Reordering a Part With a Drawing Revision

A straight reorder runs from the drawing already on file, as described on the repeat production page, and the stored cutting program reproduces the geometry of the original run. A revision is a different situation. It needs the revised drawing itself, and it needs you to say what changed.

The short answer

Send the complete revised drawing, note what changed, give the quantity and the date you need, and say whether parts from the previous revision are still in service or still in stock. If the change touches a bend or a weld, say so explicitly.

Why the full file, not the note

A reorder reproduces the geometry of the original program. When the geometry changes, a new program has to be made from the revised drawing. A message saying "hole moves 20 mm left" is not a drawing: it does not carry the revision letter, the changed dimension in context, or the rest of the part that stayed the same.

Send the complete file, with the revision letter in the title block and in the file name. A DXF or DWG for the flat part, or a STEP file for a solid, is easier to work from than a marked up PDF, though a clear PDF will still be quoted.

What else the desk needs

• Quantity for this run, and whether later runs are expected.
• The date the parts are needed.
• Whether the finish is unchanged. A colour change is a second supplier step, and it affects both cost and timing.
• Whether the previous revision is still in service. If it is, the parts have to be distinguishable, and the part number is the simplest way to do it.

When the change affects another operation

Some revisions only move a hole. Others change a bend angle, add a bend, move a feature into the bend zone, or alter a joint. Those changes reach beyond the cutting program: they can change the forming setup, the fixture for a repeat weld, and what has to be checked on the first part.

Say what the change is for. If a hole moved because a component on the assembly changed, that context tells the shop which dimensions have to be held and which have slack.

Keep the revision visible

The cleanest practice is a part number that carries its revision, and a file name that matches it. When a batch arrives on site with the revision etched or marked, there is no argument about which drawing was made.

What gets checked before the quote goes back

Material and thickness, whether the finish has changed, whether the same fixture still applies, and whether the revised feature can be produced in the same sequence or needs an extra operation. Anything that cannot be confirmed from the drawing is asked rather than assumed.

Send one email with the drawing attached and the change described in a sentence. That is enough to quote a revision properly.