What Is Rivet Welding?

What is riveting?

Many processing plants will only give you a one-line quotation, which states that the riveting and welding processing fee is 8,500 yuan. When you asked them for details, they said it was already included. Don't be in a hurry. We can break down the 6 items you mentioned. Before negotiating on price, you should have an idea in mind.

Substrate specifications and sheet thickness

Be sure to explain everything clearly in the first line of the quotation, that is, what kind of material is used, such as Q235, Q345 or 304 stainless steel. People who see it must be informed that there is a huge difference of more than double the price of these materials. The thickness of the board is also something that needs to be clearly marked.

If one is 10 mm and the other becomes 20 mm, then the degree of loss during the blanking process and the number of passes involved in welding are completely different concepts. By the time of 2025, the domestic hot coil market price is fluctuating back and forth in the range of 3,800 yuan to 4,200 yuan per ton.

If the price of the materials is not determined and locked in advance, there will be a lot of nonsense later, all of which are meaningless and meaningless arguments.

In a riveting and welding factory in Wuxi, Jiangsu, the quotation for 2025 clearly shows information that when Q345B material is used and the thickness reaches 16 mm, the processing cost is 5.2 yuan per kilogram.

If the material is replaced with Q235 model, the price will be reduced to 3.8 yuan. Before negotiating the price, it is very necessary to ask clearly about the model number of the material. If you skip this critical step, you will be in a completely passive situation in all subsequent negotiations.

How to list welding materials, rivets and consumables

When using the argon arc welding process, you must use E308L specification welding wire, and if you choose secondary welding, you must use ER50-6 type welding consumables. Although the welding cost of a certain joint may only differ by two or three cents, when the scale of the project increases and hundreds of joints are processed, this difference will accumulate into a difference of several hundred yuan. So for rivets, The pricing method should be based on the different specifications of M8, M10 and M12. The price should be determined separately. Those cases where the quotation is only vaguely marked as "a number of rivets" are not compliant, and the other party must be asked to return it directly for rewriting.

As for the welding wire industry in 2025, everyone can clearly see that the price range of ER50-6 materials per kilogram is in the range of 8 yuan to 11 yuan. At the same time, the cost of a bottle of argon gas is about 40 yuan to 60 yuan, and the use time of this bottle of gas is maintained at about 30 to 40 minutes. The total cost including these consumables accounts for about 20% of the entire processing fee. If the individual items are not listed in the quotation, Then all these additional cost pressures will ultimately be borne by you.

What is the standard for calculating labor hours?

The labor cost of ordinary secondary welding is about 25 yuan to 35 yuan. The price of argon arc welding or similar argon-helium welding technology can exceed 50 yuan. As for the cost of automated welding, that has to be calculated separately. In the quotation, it must be clearly stated whether it is a contract model or whether the fee is based on working hours.

If the working hours are overtime, it must be clearly stated whether there will be any extra money. Take Jiaxing’s riveting and welding work order in 2025 as an example. The price is 28 yuan per hour. If the working time exceeds 8 hours, an additional 20% fee will be added. If you don't spell out these situations clearly in the contract, you're cheating people.

In a factory in Chengdu, the quotation stated that the labor contract fee included overtime costs within 8 working hours. This situation seems to be no problem. But when the time came to meet the deadline, the working hours were extended to 12 hours. There is no one to manage the extra 4 hours. Therefore, when negotiating the price, the rate for overtime work should be set firmly. Never leave any room for ambiguity.

Should surface treatment be listed separately?

After the welding work is completed, whether it needs to be shot blasted, spray painted, galvanized, or hot-dip galvanized, this cost is usually not included in the basic welding cost by most factories.

Judging from the current market conditions in 2025, the charging standard for galvanizing is about 2 to 3 yuan per kilogram, while the total price for shot blasting and spray paint is about 8 to 12 yuan per square meter. If the quotation simply states the terms "additional calculation" of these four words, the actual money paid in the end is often a very large amount more than originally expected.

The correct approach is to separate the surface treatment item and write it on a separate line, and the specific process, price of the single product, area or weight should be written very clearly. For example, there is a steel structure factory in Tianjin. In 2025, the cost of galvanizing is 1.8 yuan per kilogram, and the cost of sandblasting and epoxy paint is 25 yuan per square meter. This way it looks clear and there is no misunderstanding.

Who pays for the flaw detection fee?

For aerospace parts, we must do ultrasonic testing or radiographic testing for flaw detection, so each inspection costs hundreds or even thousands of yuan. For automotive parts, we only need to perform visual inspection and add magnetic particle testing to meet the requirements. The cost difference between the two is several times higher.

If you do not specify the specific testing method and the number of tests in the quotation, then if we forcefully add two more processes that require flaw detection before the product leaves the factory, you will have to bear the consequences yourself and accept the credit.

The unit price given by a third-party testing agency in Shanghai in 2025 is as follows: ultrasonic testing will cost 120 yuan per time, each radiograph will cost 260 yuan, and magnetic particle testing will cost 50 yuan per area. Clearly write these specific unit price details into the quotation. If you do this, you will not be treated passively if there are additional projects in the future. This is an effective means to prevent risks.

How does batch size affect unit price?

If the order quantity is 100 pieces, then the unit price difference between it and 10,000 pieces will be more than 30%. Because small-batch production requires mold opening, parameter adjustment, and trial welding, these steps will result in a very high cost spread across each product.

Therefore, the minimum order quantity threshold and stepped price standards must be clearly written in the quotation. If not, then the price of small batch products will be calculated.

The quotation given by the riveting and welding factory in Chengdu in 2025 is as follows. If the order quantity is less than 500 pieces, the unit price is 6.8 yuan. If the order exceeds 5,000 pieces, the price can be reduced to 4.2 yuan. As for the quantities in the middle, it will be divided into two grades. If you feel that your order quantity cannot meet the requirements, it is best to contact two factories to work together to make an order. Don't suffer a loss because of small batches.

The document sheet you hold in your hand for quoting prices for customers on riveting and welding. How many of the projects above are very clearly written and public? Please tell us your own real stories and experiences in the comments.

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