1. Thermocouple wire quality:
Compliance with international standards: Whether it meets the specifications and standards widely recognized by the target market or industry, such as ASTM,IEC etc. Especially for theaccuracyrequirements of thermocouple wire types (K, J, T, E, N, R, S, etc.) (such as IEC60584, ASTM E230 standard tolerance). China implements GB, which will be different in temperature measurement points and tolerance requirements, overseas purchasersneed to communicate and confirm this in advance.
Raw Material purity and consistency: Whether the purity of the positive and negative alloys of the thermocouple wire meets the standard, and whether the thermocouple alloys are stable and consistent between batches. The impurity content directly affects the thermoelectric performance and long-term stability of thermocouple wires. Chinese suppliers have participated in the global division of labor, the nickel/copper/chromium and other alloy raw materials used are sourced globally and supplied locally, and the supply chain has a strong stability.
Accuracy:Overseas customers need to clarify the accuracy level required for their application, whether the Chinese supplier can provide products that meet the requirements of this level and the corresponding test reports, and pay attention to the differences in temperature measurement points between thermocouple grade and compensation wiregrade. Some customers from Europe and the United States require full-range accuracy measurement, and very few Chinese suppliers can meet this requirement.
Manufacturing process: Whether the thermocouple wire drawing process and annealing process are well controlled to ensure that the wire surface is smooth, free of defects (such as cracks, scratches, and too thick oxide layer), and the diameter tolerance is small. Some Chinese suppliers still use manual stirring when the raw materials enter the furnace for smelting, which is bound to cause uneven and insufficient stirring, thus affecting the uniformity and stability of the thermocouple wire.
2.Certification and Documentation:
Test Report: Whether a test report that complies with the standard is provided (such as thermal EMF test). It should be noted that some Chinese thermocouple wire suppliers cannot provide complete test reports that comply with the standard.
Declaration of Conformity/Certificate: Whether a statement or certificate of compliance with a specific standard is provided (such as compliance with ASTM E230,IEC60584).
Certificate of Origin: May be required for some overseas customs clearance or to meet specific procurement policy requirements.
3.Specifications and customization capabilities:
Thermocouple Wire type: whether the type required (K, J, N, E, T, etc.) can be provided.
Wire diameter: whether the diameter range is complete and the tolerance is strict. Note that different countries have different units , and converted accordingly.
Packaging form: whether it is provided according to overseas customers requirements.·
Customization capability: whether the special specifications (such as special alloys, special wire diameters, specific length cutting, special packaging) can be provided to meet specific application requirements.
Chinese suppliers have fully demonstrated their unique flexibility in specifications and customization capabilities, which is one of their competitive performances.
4.Price and cost:
Competitive price: The cost of thermocouple wire from Chinese suppliers is advantageous, especially compared with European and American competitors.
Total cost of ownership: Not only the unit price, but also the minimum order quantity, payment terms, shipping costs, tariffs, potential return/claim costs, etc.
Price transparency: is the quotation clear and does it include all costs (division of responsibilities under terms such as FOB, CIF, DDP, etc.).
5.Delivery time and supply chain stability:
On-time delivery: Stable supply within the promised delivery period. Overseas transportation takes a long time, so punctuality is particularly important.·
Capacity and inventory: The supplier's production capacity can meet demand, and there is safety inventory to deal with emergency orders.
Supply chain resilience: The supplier's raw material supply is stable and can cope with the impact of emergencies (such as epidemics, policy changes) on the supply chain.
Chinese suppliers are generally able to respond quickly to customers' delivery requirements, and have sufficient production capacity, demonstrating the strong resilience of the supply chain.
6.Packaging and transportation:
Protective packaging: Thermocouple wires are easily damaged, oxidized, and damp. Packaging (such as moisture-proof bags, hard reels/reels, and wooden boxes) can effectively protect products from physical damage, extrusion, and moisture erosion during long-distance sea/air transportation.
Clear labeling: The packaging labeling (model, specification, batch number, quantity, direction/polarity labeling) is clear, accurate, and meets the requirements.
Transportation method: The supplier have experience in handling international logistics, choosing reliable carriers, and providing appropriate transportation methods (sea/air) recommendations?
Some Chinese suppliers still need to improve on the details, such as unclear packaging labels and intricate protective packaging, which has led to a decline in overseas customer satisfaction.
The core demand of overseas customers is to obtain thermocouple wires that meet their application requirements (accuracy, specifications),stable and reliable quality, complete and compliant documents, are reasonably priced and can be delivered on time. Only a few Chinese suppliers can meet these requirementsverywell, and customers need toselect and communicate to establish a long-term and trustworthy cooperative relationship.