Resources
ODM and sheet metal fabrication FAQ
Organised by what you are trying to decide, not by department.
Working with YBT
Can you handle a project from concept to finished, packed goods?
Yes. Design, tooling, stamping, laser cutting, bending, welding, assembly and packaging run in one plant, and units ship assembled rather than as component sets. YBT delivers at four levels: parts made to drawing, sub-assemblies, finished units assembled and packed, and finished units with retail carton and manual loaded into the container at the plant for delivery to port.
How long has YBT been manufacturing?
Since 1980 (46 years). Outdoor gas heaters and commercial grills have been developed and built in house since 1989 (37 years), under the company’s own Burny brand. The plant employs 30 to 40 people on a 6,300 m² site in Tanzi District, Taichung, and its longest brand-owner relationship has run for more than twenty years.
Do you work as ODM only, or also to drawings?
Both. ODM for complete products developed with you; Manufacturing Services for parts quoted from your drawings. Most projects start from customer drawings; when YBT designs the product, the design work is quoted separately as a development fee.
Can you design the product for us, or do we need to provide drawings?
Customer drawings are the normal starting point. If you need YBT to design or draft the product, that engineering work is quoted and charged separately from tooling and production.
Where is the factory?
Tanzi District, Taichung City, Taiwan. Cutting, punching, forming, welding and assembly run on that site; polishing, powder coating, liquid paint and plating are arranged by YBT as part of the same job.
Which brands have you manufactured for?
Casablanca and Hunter (United States, ceiling-fan OEM parts), BP Gas, Shell Gas, Napoleon (Canada) and Schwank Heaters (Germany) for gas appliances, and OBI (Germany) as a BSCI-audited OEM supplier, all as published in YBT’s company history. Since 2014 YBT has also produced electric heaters for one brand owner at about 20,000 units a year under NDA. See the track record.
Commercial terms
What is your MOQ for ODM projects and for parts?
The dividing line is tooling. Parts that need no new tooling have a guideline MOQ of 1,000 pcs; parts or products that need tooling start above 1,000 pcs. There is no hard cut-off: smaller quantities are quoted case by case, with the unit price reflecting the volume.
What is your standard lead time?
Parts typically ship 1 to 2 weeks after order, depending on quantity. Finished products (heaters, grills and other assembled appliances) need at least 45 to 60 working days, depending on quantity and product type.
How long does it take from concept to mass production?
A complete new product, from concept through testing and certification to mass production, averages about two years. Development of a component that needs tooling averages about six months, with first production possible from 45 working days. A part that needs no new tooling can be in production within a week.
What are your payment and shipping terms?
Samples are paid in full before work starts. Production orders carry a deposit, with the balance settled before the goods leave port. Export terms are FOB Taiwan port; payment by L/C or T/T, in US dollars.
How quickly do you reply to an enquiry?
A quotation for a simple part is returned within 3 days. More complex assemblies take 1 to 2 weeks to quote, and a complete new product 1 to 2 months, because the quotation includes the tooling and certification plan.
Do you charge for tooling, and who owns it?
Tooling is charged to the customer and belongs to the customer who paid for it. If production does not reach the quantity agreed in the contract, the tooling design fee is charged separately. Dies are built in house by YBT’s own toolmakers.
Do you accept prototype or sample orders?
Yes. Samples are charged per run, and work starts once the quotation is signed and returned.
Engineering and quotation
What file formats do you accept for drawings?
DXF, DWG, STEP and PDF. A 3D STEP file plus a dimensioned 2D drawing is the fastest combination to quote.
What information do you need besides the file?
Material grade, thickness, quantity, surface treatment and required lead time. For an ODM project: the concept or reference product, target market, expected annual volume, target price, launch timing and whether you need YBT to design it.
What is your maximum sheet thickness for laser cutting and stamping?
Laser cutting on the TRUMPF TruLaser 1040 fiber: structural steel up to 30 mm, stainless steel up to 40 mm, aluminium up to 30 mm. Stamping: steel sheet up to 6 mm.
What tolerances can you hold?
Stamped features to ±0.05 mm and laser-cut profiles to ±0.1 mm. Bend and assembly tolerances depend on geometry and are confirmed against the drawing at quotation.
Which materials do you work with?
Carbon and coated steel (SS400, SPHC, SPCC, SECC, SGCC, SK5 / SK7, tinplate), stainless steel (SUS304, SUS316, SUS316L, SUS301, SUS410, SUS420, SUS430), aluminium (AL1050, AL5052, AL6061) and copper alloys (C1100, C2680, C5191, C1720, C7521). See the materials guide.
Will you tell us if a feature cannot be produced as drawn?
Yes. Bend radius, flange length and bend sequence are checked at quotation and the specific change needed is returned with the quote.
Certification, confidentiality and quality
Do you have CE and CSA certified products?
Yes. YBT’s patio heaters hold CE certification under Regulation (EU) 2016/426 with Module D production surveillance by Intertek Italia (Notified Body 2575, certificate ITS-2575-SRV-2441927, valid to September 2027), and a cETLus listing from Intertek to CSA/ANSI Z83.26 and CSA 2.37 covering models 2650, 2400, 2950, 2970, 3250 and 3200. The quality system is ISO 9001:2015 certified by TÜV NORD since 2017. Certificates are published on the Quality & Certifications page.
Do you sign NDAs before receiving our drawings?
Yes, whenever the customer asks. The customer’s NDA is used: both sides review and adjust the terms, then sign before any drawing or design is exchanged.
How do you handle quality issues and warranty claims?
By cause. If the defect arises in YBT’s production, YBT is responsible for correction. If it arises from the customer’s design, responsibility rests with the customer. The same rule applies to OEM production and to YBT’s own product range.
Which markets have you exported to?
Europe, North America, Central and South America, Australasia and Asia-Pacific. Products for Europe carry CE certification and products for North America carry a cETLus listing, so both markets’ certification and packaging requirements have already been handled.
Send us your concept or your drawing
Two separate forms, so you are only asked for what applies to your project.