TECHNICAL 22 · PROCUREMENT
Samples: what we send, what it costs, and what it cannot show you.
A 300 mm tube cut tells you the wall, the coating and the finish. It does not tell you whether the arch fits your house. Knowing the difference stops a sample from becoming a substitute for a drawing.
| Sample | Shows | Does not show |
|---|---|---|
| Tube cut, 150–300 mm | Wall thickness, coating, weld seam, ovality | Section performance under load |
| Coating coupon | Coating thickness and finish | Corrosion life in your climate |
| Clamp and fitting | Fit, finish, punch match | Assembly under wind load |
| Film swatch | Thickness, haze, colour | UV life |
| Bent arch section | Bend quality, ovality after bending | Fit to your gutter |
Cost and lead time
Small cut samples are usually free; the buyer pays the courier. Fittings samples are free for standard items. A short bent arch section is a production item and is charged, because it consumes a bend setup. Courier is always the buyer's account unless the order is confirmed, in which case we credit the courier against the first order.
The honest limit
A sample proves material. It does not prove a design, and it is not a certificate. If your approval depends on structural performance, that is a drawing and a calculation, not a 300 mm cut.
When a sample is the right next step
After the specification is agreed and before the order, for a new buyer or a new coating. Not before the specification — a sample of the wrong tube is a wasted week for both sides.
Questions this page answers
Do you send samples?
Cut tube samples and standard fittings are free; you pay the courier. A bent arch section is charged because it consumes a bend setup.
How fast?
Cut samples usually ship within 3–5 days of the request, by courier, with the coating and wall thickness written on the tag.
What can a sample not tell me?
Whether the design works. A 300 mm cut proves material, not structure. That is a drawing and a calculation.
Can you credit the courier?
Yes, against the first order if it is confirmed within 90 days.
What spares should I order?
One roll of film, a box of clips, 5 % spare clamps, a tube of zinc-rich touch-in, and one spare vent gear if the house has vents.
Do you supply touch-in paint?
Yes, and we recommend it with every pre-galvanised frame. It is the cheapest item on the order and the one that decides coating life.
Can I get a spare arch?
Yes, and it is worth having one per house: a damaged arch otherwise waits for a container.
Do you keep my drawing for repeat orders?
Yes. Repeat orders are quoted against the same drawing and the same punching pattern, which is why the second order is faster.
Read next
Pages that answer the question this page raises.
- RFQ builderBuild a greenhouse frame RFQ: select tube, profiles, gutters and system lines, add project→
- 04.01Round steel tubeRound galvanised steel tube for greenhouses: 1/2″ to 4″ outside diameter, wall 1.0–4.0 mm,→
- 08.06Zinc coating standardsZinc coating standards for greenhouse steel: Z275 mass coating, ISO 1461, ASTM A123 and GB→
- 09.06Why us / why not usWhen to buy greenhouse frames from XinYonSen, and when another supplier is the better choi→
NEXT STEP
Turn this into a quoted frame list
If this page answered the technical question, the next step is a number. Send the parameters and we will price the tube, profiles, gutters and fittings as one package.