I'm helping price an FR5 for putting small cartons into packing inserts. The first offer looked within reach. Then I asked how the cartons arrive at the pickup and got a separate fixture estimate. Asked about changing sizes and got another line.
We only run short orders, so I don't expect this to pay for itself by moving quickly for an hour. But I need something I can put beside the other offer without pretending our own fitting and training time is free. Where do you stop asking for detail and allow a sensible contingency?
Price the carton presentation first. Put your actual cartons and inserts on the bench and walk through who replenishes what. Cheap way to find work missing from both offers.
We've walked it through with packing. Both offers leave us filling pickup trays, but only one includes the trays themselves. That's the bit that started this.
What did packing find slow in the walkthrough? Filling pockets, fetching cartons, or changing the insert? Those observations may help decide which unknown deserves another paid visit.
I'd keep manual tray filling in the comparison. Not glamorous, but it might be decent for small orders if you can fill off-line and change a whole tray.
Ask for the exclusions on one page. The cheap quote we inherited excluded commissioning travel. Apparently the integrator was meant to materialise beside the machine
Jamie, filling the narrow pockets was the slow part. Nathan, neither quote names a second shift for training. Thanks for that one; I'm the late person and would rather not become the whole support plan.
I would keep the packing team's tray-filling result visible even if a different feeder is proposed. You will need another comparison, not a quiet deletion of the first one
Aaron's distinction helps. I've taken feeding out of contingency and marked it undecided. Supplier has offered a separate layout visit, but we haven't agreed its scope or price yet.
Have them bring a sketch of both feeding options to that discussion. If the visit is only to measure the tray arrangement they already prefer, you won't learn much about the other one.