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Become a supplier: get RFQs for your open capacity
To become an SSG MFG supplier, a job shop or manufacturer applies with its processes, materials, certifications and open capacity. SSG and its network reps then route matching RFQs to you, each with the model, drawing, quantities, a DFM check and a budgetary estimate attached. You quote your own price. Representation is paid as commission on the orders you invoice.
Which RFQs would route to your shop?
RFQs are matched on process first, then material, certification, capacity and region. Set up your shop and watch 15 sample RFQs, one per line, sort themselves.
Processes you run
Materials you run
Certifications you hold
Capacity right now
Your region
- Machined fixture plate91
Factory automation · CNC machining · 6061-T6 · 50 pcs · ISO 9001
Process 40, Material 15, Certifications 15, Capacity 10, Quote history 5, Delivery history 3, Region 3Budgetary $33.10/pc · tooling none · 5–10 days - Formed sheet metal bracket91
Industrial controls · Sheet metal · 5052-H32 · 100 pcs
Process 40, Material 15, Certifications 15, Capacity 10, Quote history 5, Delivery history 3, Region 3Budgetary $3.68/pc · tooling none · 5–12 days - Compression spring76
Fluid power valve · Springs & wire forms · Music wire · 10,000 pcs · ISO 9001
Process 40, Material 0, Certifications 15, Capacity 10, Quote history 5, Delivery history 3, Region 3Budgetary $0.11/pc · tooling none · 1–3 weeks
Not routed to you
- Molded device housingYou don't list injection molding
- Stamped mounting bracketYou don't list stamping
- Deep drawn motor canYou don't list deep draw
- Extruded EPDM sealYou don't list rubber
- Sintered spur gearYou don't list powdered metal
- Die cast housingYou don't list die casting
- Turned pinNeeds ITAR registration, which is never waived
- Forged flanged bushingYou don't list forging
- Sewn carry caseYou don't list soft goods
- Die cast housing, landedYou don't list offshore sourcing
- Printed prototype housingYou don't list 3d printing
- Cast urethane bridge housingsYou don't list urethane casting
ProcessMaterialCertificationsCapacityQuote historyDelivery historyRegion
Sample RFQ types, priced live by the SSG estimator. Scores use SSG's routing weights. A new supplier starts at the neutral middle for quote and delivery history; both rise as you quote and ship on time.
What kind of manufacturing work comes through?
Service and production parts for OEMs across 15 process lines. Twelve are core lines SSG has represented for 25+ years; three are newer network lines now onboarding shops. The bar shows each line's typical order range, from 1 to 1,000,000 parts.
| Line | Typical order range | Tooling lead time | What shops usually run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injection molding | 10,000–1,000,000 | 3–14 weeks (aluminum to hardened steel) | Presses 50–1,000 t, mold maintenance in-house or a partner tool room |
| Stamping | 5,000–500,000 | 3–12 weeks (short-run to progressive) | Presses 30–600 t, progressive and short-run dies, coil feed lines |
| Deep draw | 25,000–1,000,000 | 8–14 weeks | Transfer or eyelet presses, multi-station draw tooling |
| Rubber | 5,000–500,000 | 2–6 weeks | Extruders with continuous cure, compression or injection presses |
| Powdered metal | 25,000–2,000,000 | 6–12 weeks | Compaction presses, sintering furnaces, sizing and secondary machining |
| Springs & wire forms | 1,000–1,000,000 | None for most CNC-coiled springs; 3–6 weeks for fourslide tooling | CNC coilers and wire formers, fourslide or multislide, stress-relief ovens |
| Die casting | 5,000–250,000 | 8–14 weeks | Hot-chamber zinc or cold-chamber aluminum machines, trim presses |
| Screw machining | 10,000–5,000,000 | 1–4 weeks for form tools and cams | Multi-spindle, Swiss-type and CNC turret lathes with bar feeds |
| Forging | 2,000–200,000 | 6–12 weeks | Hammers or presses with closed-die tooling, heat treat in-house or nearby |
| CNC machining | 10–10,000 | None | 3- to 5-axis mills, CNC lathes, a CMM for first article |
| Soft goods | 500–50,000 | 1–2 weeks for steel-rule dies, if used | Industrial sewing, cutting tables or die cutting, RF welding |
| Offshore sourcing | 5,000–500,000 | 4–8 weeks offshore | Export experience, English-speaking project management, IATF 16949 or ISO 9001 |
| Sheet metalNetwork | 10–5,000 | None | Fiber laser or turret punch, press brakes, welding, hardware insertion |
| 3D printingNetwork | 1–1,000 | None | SLS, MJF, SLA or FDM machines with post-processing |
| Urethane castingNetwork | 10–200 | 3–7 days for master and silicone mold | Silicone mold making, vacuum casting, paint and finish |
What does an RFQ look like when it arrives?
The same packet every time, so you can quote from it without chasing the buyer for basics.
RFQ · sampleReady to quote
Turned shaft Ø16 mm × 60 mm, Ø10 mm × 18 mm step, 1 grooves
- Process
- Screw machine products
- Material
- Steel 12L14 (leaded free-machining)
- Quantity
- 10,000 per release
- Tolerance
- ±0.005 in (±0.13 mm) unless noted
Budgetary estimate
| Qty | Piece | All-in |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | $1.17 | $1.78 |
| 10,000 | $1.17 | $1.48 |
Tooling $1,800 · Form tools + cams · 4–6 weeks
DFM check
- Pass: 12L14 suits screw machining
- Pass: Walls machine cleanly
shaft.stepshaft-drawing.pdf
- 1
The part and its files
A STEP model and the PDF drawing, or the builder's parametric part with its dimensions.
- 2
Quantity, material, tolerance
Per release, with annual volume when the buyer gives it. Tolerances come from the drawing.
- 3
A budgetary estimate
The SSG estimator's number at typical US job-shop rates. A sanity check, not a target price. Quote your real number.
- 4
A DFM check
What the rules flagged, so a thin wall or tight bend is on the table before you quote, not after the PO.
- 5
Requirements
Inspection level, certifications, finish and ship-to. Anything the program requires is on it.
- You answer with piece price, tooling, lead time and validity, or decline with a reason. See how buyers build them in the part builder.
What does SSG look for in a supplier?
Five things, checked on the application and the capability call. They are the same things routing scores you on.
- Capability
- Equipment that fits the work, such as press tonnage and bed size, spindle envelope or bar capacity, and a record of holding the tolerances on the drawings you quote.
- Quality system
- A certified system when a program requires one. When it doesn't, a documented one: calibrated gauges, controlled drawings, inspection records.
- Open capacity
- Real hours on the machines at the run sizes you want. It is how you avoid RFQs you'd have to decline.
- Documentation
- First article reports, PPAP when asked, material and process certs, and a certificate of conformance with each lot, done in-house.
- Responsiveness
- Quoting the RFQs you are sent, or declining with a reason, and shipping when you said. Both feed how future RFQs are routed.
How programs are qualified, and what first article and PPAP involve: Quality.
When is the network the wrong fit?
- You want guaranteed volume or a monthly retainer. Commission is only paid on orders.
- Most of the RFQs you'd see need a certification you don't hold. They won't route to you, and ITAR is never waived.
- Your shop is full. Mark capacity as full and you'll get few RFQs; apply again when hours open up.
- You only take one-off repairs or rework. The network quotes parts to a drawing in repeatable quantities.
How does commission-based representation work?
You pay for sales only when a sale happens. Commission is a percentage of the invoices you are paid on, at the rate in your line agreement.
Buyer
SSG rep
Your shop
- 1RFQBuyer to SSG rep
- 2Matched RFQ with filesSSG rep to Your shop
- 3Your quoteYour shop to SSG rep
- 4Quote presentedSSG rep to Buyer
- 5PO issued to youBuyer to Your shop
- 6Parts and invoiceYour shop to Buyer
- 7PaymentBuyer to Your shop
- 8CommissionYour shop to SSG rep
Typical rep commission by product type
Industry ranges for context. Your rate is set in the line agreement.
- High-volume production parts2–5%
Stampings, screw machine parts, powdered metal
- Molded and cast parts3–7%
Injection molding, die casting, rubber
- Machined and fabricated parts5–8%
CNC machining, sheet metal, low to medium volume
- Engineered and specialty components5–10%
Springs and wire forms, soft goods, custom assemblies
- Tooling0–5%
Molds, dies, fixtures
- Line agreement
- Territories, rates, splits and payout timing, agreed in writing before any rep quotes your line.
- House accounts
- Customers you already sell to are named in the agreement and excluded from commission.
- Tooling
- Often paid at a lower rate or excluded. The agreement says which.
- When it's paid
- After your customer pays you, on the invoices that came through the network.
How do I apply as a supplier?
Fill in the form. Required fields are marked; equipment and capacity notes can be rough.
- 1
Apply
- 2
Capability call
- 3
Line agreement
- 4
RFQs arrive
- 5
Quote, win, ship
Have an equipment list or line card as a PDF? Email it to bob@ssgmfg.com after you apply, or call (813) 419-2590.
Questions shops ask first
What does it cost to be a supplier?
Commission on invoiced sales, at the rate in your line agreement for each territory. Across the industry, manufacturers' rep commission typically runs 2–10% depending on the product, volume and how tooling is handled. It is paid after your customer pays you.
Is a supplier the same as a principal?
Yes. Principal is the rep industry's word for a manufacturer that a rep represents. This page is for shops that want RFQs for open capacity; the principals page covers territories and line agreements in more depth. It is the same application.
Do I need ISO 9001 to join?
Not for every RFQ. Programs that require a certification, such as IATF 16949, AS9100 or ISO 13485, route only to shops that hold it, and SSG asks for current certificates first. A documented quality system is expected either way.
Can I turn down an RFQ?
Yes. Decline it with a reason, such as no capacity, quantity too low or a spec concern. The reason helps route better work to you next time. Keep your capacity current and you will see fewer RFQs you have to decline.
Am I bidding against everyone?
No. Each RFQ goes to principals matched on process, material, certification, capacity and region, not to an open bid board. You quote against other qualified shops, and the rep presents each quote to the buyer.
Do you work with offshore manufacturers?
Yes, where the landed cost makes sense for the buyer. The network sources domestically first and offshore when freight, duty and lead time still come out ahead. ITAR work stays with registered US shops.
Who owns the customer relationship?
The customer issues the PO to you, and you invoice and ship. The rep stays on the account for follow-up and reorders, and your house accounts, named in the line agreement, are excluded from commission.
How an order runs from the buyer's side: How it works.