Qualify
Pulls resin, part geometry, annual volume, finish, tooling status, first-article or validation requirements, and packaging details from the RFQ, then flags anything missing.
Forgepoint for injection molders
Quote molded parts before your buyer moves on.
Frank pulls resin, tooling, volume, finish, and prior-job data into a quote your estimator can review before it goes to the customer.
See the injection-molding workflowNC
Northstar Components
Ready to qualifyRFQ: Enclosure set IM-204, 75,000 units per year
Hi, quick one. New job, need a quote as soon as you can. Two-piece enclosure in PC/ABS, UL 94 V-0. STEP files are attached. New tooling is required, along with color matching and pad printing.
✓ IM-204.step✓ material-spec.pdf✓ annual-demand.xlsx✓ decoration-art.ai
How Frank handles the RFQ
One RFQ. Four controlled steps.
Quote
Checks the request against your configured press range, cycle-time model, cavitation assumptions, resin pricing, labor, tooling, and margin rules. Frank then sends the draft quote to your team for human approval.
Close
Builds a customer-ready quote with tooling and piece-price options, tracks customer replies, and schedules follow-up.
Track
Logs the RFQ, files, approvals, quote revisions, and customer replies in the systems your team already uses.
Injection-molding context
Frank knows what to look for in a molding RFQ.
Frank checks each RFQ against the presses, materials, tooling capabilities, rates, and approval rules your team configures. If the job does not clearly fit, Frank flags it for review.
Process and press fit
- Molding process and press-assignment rules
- Available press tonnage range
- Part size, shot weight, cavitation, and projected area
- Prototype, bridge, and production-volume routing
Materials and appearance
- Resin family, grade, fillers, additives, and color
- Drying, regrind, and customer-supplied material requirements
- Texture, gloss, color matching, and cosmetic requirements
- Material certifications and traceability notes
Tooling and engineering
- New tool, transfer tool, or existing mold
- DFM, mold-flow, validation, and first-article requirements
- Insert molding, overmolding, and molded-in hardware requirements
- Mold maintenance, repair, storage, and ownership terms
Finishing and delivery
- Assembly, pad printing, decorating, and secondary operations
- Inspection, packaging, labeling, and pack-out requirements
- Ship-to locations, release schedules, and forecast frequency
- Customer-specific quality and documentation requirements
- 01Supported molding processes
- 02Resin families and approved suppliers
- 03Press tonnage and shot-size range
- 04Tooling and mold-transfer capabilities
- 05Tolerance and quality requirements
- 06Secondary operations and fulfillment
- 07Industries and customer-specific controls
- 08Available capacity, lead times, and outside-processing rules
- 09Plants, shipping points, and approved outside suppliers
Frank quotes based on your shop's actual capabilities.
Frank turns each RFQ into a reviewable draft quote by checking the presses, materials, certifications, rates, and approval rules your team maintains.
FAQ
Questions from the quoting desk.
Does Frank replace our estimator?+
No. Frank assembles the RFQ, context, assumptions, and draft pricing so an estimator can focus on exceptions and judgment calls.
Can it work with our current costing model?+
Yes. Frank uses the costing logic, approval limits, and source systems your team approves during setup.
What if the RFQ is missing critical molding information?+
Frank lists the missing information and drafts a customer follow-up for your team to review.
Can we control what gets sent to a customer?+
Yes. Human approval rules control which messages and quotes can be released.
Does Frank replace our engineer?+
No. Frank organizes the RFQ and flags missing requirements so your engineers can focus on DFM, tooling, and process decisions.
Does Frank understand resin and tooling requirements?+
Frank pulls resin, UL rating, annual volume, tooling status, and any stated cavity requirements from the RFQ, then checks them against your shop rules. Your estimator approves cavitation and press selection.
