What we need before we can quote
A cell enquiry can be answered in a day or it can take a week of questions. The difference is almost always the duty profile: eight pieces of information decide which models are candidates, and none of them appear on a distributor listing.
The enquiry
Eight inputs, and why each one matters
| Input | Why it is asked |
|---|---|
| Cell format and envelope | Diameter, height and whether prismatic is acceptable. Sets which models are candidates at all. |
| Capacity target | In mAh per cell, or in Wh for the pack. Decides the energy grade. |
| Current profile | Continuous and peak, with how long the peak lasts. Decides the power grade and the thermal design. |
| Operating temperature range | Charging and discharging limits. A rating is only valid inside the manufacturer cut-off. |
| Charge requirement | Maximum charge current and how quickly the pack has to be ready. Often binds before discharge does. |
| Cycle life expectation | Cycles at a stated depth of discharge. Without the depth, a cycle figure is not comparable. |
| Quantity and delivery pattern | First order size and whether it repeats. Drives packing, batching and how the line is allocated. |
| Destination and required documents | Ship-to market and which certificates your customer expects, so the right paperwork is prepared once. |
A partial list still gets an answer — it just comes back as a shortlist with assumptions written in, rather than as a quotation.
What ships with an order
- UN 38.3 test summary matched to the models shipped
- Safety data sheet matched to the actual shipping configuration
- Certificates only where the document is held and the model appears in its coverage list
- Batch identification for traceability where the order is built from one batch
Batching and matching
Cells that share a series string are matched on capacity, internal resistance and open-circuit voltage. An unmatched string drifts: the weakest cell reaches the low-voltage cut-off first, the protection circuit trips, and the pack reads as failed while most of its capacity is still there.
Orders are assembled from a single batch where the size allows it, and the batch is identified so the traceability question has an answer later. If matched sets are required, state it in the enquiry — it changes how the order is put together.
Commercial terms
Why no prices are published
Cell pricing moves with volume, batch and destination. A figure printed on a page would be wrong within weeks, and wrong in a way that wastes everyone's time: the buyer budgets against it, the quotation lands somewhere else, and the conversation starts over.
Commercial terms are quoted per enquiry against the model, the quantity and the ship-to market. Minimum order quantity and lead time are answered the same way, for the same reason — a first order and a repeat order are not the same proposition, and air and sea differ by weeks rather than days.
What can be stated without a quotation is the documentation position: which models carry a manufacturer data sheet, which certificates are held, and which models are still pending. That is published and kept current, because it is the thing that decides whether a design can proceed.
Procurement questions
The six that come up most
Why are no prices published?+
Is there a minimum order quantity?+
How long does delivery take?+
Can I get samples before a volume order?+
Are cells matched before they are packed?+
What if a model I want is marked pending?+
Do you sell to individuals?+
Are samples available before a volume order?+
Can I order one model in several batches?+
Send the duty profile, not the part number
Eight lines of load and envelope, and the shortlist comes back with the documentation behind each candidate.