CHOOSING A MACHINE
What a Commercial Embroidery Machine Quote Should Include
The short answer
Total cost includes more than the machine price: freight and import costs, site preparation, electrical work, frames and accessories, software, training, operator time, maintenance, spare parts, rework and downtime all affect the investment. Payback should be calculated from the buyer's own accepted orders and measured process data, not promised in the article.
Purchase and landed cost
Machine price is only one line in a commercial embroidery investment. For purchase and landed cost, separate the machine and included equipment from freight, duties, delivery, site preparation, electrical work, installation, training, software, accessories, spare parts, maintenance and financing where relevant.
The calculation for purchase and landed cost must also account for labor, hooping, changeovers, rejected work, downtime and the ability to obtain usable support. Compare the same destination, configuration, service scope and time period. Do not insert a payback claim until the buyer has supplied its own costs, demand and accepted output assumptions.
- Compare the same delivered configuration
- Separate included items, options and buyer supplied work
- Keep return assumptions owned by the buyer
Site and installation
Site readiness includes the machine footprint and the space needed to deliver, assemble, operate, load products, store materials and access service points. For site and installation, document doorways, routes, floor condition, working clearance, electrical supply, environment, network and operator flow.
For site and installation, use model specific dimensions, weight, power and installation instructions only after the applicable FUJA document is confirmed. Until then, keep those fields as evidence requirements. The delivery plan should also identify who prepares the site, who performs installation and which conditions are paid or region dependent.
- Map the delivery and working area
- Confirm power and environment from the exact model document
- Assign site, installation and support responsibilities
Accessories, software and training
File recognition is not the same as production readiness. When checking accessories, software and training, confirm the final design dimensions, stitch count, color sequence, trims, jumps, start point and working field before releasing the file to an operator.
For accessories, software and training, the confirmed FUJA baseline is limited to the following facts. FUJA machines mainly support DSB and DST embroidery files. Confirmed transfer options include USB and WiFi, and USB export is supported. The operating interface supports 18 languages. This does not mean human support is available in 18 languages. These points do not establish the menu path, software version or recovery procedure for every controller revision, so those details remain subject to model specific documentation.
- Record the controller and software revision
- Keep the approved source file and exported production file
- Verify the screen result before releasing the job
Labor, maintenance and spare parts
Machine price is only one line in a commercial embroidery investment. For labor, maintenance and spare parts, separate the machine and included equipment from freight, duties, delivery, site preparation, electrical work, installation, training, software, accessories, spare parts, maintenance and financing where relevant.
The calculation for labor, maintenance and spare parts must also account for labor, hooping, changeovers, rejected work, downtime and the ability to obtain usable support. Compare the same destination, configuration, service scope and time period. Do not insert a payback claim until the buyer has supplied its own costs, demand and accepted output assumptions.
- Compare the same delivered configuration
- Separate included items, options and buyer supplied work
- Keep return assumptions owned by the buyer
Downtime and rework
Machine price is only one line in a commercial embroidery investment. For downtime and rework, separate the machine and included equipment from freight, duties, delivery, site preparation, electrical work, installation, training, software, accessories, spare parts, maintenance and financing where relevant.
The calculation for downtime and rework must also account for labor, hooping, changeovers, rejected work, downtime and the ability to obtain usable support. Compare the same destination, configuration, service scope and time period. Do not insert a payback claim until the buyer has supplied its own costs, demand and accepted output assumptions.
- Compare the same delivered configuration
- Separate included items, options and buyer supplied work
- Keep return assumptions owned by the buyer
Buyer owned investment model
Machine price is only one line in a commercial embroidery investment. For buyer owned investment model, separate the machine and included equipment from freight, duties, delivery, site preparation, electrical work, installation, training, software, accessories, spare parts, maintenance and financing where relevant.
The calculation for buyer owned investment model must also account for labor, hooping, changeovers, rejected work, downtime and the ability to obtain usable support. Compare the same destination, configuration, service scope and time period. Do not insert a payback claim until the buyer has supplied its own costs, demand and accepted output assumptions.
- Compare the same delivered configuration
- Separate included items, options and buyer supplied work
- Keep return assumptions owned by the buyer
Frequently asked questions
What should a cap embroidery test record?
Record the machine and cap system, cap profile, design position, file, thread, backing, framing method, operator actions and the front and reverse result. One sample should not be treated as proof for every cap style.
What makes two machine quotations comparable?
Both quotations need the same destination, model and revision, included equipment, options, controller, delivery scope, installation, training, documents, warranty wording, parts treatment and exclusions.