PROCUREMENT RESOURCE / REACTOR RFQ
Glass-Lined Reactor
RFQ Checklist
Use this glass-lined reactor RFQ checklist to organize the process basis, equipment requirements and open items before asking suppliers to quote.
Define the process duty first
State what the reactor is expected to do: reaction, crystallisation, dissolution, blending, batch hold or another defined process stage. Identify the process medium, operating temperature, pressure or vacuum conditions, viscosity behaviour and cleaning needs.
Mark open items clearly. A useful RFQ separates confirmed operating data from assumptions that still require engineering review.
Provide the vessel basis
- Required working volume or batch range
- Preferred orientation and head arrangement
- Layout, access or support constraints
- Nozzle, manway, vent and drain needs
- Instrument and utility interfaces
- Connections fixed by existing piping
For replacement enquiries, attach available drawings, nameplate photographs and site photographs. They establish a review basis, not a guarantee of exact interchangeability.
Describe the agitation duty
Explain the mixing objective: solids suspension, blending, heat transfer support, reaction control, gas dispersion or viscosity management. Include product behaviour, any solids, drive limitations and cleaning constraints. See Agitation Engineering for the review structure.
Clarify heating and cooling requirements
Identify the intended thermal operation, utility type, temperature range and whether the duty is heating, cooling, heat removal or temperature holding. Review the current process duty and available utilities together; an old jacket arrangement is not the complete design basis.
State the quotation and documentation request
| RFQ input | What to provide |
|---|---|
| Commercial basis | Quantity, delivery location, timing, requested currency or trade term. |
| Technical scope | Process data, vessel requirements, interfaces, agitation and thermal duty. |
| Existing equipment | Available drawings, photographs, nameplate information and fixed site constraints. |
| Requested documents | Which outline, configuration, quality or project documents are needed for review. |
Common RFQ gaps
- Nominal volume without process duty
- Old model number used as the full specification
- Undefined pressure, vacuum or utilities
- Exact replacement requested from photos alone
- Unclear fixed versus changeable interfaces
- Documentation needs left unspecified
Before you submit the enquiry
Can we request a quotation before every parameter is final?
Yes. Identify confirmed data, preferred options and open items so the quotation can be scoped appropriately.
What helps with an existing reactor replacement RFQ?
Nameplate photographs, drawings, site photographs, operating information and clearly stated fixed interfaces are useful starting inputs.
Does this checklist replace engineering review?
No. It prepares the review inputs; final configuration remains subject to the project process and engineering assessment.
Separate fixed constraints from preferences
Before sending the RFQ, identify which points cannot change on site and which are preferences for the new project. Fixed items may include foundation position, elevation, connection direction, access limits or an upstream and downstream piping interface. Preferences may include orientation, agitator approach, instrument arrangement or document format.
This distinction lets the project team focus supplier review on the items that affect feasibility first. It also reduces rework when a preferred configuration conflicts with an operating requirement or an existing layout condition.
Where existing information is uncertain, state the source and the confidence level. A marked plant-side measurement, an old drawing and an unverified estimate should not be treated as equivalent design inputs.
Prepare a clear review package
Combine the RFQ checklist with supporting files in one reference set: the process summary, available general arrangement, connection sketches, photographs and a short list of unresolved questions. Name the contact person for technical clarification and identify any quotation deadline that affects the project schedule.
A complete request does not need to pre-select every equipment detail. Its role is to make the review scope, known conditions and decision boundary clear enough for a meaningful technical and commercial response.