Sourcing Photoelectric Sensors in Korea: An RFQ Checklist

1. Decide whether you need an exact replacement or a proposed alternative

These are different requests. An exact replacement begins with the existing manufacturer and complete model designation. An alternative begins with an approved set of requirements against which another model can be assessed. If you mix the two, a supplier may quote a broadly similar sensor while your maintenance team expects the identical part.

Do not shorten suffixes or remove punctuation from the model when entering it in an email or spreadsheet. Copy the text exactly and attach the label photograph. If the machine manual and physical label disagree, send both and ask which reference applies to the installed unit. Preserve that discrepancy until it is resolved.

For a through-beam arrangement, identify whether the request concerns a complete emitter/receiver set or a particular replacement component. For a reflective arrangement, identify the existing reflector and mounting items where relevant. “Five sensors” may otherwise be interpreted differently by the buyer and seller.

Korea Ops Desk

Start the request with the correct buying route

1. 01
   Exact replacement

   Identify the installed model

2. 02
   New requirement

   Describe the actual application

3. 03
   Alternative offered

   Compare every material difference

4. 04
   Technical approval

   Approve the selected configuration

2. Read the BEN code without inventing a model

The Autonics BEN product manual distinguishes T (through-beam), M (retroreflective), P (polarized retroreflective) and D (diffuse reflective). It also distinguishes FR for AC/DC power with relay contact output and DT for DC power with transistor output. The ordering diagram is a reference: the manual expressly notes that not every possible combination is available.

The official BEN300-DDT model page identifies that model as diffuse reflective, with a 300 mm listed sensing distance, 12–24 VDC supply and simultaneous NPN/PNP open-collector output. The manual gives the distance reference target as non-glossy white paper measuring 100 × 100 mm. Those conditions are why the distance figure should not be treated as a promise for every object and installation.

Do not assemble a new model code by combining characters that look plausible. Ask the supplier to confirm an orderable reference and provide the current official product documentation. If the seller proposes a different suffix, require a clear explanation of the difference before the quotation moves to purchasing approval.

Keep the manufacturer’s current page or document reference in your comparison sheet. A reseller title can omit a suffix or simplify a specification. Your buyer should be able to trace the selected item to the exact manufacturer reference used for the decision.

3. Describe the object and the environment in ordinary language

A supplier cannot assess an application from “for a conveyor” alone. Describe what must be detected, how it moves and where the sensor will sit. A simple marked photograph is often more useful than a paragraph of uncertain technical vocabulary. Use a ruler or a dimensioned sketch where the distance matters, and identify which measurements are confirmed.

State the required outcome in plain terms: “Detect each opaque carton as it passes this point, including the smallest carton shown in the attachment.” Then provide the technical values your team knows. If a value is unknown, mark it unknown and ask the technical reviewer how to establish it. Guessing a signal type or environmental rating can turn a fast quotation into an unusable purchase.

Where a sample test is needed, agree the target samples, test conditions and result record with the supplier or manufacturer. Keep the test tied to the proposed model. A general statement that a series is used on conveyors does not answer whether the selected configuration suits your target and operating conditions.

4. Compare the electrical and mechanical requirements as separate rows

Purchasing teams do not need to design the installation, but they do need an unambiguous specification. Put power supply, output type, operating mode, connection, mounting and required environmental characteristics on separate rows. This makes it harder for a supplier’s answer to overlook a material difference.

Do not accept “same size” as an equivalence statement. A similar housing can contain a different output arrangement, and an electrically similar product may require different mounting. Ask for a difference table with manufacturer documents, then route it to the person responsible for the machine or control system.

Keep wiring and commissioning with the appropriate technical personnel using the current manufacturer instructions. In the procurement record, your job is to preserve the selected configuration and obtain the evidence needed for that decision. Avoid rewriting an electrical diagram in an RFQ email from memory.

Korea Ops Desk

An alternative needs more than a matching photograph

1. 01
   Detection

   Target and sensing arrangement

2. 02
   Electrical

   Supply, output and control requirement

3. 03
   Mechanical

   Mounting and connection

4. 04
   Approval

   Documented review of the differences

5. Ask what is included, available and ready to dispatch

Once the technical reference is clear, request the complete commercial offer. Separate quantity, unit of sale and accessories. A quote for a sensor body is different from a quote for a complete set with the required reflector or mounting items. Confirm the contents against the exact model and current supplier offer.

• Quantity per model, with separate rows for each variant.
• New product condition or another explicitly agreed condition.
• Included bracket, reflector, adjustment tool, cable or other items as applicable.
• Unit price, currency, minimum order and quotation validity.
• Current available quantity and the source of the availability confirmation.
• Expected dispatch date, including any payment or order-acceptance condition.
• Packing, delivery point and transport scope.
• Documentation, warranty process and contact for a mismatch or delivery issue.

Treat “in stock” as a question to resolve, not a complete delivery commitment. Ask whether the quantity is physically available to the quoting supplier, reserved for another order, or expected from a later supply. Record the answer and when it was confirmed. If your production line is stopped, tell the supplier the operational deadline and ask separately about partial availability.

When the order arrives, compare the package label and product label with the approved order before releasing the item for installation. Record quantity and visible discrepancies, keep packaging information and send clear photographs to the supplier if something differs. This is much easier than investigating a model mismatch after labels and packaging have been discarded.

6. Use this RFQ template for a Korean supplier

If you are requesting an alternative, attach the application table from this guide and identify the technical contact who will review it. If the request is an exact replacement, lead with the full model and label photograph rather than a long description of the factory. A concise first page helps the supplier route the inquiry to the right person.

After a Korean-language call, ask for a written confirmation of the offered model, quantity, included items and dispatch basis. Keep both the original response and the English summary. Small differences in “available,” “orderable” and “expected” matter when a purchasing team is planning downtime.

7. Resolve incomplete replies without restarting the entire inquiry

Use an open-item log with one question per row. For example: “Reflector inclusion unconfirmed; supplier to confirm the contents of the exact offered model by [date].” This is more useful than repeatedly asking whether the quotation is “complete.” It also allows another colleague to continue the inquiry without reading the full message history.

Korea Ops Desk

Close the RFQ with a traceable record

1. 01
   Requirement

   The buyer’s approved reference

2. 02
   Offer

   Full model and commercial scope

3. 03
   Clarification

   Each difference and missing answer

4. 04
   Order record

   Accepted configuration and current quote

8. A practical example of a complete sourcing brief

Imagine a maintenance buyer needs six replacement sensors for a machine and has only an old purchase order stating “BEN300.” The correct next step is not to request six units under that shortened reference. First obtain the installed label photographs and ask the maintenance team to confirm whether all six positions use the same model.

1. Create one line per confirmed full model and quantity.
2. Attach the label photographs and identify the corresponding machine positions.
3. List any mounting or accessory items required with the replacement.
4. Send the RFQ with the actual destination and required arrival date.
5. Ask for exact-model availability and treat alternatives as separate proposals.
6. Resolve any differences with the technical reviewer before approving the order.
7. Carry the accepted model and inclusions into the purchase order and receiving check.

Korea Ops Desk can help when the part is identifiable but the supplier response is incomplete, slow or difficult to interpret. We can follow up in Korean, collect the current offer and product documents, and return a clear English record of available models, commercial conditions and unanswered technical questions. Your team then has a concrete basis for choosing and ordering the right item.