Knowledge base · Technical note
Sample evaluation checklist before a bulk order
A sample is the cheapest place to find a problem. These are the checks that catch the things drawings cannot show.
Why a sample passes and a batch still disappoints
Samples are often built with extra care. The gap between a sample and a batch is where orders fail — and most of it is visible if you know what to look at.
Check 1 — dimensions against the drawing
Measure the parameters you specified: cylinder size, hole pattern, body dimensions, mounting-hole spacing. Do not eyeball them. A one-millimetre difference on a mounting hole is the difference between a five-minute fit and a redrilled door.
Check 2 — keying and function
- Does the key turn smoothly through the full cycle, every time?
- If keyed alike, do all keys in the group operate all cylinders in the group?
- If master keyed, does the master open everything and the tenant key open only its own unit?
- Is the key removable in both the locked and unlocked position, as specified?
Check 3 — finish consistency
Order more than one unit in the sample. Colour and surface differences between units in a sample of three will be more obvious across a batch of three hundred. Look at the sample under natural light, not just under office lighting.
Check 4 — packaging
Does the packaging match what you ordered — white box, printed box, blister card, bulk? Does the printing match the approved artwork, including any serial numbering? Packaging problems are cheap to fix at sample stage and expensive after the batch is boxed.
Check 5 — documentation
Ask for the paperwork you will need on the real order: specification sheet, artwork proof, and the inspection record for the batch the sample came from. A supplier who cannot produce these at sample stage will not produce them at shipment either.
Record the result
Write down what you checked and what you found, with photographs. That record becomes the acceptance standard for the bulk order — and it is the document you refer to if the batch does not match.
Confirm it on your own doors
Send a door photo, the cylinder size or the mounting dimensions. We confirm fit with a physical sample before you commit to a quantity.
What readers ask next
The sample has been checked, so the next step is the record.
Can we keep the sample and order against it?
Yes, and the record should be kept with it. The sample plus the completed checklist is what the production batch is compared against, so it is worth storing rather than discarding.
Will the batch match the sample exactly?
The batch is produced to the same drawing and specification as the approved sample. Where finish is judged by eye, the agreed reference is what the batch is measured against, which is why the record matters.
Can you send a second sample of a different model?
Yes. Taking two models through the same checklist is more useful than judging one in isolation, and a sample can be with you from five days.