Three numbers decide whether a new fan range reaches shelves on time: the minimum order quantity, the tooling timeline and the production lead time. Brand owners usually meet all three for the first time in a quotation, without the reasoning behind them. This note explains what each number means, why it is what it is, and how to plan around it. The figures are ours at SYS Electromac; other manufacturers will differ, but the logic is the same.
Minimum order quantity: why it exists
An MOQ is not a sales tactic. Every production run carries fixed costs that do not change with quantity: changing the line over to a new model, mixing a colour masterbatch for the plastic parts, setting up the moulding machines, printing cartons with your artwork and running the first-off inspection. Spread across 50 fans, those costs make each fan expensive; spread across 500, they mostly disappear.
Our minimum is 500 pieces per model. That is deliberately low for the industry. It lets a brand test a new model, a new colour or a new market without committing a full container, and then scale the models that sell. A container can carry several models, so an importer can mix table, pedestal and wall fans in one shipment and still meet the minimum on each.
Existing model or new design: two different clocks
The single biggest factor in timing is whether you take a model that already exists or ask for a new one.
| Existing model | New design | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | Your logo, colours, carton and motor option | Body shape, parts and tooling |
| Development | None | About 30 days for design and prototyping |
| Tooling | None | 60–90 days for moulds |
| Pilot batch | N-10 pilot, typically within about 7 days of agreeing the product | N-10 pilot after tooling is approved |
| Production | 3 weeks from confirmed PO | 3 weeks per run once tooling is proven |
Most brands start with an existing model under their own branding and colours, because it reaches the market in weeks rather than months. A new design makes sense when the brand needs something no one else can sell, and is willing to wait for it.
Tooling: what it is and who owns it
Tooling means the moulds and dies that form the parts of a fan: the body, base, motor housing, blades, guard rings and knobs. A new body shape needs new moulds, and moulds take time to cut, trial and correct. That is where the 60–90 days goes.
Two questions matter more than the timeline. First, who owns the tooling once it is paid for. Second, whether it is exclusive. At SYS, tooling cut for a customer’s exclusive design is used only for that customer. Settle both in writing before the first mould is cut; changing the answer later is far harder than agreeing it at the start.
Lead time: what three weeks includes
A three-week lead time on an existing model runs from a confirmed purchase order to goods ready for dispatch. It covers materials, moulding, winding, assembly on a conveyorized line, 100% testing of motors and finished fans, and packing to your carton specification. It assumes the specification is signed off: colours, motor option, cord, labels and artwork. Most delays we see come from artwork and carton approvals, not from the factory floor.
Peak season changes everything
Fan demand is seasonal, and every brand wants stock in the same weeks. Capacity that is easy to book in the off-season is fully allocated once summer approaches. We ask brands to pre-book about 45 days ahead of the season so the stock exists before demand turns. For brands with two seasons of history, we can go further and pre-build against a written forecast, carrying the working capital ourselves so the buffer is ready when it is needed. The reasoning is set out in our peak-season supply case study.
Samples and pilots
Samples of existing models are available for a small fee with a 7-day lead time. Before mass production, every order goes through an N-10 pilot batch: a small run built on the production line, not in a sample room, that you approve before the full run starts. It is the cheapest point at which to catch a problem with colour, carton or labelling.
A planning checklist
- Decide existing model or new design first; it sets the whole timeline.
- Agree tooling ownership and exclusivity in writing before any mould is cut.
- Finalise artwork and carton files early; they are the usual cause of slippage.
- Count back from your selling season: pre-book at least 45 days ahead.
- Order samples and approve the N-10 pilot before committing the full run.
If you are planning a range for next season, our sales team can work through the timeline with you, or see our table, pedestal, wall and ventilation fan ranges.