Five real questions from hotel, school, university and office furniture buyers, answered on this date and archived here once the next day's set went live.
CRCA (Cold Rolled Close Annealed) steel is cold-rolled and annealed for a smoother, more uniform finish and better formability — commonly used for cabinets, lockers and enclosure-style furniture — while thicker hot-rolled/mild steel suits heavier, load-bearing structural work. Ask which grade a quote is actually based on, not just a gauge number, since the same gauge in a different steel grade can behave differently under load and finish differently under powder coat.
A Mill Test Certificate (MTC) is a document from the steel producer confirming the actual chemical composition and mechanical properties of a specific batch of steel — distinct from a generic grade specification quoted verbally. For a large bulk order, requesting the MTC for the steel batch used, alongside the usual gauge and finish specification, gives an independently verifiable record of what was actually used rather than relying on a supplier's stated grade alone.
Steel furniture is taxed at a uniform 18% GST rate, following the September 2025 rate simplification that brought wooden, steel, plastic and other furniture categories under a single rate. Confirm the applicable HSN code and rate directly on a supplier's GST invoice at the time of quoting, since rate structures can change and a written quote should reflect the current rate rather than an assumed figure.
A common structure is a percentage advance to confirm the order and begin production, with the balance due against delivery or installation rather than paid entirely upfront — the exact split is negotiable and should be agreed in writing before production starts, not assumed. Tying a larger share of payment to delivery or acceptance, similar in principle to how GeM's CRAC-based mechanism works structurally, reduces risk on both sides compared with a large upfront payment with no milestone tied to receipt.
Mismatched quotes usually come from an under-specified RFQ — send every manufacturer the identical written specification (steel gauge, finish, dimensions, hardware, delivery/installation inclusion and payment terms) rather than a verbal description that each supplier interprets differently. Treat a quote that omits any of these as incomplete rather than comparing it directly against one that includes them, until the gaps are clarified in writing.