Manufacturing glossary
The words you meet when you buy parts from a factory, explained without jargon. Each entry says what the term means and what to do with it. Last updated 5 October 2026.
Jump to: Asking for a price · Files and drawings · Making and testing · Cost and shipping · Quality and rules · Processes · Vibe manufacturing and agents
Asking for a price
RFQ (request for quotation)
A written request to manufacturers to name a price and lead time for a specific part or product. You describe what you need, how many, in which material and by when; each factory answers with a quote.
What to do: The more complete the RFQ (3D file, material, quantity, deadline, ship-to country), the faster and more accurate the answers. Send it to several factories and compare.
RFP and RFI
A request for proposal (RFP) asks suppliers how they would solve a problem and at what price. A request for information (RFI) only asks what a supplier can do. An RFQ is narrower: the design is fixed, only price and terms are open.
What to do: Early on, an RFI to a few shops is a cheap way to learn what is possible. Switch to an RFQ once the design is stable.
Quote
A factory's priced offer in answer to an RFQ. It should state the unit price, quantity, lead time, what is included (tooling, finish, packaging) and how long the price is valid.
What to do: A quote is not an order. Check what is excluded: tooling, setup fees, shipping and taxes are often separate lines.
PO (purchase order)
The buyer's binding order to a supplier, naming parts, quantity, price and delivery terms. Production normally starts after the PO and any deposit.
What to do: Reference the quote number and the drawing revision in the PO so both sides mean the same thing.
MOQ (minimum order quantity)
The smallest quantity a supplier will produce per order. It reflects setup cost: running a machine for 10 parts costs almost as much setup as for 1,000.
What to do: Ask for price breaks (for example at 50, 100, 500) and whether the MOQ can be lower for a first prototype order.
Lead time
The time from confirmed order to parts leaving the factory (or arriving, depending on the quote). It usually excludes shipping unless stated.
What to do: Always ask what starts the clock: the PO, the deposit or approved samples.
Contract manufacturer (CM)
A company that makes parts or products to your design, for your brand. You own the design; they provide machines, people and process.
What to do: This is what most small hardware founders need. Check that the shop works with your process, material and volume.
OEM and ODM
An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) makes products to the buyer's design. An ODM (original design manufacturer) designs and makes a product that buyers sell under their own brand, often with small changes.
What to do: ODM is faster and cheaper to start but gives you less differentiation and sometimes no exclusivity.
Trading company (reseller)
A business that sells products made by other factories. It can be helpful, but it adds a margin and a layer between you and the people who make the part.
What to do: Ask whether they operate their own machines. In our directory, resellers are labelled and kept out of matching for contract work.
Files and drawings
CAD (computer-aided design)
Software and files that describe a part's geometry digitally, as a 3D model or a 2D drawing.
What to do: A CAD file is the most precise way to tell a factory what you want. A sketch alone leads to guesses.
STEP file (.step, .stp)
A neutral, standardised 3D CAD format (ISO 10303) that keeps exact geometry and opens in almost every CAD and CAM program.
What to do: The default file to send for machined and moulded parts.
STL file
A 3D format that approximates the surface with triangles. It has no units, colours or exact curves, which is fine for 3D printing but poor for machining.
What to do: Use STL for printing, STEP for everything else.
3MF file
A modern 3D printing format that carries units, colours and multiple parts in one file. It replaces STL in many printing workflows.
What to do: Send 3MF when the print shop accepts it; otherwise STL.
DXF file
A 2D drawing exchange format. For laser, waterjet and sheet metal work it carries the flat outline of the part.
What to do: State the thickness and material separately: a DXF has neither.
Gerber files
The standard set of files that describes the layers of a printed circuit board (copper, solder mask, drill holes) for fabrication.
What to do: Send Gerbers plus the bill of materials and the pick-and-place file for assembly.
BOM (bill of materials)
The list of every part that goes into a product: part number, description, quantity and often a preferred supplier.
What to do: A clear BOM is the first thing an electronics assembler asks for.
Tech pack
The specification package for soft goods such as apparel or bags: drawings, measurements, materials, stitching and labels. It plays the role CAD files play for hard parts.
What to do: Factories quote from the tech pack; vagueness shows up as a higher price or a wrong sample.
Tolerance
The allowed deviation from a nominal dimension, for example 20 mm ±0.1 mm. Tighter tolerances need more careful machines, inspection and time.
What to do: Only tighten where the function needs it. Every tight tolerance adds cost.
GD&T
Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing: a symbol language on drawings (ASME Y14.5) that controls form, orientation and position of features, not only their size.
What to do: Not needed for a first prototype. Valuable once parts must fit and function across batches.
Making and testing
Prototype
An early physical version of a part used to test fit, function or looks. Prototypes are made in small numbers, often with different processes than production.
What to do: Print or machine one first. It is the cheapest way to find mistakes.
EVT, DVT, PVT
Engineering, design and production validation tests: three build stages in electronics and hardware. EVT checks that the design works, DVT that it meets requirements and can be built, PVT that the production line makes it reliably.
What to do: Budget a few units for each stage and expect changes between them.
Sample
A part made by the factory before the real order so you can check quality, material and finish.
What to do: Pay for a sample before a larger order. It is cheap insurance.
Pilot run
A small production batch made with the real process and tools to find problems before full volume.
What to do: Inspect it against your drawing and write down every deviation before releasing the main order.
Tooling
Custom moulds, dies and fixtures a factory builds to make your part, for example the steel mould for injection molding.
What to do: Tooling is a one-time cost that can run from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. Find out who owns it.
NRE (non-recurring engineering)
One-time costs for engineering, setup and tooling that are charged once and do not repeat per part.
What to do: Compare quotes with NRE and unit price together: a low unit price can hide a high NRE.
DFM (design for manufacturability)
Designing a part so it is easy and cheap to make with the intended process: for example minimum wall thickness for moulding or bend radius for sheet metal.
What to do: Our design rules pages list typical limits per process. A manufacturer's own guidelines always win.
CNC (computer numerical control)
Machines that cut material, usually metal or plastic, following a digital program. Milling and turning are the common CNC processes.
What to do: Good for precise prototypes and low to medium volumes.
Cost and shipping
COGS (cost of goods sold)
What it costs you to get one unit ready to sell: parts, manufacturing, packaging, freight and duties, before marketing and overhead.
What to do: Compute it from landed cost, not from the ex-factory price.
Landed cost
The total cost of a unit delivered to your door: the ex-factory price plus freight, insurance, customs duties, taxes and fees.
What to do: Ask forwarders for a landed-cost estimate before you commit to an overseas order.
Incoterms (EXW, FOB, DDP)
Standard trade terms that say who pays for transport and who carries the risk at each stage. EXW: you collect at the factory door. FOB: the seller loads the goods on the ship at a named port. DDP: the seller delivers to you with duties paid.
What to do: The same unit price can mean very different totals under EXW and DDP. Compare quotes on the same term.
Nearshoring and reshoring
Moving production closer to the buyer: to a neighbouring country (nearshoring, for example Mexico for the US) or back home (reshoring).
What to do: Shorter lead times and easier visits often offset higher unit prices for small and fast-changing products.
Maquiladora
A Mexican factory that assembles or processes imported parts for export, usually under special customs rules. Many US companies use them as a nearshore option.
What to do: Ask which services are included and who handles import and export paperwork.
1688 and Alibaba
Alibaba.com is a marketplace where factories and traders list products for international buyers. 1688.com is a sister site for the Chinese domestic market, in Chinese and usually with lower prices.
What to do: Prices on 1688 show what factories charge locally; use them as a benchmark, not as an offer you can order from abroad.
Quality and rules
ISO 9001
The common international standard for quality management systems. A certified company has documented and audited processes, which says nothing about a single part's quality.
What to do: Ask for the certificate itself. On our site, certifications are labelled as stated by the company, not verified.
AS9100
The quality management standard for the aerospace industry, built on ISO 9001 with extra requirements.
What to do: Required by many aerospace buyers and often by their suppliers.
IATF 16949
The quality management standard for automotive suppliers.
What to do: Needed when you supply the automotive industry.
ISO 13485
The quality management standard for medical device manufacturers.
What to do: Medical products need documented traceability; start the conversation with the factory early.
ITAR
The US International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which control the export and handling of defense-related items and technical data.
What to do: If your part or drawing is ITAR-controlled, only registered US companies may handle it. Do not post such files publicly.
RoHS
EU rules that restrict hazardous substances such as lead in electronics. Many markets expect RoHS-compliant products.
What to do: Ask the assembler for RoHS-compliant parts and a declaration.
Processes
Sheet metal fabrication
Making parts from flat metal sheets by cutting, bending and joining.
What to do: Send a flat pattern (DXF) or a 3D model, with material and thickness.
Injection molding
Making plastic parts by injecting melted plastic into a steel mould. Expensive to start (the mould) and cheap per part at volume.
What to do: Worth it from roughly hundreds to thousands of parts, once the design is final.
FDM, SLA, SLS (3D printing)
FDM melts plastic filament layer by layer. SLA cures liquid resin with light for smooth, detailed parts. SLS fuses plastic powder with a laser for strong parts without supports.
What to do: FDM for cheap fit checks, SLA for appearance, SLS for functional small batches.
PCB and PCBA
A PCB is the bare circuit board. PCBA is the board with its components soldered on, usually by SMT (surface-mount technology) machines.
What to do: Fabrication and assembly are separate steps and often separate quotes.
Anodizing
An electrochemical finish for aluminium that builds a hard, corrosion-resistant oxide layer which can be dyed.
What to do: State colour and type (type II or III) in the RFQ; anodizing adds lead time.
Powder coating
A durable paint finish applied as dry powder and baked on, common on steel and aluminium parts.
What to do: Give the colour code (for example RAL) and whether threads and mating surfaces must be masked.
Vibe manufacturing and agents
Vibe manufacturing
Describing a physical product in everyday language, letting AI help produce the design files, and then ordering prototypes and production parts from digital manufacturing services and factories. The name borrows from "vibe coding".
What to do: The weak step is usually the last one: finding a factory that fits your part. That is what this directory is for.
Agent-readable
Information published in a structured, machine-readable form so that AI assistants can find and use it without guessing from page text.
What to do: For a factory: publish a Manufacturer Profile at /.well-known/manufacturer.json.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open protocol that lets AI assistants call tools and read data from external services. Our MCP server lets an assistant search manufacturers, check a design and send a quote request.
What to do: Add https://vibe-manufacturing.com/mcp to an MCP-capable assistant.
Manufacturer Profile
Our open JSON format in which a factory states its processes, materials, certifications, capacity and contacts, published at /.well-known/manufacturer.json.
What to do: Free to publish; the checker on the standard page validates it.
Trust score
A number from 0 to 100 computed from checkable facts about a listing, such as evidence on the company's own website, a verifiable registry entry and a reachable contact. It is not a rating of quality.
What to do: Use it to decide whom to ask first, not whom to order from.
Ready to ask a factory? Send a quote request, or let your assistant do it through the MCP server. Typical process limits are in the design rules. Corrections are welcome: go@vibe-manufacturing.com.