Why do Medical Case quotes differ so much?

Answer: Usually the insert, hardware and packing scope rather than the body. Align those four before comparing unit prices.

Can the MOQ go below 300?

Answer: Yes, with an existing tool and hand cut foam, but the unit price rises about 20 percent because changeover cannot be spread.

Does a 25 day lead time include tooling?

Answer: No. Tooling runs 18 to 22 days from drawing approval; the two are never added.

Should tooling be paid once or amortised?

Answer: Amortise on a small first order, pay once and record ownership on a large one.

Which payment terms are worth asking for?

Answer: Split the balance into bill of lading and post acceptance parts; suppliers usually give 2 to 3 percent.

Medical Case Procurement: Quotes, MOQ and Lead Times

Quick answer: Split a Medical Case quote into body, insert, hardware, printing, packing and tooling before comparing prices. MOQ follows the tool, and lead time starts when deposit, artwork and sample approval are complete.

What a Medical Case Quote Breaks Down Into
MOQ Follows Tooling and Press Time
When the Lead Time Clock Starts
Six Charges Buyers Forget
Where Comparison and Negotiation Land
FAQ

1. What a Medical Case Quote Breaks Down Into

A single total price tells a buyer nothing. A quote worth comparing splits body, insert, hardware, printing, packing and tooling, each with its quantity basis.

The body is usually over half the price. On a 650 tonne press with a 95 second cycle, material at a 1.35 kg shot plus 8 percent regrind runs 55 to 60 percent of the unit price, and moulding adds 15 to 18 percent. A moulded insert needs its own tool.

Cost line	Share	Driver
Body material	55 to 60 percent	Grade and resin price
Moulding	15 to 18 percent	Tonnage and cycle
Hardware	10 to 12 percent	Latches and hinges
Insert and print	6 to 9 percent	Process and colours
Packing and freight	4 to 6 percent	Crate and freight mode

The sheet should state currency, validity and a material clause. Polypropylene moving RMB 500 a tonne shifts unit cost about 3 percent.

2. MOQ Follows Tooling and Press Time

MOQ is not invented by a salesperson. It follows cavity count, changeover cost and the insert process. With an existing tool, 300 units can run. A new tool pushes the minimum to 1,000, because a cavity at RMB 42,000 adds RMB 140 to each of 300 units.

Medical Case: open white and orange case, moulded orange foam insert with a cylinder, a clear pouch and folded cloth

The insert is the second variable. Hand cut foam starts at 50 units; a moulded insert needs a tool and starts at 300 to 500. Each print colour carries a screen charge, and the question is whether the project runs once or repeats.

Quantity	Unit price	Tooling	Lead time
300	RMB 128	Existing tool	25 days
500	RMB 118	Existing tool	28 days
1,000	RMB 112	New tool, RMB 42,000	35 days

Quantities can also be split: one body, several inserts, bodies pooled at 1,000 units, price from the body tier.

3. When the Lead Time Clock Starts

Lead time arguments come down to the start date. A supplier saying 25 days means after deposit and approved artwork, while the buyer hears 25 days from the order. The contract should fix the clock to deposit, signed artwork and approved sample, whichever is last.

Break the schedule into nodes: sampling 7 days, sample approval 5, tooling 18 to 22, correction 7, production 25, inspection and booking 7. Correction is the node most often forgotten.

Sea freight is separate. A 40HQ holds 480 units, with 28 to 32 days to a European base port. Air freight exceeds 30 percent of cargo value.

4. Six Charges Buyers Forget

Tooling ownership is the first charge buyers forget: pay once or amortise, and if amortised, state when the tool passes to the buyer. Sampling fees run two to three times the production price. Print screens are charged per colour, and export crating adds about RMB 18 per Medical Case.

Inspection is the fifth: a third party charges around RMB 2,800 a day for a sample of 80. Tool changes after drawing approval are the sixth, at RMB 3,000 to 8,000 each. Together they reach 8 to 12 percent of the first shipment.

5. Where Comparison and Negotiation Land

Comparison needs one basis. On a Medical Case order, align three quotes across the six blocks and calculate a landed unit price, or saved packing and freight will read as a discount.

Negotiation lands on quantity and payment. Moving from 30 percent deposit and 70 percent before shipment to 30 deposit, 60 against a bill of lading copy and 10 after acceptance frees the supplier's capital and usually buys 2 to 3 percent. Going from 300 to 500 units takes 4 percent off; 1,000 takes 8.

For repeat business, keep the tool at the supplier and fix the refill price 5 percent below the first tier.

Conclusion

A Medical Case price is settled by three things: how the quote is structured, which quantity tier the order falls into, and when the lead time clock starts. Ask for the six cost lines and the start conditions in writing; the refill clause will matter more than the first discount.

This article discusses only the container (case body) side of specifications and design intent, and does not cover any handling, loading or use of the contents.