sources, shock or vibration, magnetization direction and sensor interaction. If demanding temperature or demagnetizing conditions lead you to an H or SH suffix containing dysprosium or terbium made in China, licensing becomes a separate schedule question. Ask potential manufacturers to repeat your specification back: grade, coating, dimensional condition, magnetization state and prototype process. For an assembly, define bonding, mechanical retention, balance and when magnetization occurs. State prototype quantity and expected annual volume separately, because they can point to different tooling and production assumptions.
02
Industrial automation: repeatability across service life
Servo systems, sensors, couplings, switches and motion-control components often depend on repeatable geometry and field behavior rather than maximum magnetic strength alone. State your tolerance stack, air gap, mounting interface, duty cycle, operating environment and acceptance measurement. Dust, humidity, cleaning agents or coolant exposure can change the coating decision. If the magnet is bonded or retained inside another component, quote the interfaces together so coating thickness and adhesive clearance are not treated independently. Request production-location evidence, change-control expectations, inspection records and separate sample from recurring-production lead times. Record high-temperature composition and export-licence assumptions next to the factory schedule, so you do not discover them after ordering.
03
Medical equipment: documentation belongs in your first request
Magnetic components in medical equipment may require disciplined material, coating, traceability and change-control documentation even when the magnet is not a regulated finished device. State the exact document set instead of asking generally for “medical certification.” Include your drawing revision, material grade, coating, applicable cleaning or sterilization exposure, inspection method, lot traceability and notification requirements for process or source changes. Tie each biocompatibility, cleanliness or regulatory requirement to an identified test or document from the responsible team. Ask potential sources what they can provide with prototypes and production lots. Keep omissions as open questions, so commercial sourcing stays separate from technical and regulatory qualification.
04
Electric motors: quote your grade, heat and rotor geometry together
Arc segments, rings, blocks and rotor assemblies combine magnetic performance with geometry, magnetization, retention and balance. Specify inner and outer radii, angle, length, chamfers, tolerance basis, coating, magnetization direction and polarity identification. Add operating temperature, duty cycle and demagnetizing conditions as context for your approved grade. Higher-coercivity suffixes such as H or SH can change composition and export path, so separate production time from licence and freight assumptions. For an assembled rotor, identify mating materials, retention, balancing expectations, inspection points and whether you need loose magnets or a finished assembly. Request prototype, initial-order and annual quantities separately, then compare every deviation before ranking prices.
05
Use one RFQ spine across all four sectors
Keep a controlled core in every application-specific request: your drawing and revision, approved grade or marked unknown, operating conditions, coating, magnetization, tolerances, prototype and annual quantities, origin requirement, inspection evidence and target delivery date. For a source in China, require the response to state whether composition triggers non-automatic export licensing, and separate that timing from production. For a source outside China, require the relevant manufacturing locations rather than relying on a public office address. Cardinal organizes that common spine so your sector-specific questions stay visible, without turning four applications into four generic sourcing pages.
RFQ
Bring your application context.
Use the common RFQ spine to separate your grade, geometry, origin and delivery assumptions before supplier outreach.
