Why should I not rely only on the supplier's promised lead time for a custom packaging machine?
• Custom lead time covers design, castings and servo tuning; quoted days often exclude drawing approval and FAT queue.
• Long-lead parts like heat-seal jaws, PLC/HMI and servo motors run 6-10 weeks; demand a BOM lead-time list.
• Contract must fix drawing-freeze date, FAT milestone and stage penalties, not just total days.
• Changeover mechanism, film tension and seal parameter tuning scale with customization; reserve trial-run buffer.
• Ask for historical lead time and WIP schedule of similar models to verify real capacity.
• Long-lead parts like heat-seal jaws, PLC/HMI and servo motors run 6-10 weeks; demand a BOM lead-time list.
• Contract must fix drawing-freeze date, FAT milestone and stage penalties, not just total days.
• Changeover mechanism, film tension and seal parameter tuning scale with customization; reserve trial-run buffer.
• Ask for historical lead time and WIP schedule of similar models to verify real capacity.