Can I send an RFQ without a datasheet?

Yes. Valve type, size, pressure class, body material and quantity are enough to start. Attach the datasheet to the email or WhatsApp message when you have it; the form itself does not upload files.

Why does the destination port matter in a valve RFQ?

Packing, freight and the certificate of origin follow the destination and the incoterm. A quotation to a different port includes different logistics, so the two offers are not comparable.

What is the difference between NPS and DN?

NPS is the North American nominal pipe size in inches; DN is the metric nominal diameter used in ISO and EN piping. Give the size in the unit your datasheet uses and add the other if you are unsure.

What is a technical deviation list?

It is a line-by-line comparison of the offered valve with your datasheet: what matches, what differs and what is excluded. You accept or reject each difference before the order, which is easier than discovering it at the factory acceptance test.

Should I specify API 598 or API 6D testing?

Use the standard your piping class or project specification names. API 6D is written for pipeline and piping valves and specifies its own shell and seat tests; API 598 covers general valve testing. Their seat-test acceptance criteria differ, so do not accept a report that mixes them.

Valve RFQ checklist: the data a quotation needs

Guide · RFQ · Specification and testing

A usable valve RFQ states the valve type, size, pressure class, body and trim materials, quantity, end connection, service conditions, testing and certificate requirements, actuation, delivery date, destination port and end-user country. The more of these you give, the fewer assumptions sit behind the price you receive.

Fill the two-step RFQ form in this order

01Valve basics: type, size, class, material and quantityThe first step of the form collects the five data points that decide the valve family and the price bracket: valve type, size, pressure class, body material and quantity. Add the tag number and the datasheet reference in the notes field.
02A work e-mail you actually readThe quotation, deviation list and drawing references come back to this address. Use the engineer who will review the offer, not a general sales inbox that may sit unread for a week.
03End connection: how the valve joins the pipeFlanged RF, flanged RTJ, butt weld, socket weld, threaded, or wafer and lug. The end connection changes the flange standard, the face-to-face dimension and the welding documentation, so say which preparation the pipe already has.
04Service conditions: medium, temperature and pressureState the fluid, the design temperature range, the design pressure and anything that changes the material: chlorides, H2S, oxygen, hydrogen or a cyclic duty. The temperature decides whether a standard, low-temperature or cryogenic design applies.
05Seat, trim, testing, certificates and actuationSay whether the seat is soft or metal, whether hard-facing is required, which pressure test standard applies, which certificates you need, and whether the valve is manual, gear operated, pneumatic, electric or hydraulic.
06Delivery, destination and end userGive the required delivery date, the destination port, the end-user country and the project name. The destination sets packing, freight and the certificate of origin; the end user and country are screened before a quotation is issued.

RFQ field by field

The table follows the fields of the two-step RFQ form on this site. Write what you know, and mark a field “to be confirmed” rather than guessing: a wrong pressure class or material is worse than an open question, because it prices a valve you did not ask for.

Valve RFQ fields, what to write in each one, and why it changes the quotation
RFQ field	What to write	Why it matters
Valve type	Trunnion ball, triple offset butterfly, cryogenic ball, duplex ball or other engineered valve	Sets the applicable standard, the manufacturer’s licensed scope and the price bracket
Size	NPS or DN, for example NPS 8 / DN 200	Size drives body cost, tooling and test duration
Pressure class	ASME Class 150, 300, 600, 900, 1500 or 2500, or the PN rating	Sets wall thickness, flange rating and shell test pressure
Body material (ASTM grade)	For example A216 WCB, A351 CF8M or A182 F51	Determines the pressure–temperature rating, corrosion resistance and certificate requirements
Quantity	Number of valves, plus any spare seats or seals	Changes the manufacturing slot and the unit price
Work e-mail	The engineer who will review the offer	Where the quotation and deviation list are sent
End connection	Flanged RF, flanged RTJ, butt weld, socket weld, threaded, wafer or lug	Sets the flange standard, the face-to-face dimension and the welding documentation
Service: medium and temperature	Fluid, design temperature range and special risks	Selects materials, seat type and any low-temperature or cryogenic testing
Seat and trim	Soft or metal seat, hard-facing, trim material	Affects tightness, operating torque and cost
Testing and certificate requirements	API 598 or API 6D, EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2, NDE, fire test, fugitive emission, third-party inspection	Changes the inspection hours and the documents in the MDR
Actuation	Lever or handwheel, gear, pneumatic, electric, hydraulic or bare shaft	Sets the mounting interface and whether an actuator is in scope
Required delivery date	The date the valves must be at the port, not the date you need them on site	Determines whether the factory slot is feasible
Destination port	Port of discharge in your incoterm	Sets packing, freight and the certificate of origin
End-user country	Country where the valves will be installed	Used for export screening and any regional standard or certification
Spec sheet and notes	Tag numbers, datasheet, piping class, previous order reference	Removes assumptions from the quotation

The details that most often change a quotation

End connection and face-to-face pattern: a valve that matches the spool is not always the standard pattern. ASME B16.10 gives the face-to-face dimension, and a change of end connection can move the delivery date as well as the price.

Pressure class and body material together set the pressure–temperature rating under ASME B16.34. Quote both, because the class alone does not define the allowable pressure at your design temperature.

Pressure test standard: API 598 and API 6D have different seat-test acceptance criteria and different documentation. Name one, not “API”.

Material documentation: EN 10204 3.1 and 3.2 are different documents, and NDE or impact testing adds inspection time to the schedule.

Type tests: a fire test to API 607 or ISO 10497, a fugitive-emission test to ISO 15848-1, or a cryogenic type test to BS 6364 or ISO 28921-1 is a design qualification. The report must cover the size, class and seat design you are offered, and asking for it after the order is too late.

Actuation: an actuator adds a mounting kit, a sizing calculation and often a separate delivery. State whether it is in your scope or the factory’s.

Inspection: a witnessed FAT or third-party inspection adds a scheduled hold point. Put it in the RFQ so it is priced, not added later.

Sour service, oxygen and other special duties

If the fluid contains H2S, say so in the service field. Material selection, heat treatment and hardness limits then follow NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156, and the material certificates must show the results your specification requires.

Oxygen service needs cleaning and non-reactive materials. Chlorine and seawater may require duplex or super duplex stainless steel for the body and trim. These are specification decisions for the datasheet, not upgrades to leave to the factory after the price is agreed.

Testing and certificates to name in the RFQ

For pressure testing, name API 598 or API 6D and say whether the buyer or a third party witnesses the test. For material documentation, say EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2, and add NDE, impact testing or the ferrite and ASTM A923 checks that duplex grades may need.

For low-temperature service, name the test your datasheet requires: BS 6364 or ISO 28921-1. A report is only useful if it names the size, class and seat design you are buying.

For fire safety and emissions, name API 607 or ISO 10497 and the ISO 15848-1 tightness class your project requires. These are design qualifications, so check that the certificate covers the valve you are offered.

What a complete quotation should contain

A quotation for an engineered valve should name the manufacturer and its API licence number, list every deviation from your datasheet, state the delivery date and the documents included, and reference the approved drawing revision. If a value is still “to be confirmed”, ask for the date it will be confirmed.

Compare offers line by line against the RFQ, not only on price. A lower price that changes the pressure class, the seat material or the test standard is not the same valve.

Frequently asked questions

What information do I need to send a valve RFQ?: Valve type, size, pressure class, body and trim materials, quantity, end connection, service medium and temperature, testing and certificate requirements, actuation, required delivery date, destination port and end-user country. Add the datasheet or tag numbers when you have them.
Can I send an RFQ without a datasheet?: Yes. Valve type, size, pressure class, body material and quantity are enough to start. Attach the datasheet to the email or WhatsApp message when you have it; the form itself does not upload files.
Why does the destination port matter in a valve RFQ?: Packing, freight and the certificate of origin follow the destination and the incoterm. A quotation to a different port includes different logistics, so the two offers are not comparable.
What is the difference between NPS and DN?: NPS is the North American nominal pipe size in inches; DN is the metric nominal diameter used in ISO and EN piping. Give the size in the unit your datasheet uses and add the other if you are unsure.
What is a technical deviation list?: It is a line-by-line comparison of the offered valve with your datasheet: what matches, what differs and what is excluded. You accept or reject each difference before the order, which is easier than discovering it at the factory acceptance test.
Should I specify API 598 or API 6D testing?: Use the standard your piping class or project specification names. API 6D is written for pipeline and piping valves and specifies its own shell and seat tests; API 598 covers general valve testing. Their seat-test acceptance criteria differ, so do not accept a report that mixes them.

Standards cited

ASME B16.34: Valves with flanged, threaded and welding ends: pressure–temperature ratings by material group and pressure class. Edition quoted to: ASME B16.34-2025.
ASME B16.10: Face-to-face and end-to-end dimensions of valves. Edition quoted to: ASME B16.10-2022.
API Spec 6D: Pipeline and piping valves: design, manufacture, testing and documentation of ball, gate, plug and check valves.
API Std 598: Valve inspection and pressure testing (shell, backseat and seat).
EN 10204: Types of inspection documents, including the 3.1 and 3.2 certificates.
API Std 607: Fire test for quarter-turn valves with non-metallic seats: a type test of the design.
ISO 10497: Fire type-testing requirements for valves: test procedure and acceptance criteria.
ISO 15848-1: Fugitive emissions: measurement, test and qualification procedures for valve stem seals, with tightness classes from a type test.
BS 6364: Valves for cryogenic service: design requirements and a low-temperature type test. Edition quoted to: BS 6364:1984 (withdrawn by BSI in 2021 but still named in many LNG specifications).
ISO 28921-1: Isolating valves for low-temperature applications: design, manufacturing and production testing. Edition quoted to: ISO 28921-1:2022 (BS EN ISO 28921-1:2022).
NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156: Metallic materials for use in H2S-containing environments in oil and gas production: material selection, heat treatment and hardness limits for sour service.
ASTM A923: Test methods for detecting detrimental intermetallic phases in duplex stainless steels.