Key Decision
Evaluate a sintered stone manufacturer in China against the order you intend to place: the exact slab, the approved appearance, the fabrication route and the shipment requirements. Before committing to bulk supply, verify who controls production, test representative material, agree measurable acceptance criteria and confirm what happens if the delivered goods fail those criteria.
For a distributor, this means repeatable stock and manageable replenishment. For a fabricator, it means slabs that can be processed into the agreed pieces. For a project buyer, it means matching approved surfaces and drawings to a delivery schedule. Use the checks below to move from a supplier shortlist to a purchase specification and a controlled trial order.
1. Are You Buying Full Slabs or Finished Components?
A quotation for full slabs covers a different responsibility from a quotation for finished vanity tops. If the supplier prices only slab material while you expect cutouts, edge finishing, piece labels and protective crates, the prices cannot be compared directly.
Send each shortlisted supplier the same brief: application, product references, finish, slab or finished-piece dimensions, thickness, quantities, destination and target arrival date. Include drawings for processed components. Identify which dimensions are finished dimensions and which allow trimming.
| Purchasing model | Capability to verify | Approval evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Distributor buying stock slabs | Repeat supply of the selected colors, thicknesses and finishes; mixed-order packing | SKU quantity schedule, batch references, replenishment route and rack plan |
| Fabricator buying slabs | Material compatibility with the workshop's cutting and finishing process | Product processing instructions and a documented fabrication trial |
| Furniture manufacturer buying components | Repeat dimensions, edge appearance and packing for individual parts | Approved drawing revision, first article and inspection record |
| Contractor buying a project package | Layout control, piece identification and phased dispatch | Approved elevations or cutting layouts, piece schedule and release dates |
Qualify the supplier for that defined scope. Approval to supply standard slabs should not automatically extend to a complex sink assembly, mechanically fixed façade or a new fabricated component.
2. Are You Dealing with the Factory That Will Make Your Slabs?
Ask the seller to identify its legal company name, Chinese registration details, manufacturing address and commercial role. Match the company on the quotation, purchase contract, invoice and payment instructions. Where an export company and factory are separate entities, request their relationship and written confirmation of who handles quality claims.
A trading company can coordinate a useful supply program. A manufacturer can also outsource cutting or packing. The procurement risk arises when those arrangements are undisclosed and nobody accepts responsibility for the finished order.
During a visit or live video review, follow the relevant production route through the site. Ask to see the selected product or a comparable production run, finished slab labels, inspection records and the packing area. A showroom visit alone does not establish where the order will be made.
Request before supplier approval: company identity, named production and fabrication sites, outsourced operations, the person responsible for order quality and the procedure for approving any site or material substitution.
How Funtek Demonstrates Its Manufacturing Capability
Funtek operates three sintered stone production lines in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. The industrial park and factory grounds together cover 2,200 mu (approximately 1.47 million m²). Our Shanghai team handles enquiries, sample arrangements, quotations and export follow-up, connecting your purchasing brief with production and order preparation.
Our factory overview shows the forming, surface production, sintering, handling, fabrication, storage and dispatch areas. Buyers can arrange a factory visit or sample review around the processes relevant to their order. A countertop fabricator can focus on slab handling and cutting; a distributor can review surface selection, stock and export preparation.
What you can review with us: factory photographs and production video, a visit to the relevant production areas, and confirmation of the manufacturing and fabrication scope for your order.
3. Can the Factory Produce Your Exact Size, Thickness and Finish?
Start with the complete product combination: design code, body construction, surface finish, nominal thickness and format. A factory that offers a pattern in one thickness may need a different production run, finishing route or stock source to supply another thickness.
Ask how material preparation, forming, decoration, firing, finishing and inspection connect for the selected product. For a surface with visible edge details, also confirm what the cut edge will look like. A patterned face does not establish that the same veining continues through the slab.
Turn equipment claims into order questions
SACMI describes CONTINUA+ as a slab and tile compaction system, with different process and control options. Equipment identity helps explain a production route; it does not establish the factory's available output for your particular order.
- Which line and finishing process will produce this specification?
- Is the quoted quantity already available, allocated stock, or a new production run?
- Which other specifications share the line or finishing equipment?
- What quantity can be inspected, packed and released by the proposed date?
- Who approves substitutions if the planned material or production slot changes?
How Funtek Matches Production to Your Slab Specification
Our SACMI CONTINUA+ PCR 2000 system uses continuous compaction to form large-format slabs for surface processing and sintering. Glazing and digital printing equipment support patterned surfaces, while robotic arms, suction lifting equipment and roller conveyors move slabs between operations.
Funtek lists 1600 × 3200 mm slabs in 6, 9, 12 and 15 mm thicknesses, alongside other catalog formats. We review your design code, finish, format, thickness and quantity together, then confirm whether the order can use stock or needs a production schedule. For fabricators and furniture manufacturers, that review also considers the finished-piece layout.
What you can review with us: the available product and thickness combination, full-slab references, the proposed stock or production route, and an order-specific preparation schedule.
4. How Does the Factory Control Raw Materials and Batch Consistency?
Two slabs with the same design name still need controlled body composition and surface processing. Ask how incoming minerals, recipe changes, slurry preparation and firing are managed, and how finished material is identified when several batches are supplied.
For repeat orders, the practical question is whether the supplier can connect the selected specification to its production controls and retained appearance reference. Ask what requires a new approval when the body recipe, surface process or production source changes.
How Funtek Controls Mineral Preparation and Slab Production
Our 18-step manufacturing process starts with identifying and sampling incoming minerals, checking composition and measuring ingredients for the selected recipe. Wet grinding produces a mixed slurry; technicians check its behavior before spray drying turns it into granules for forming.
The control sequence continues through granule conditioning, compaction, drying and kiln firing. Fired slabs are checked before any required calibration or finishing, then packed and stored by batch. For a buyer, this connects material preparation with the finished slab checks and batch references used to prepare an order.
What you can review with us: the production sequence and factory video, selected product specifications, sample approval references and the batch identification proposed for your shipment.
5. Will the Bulk Slabs Match the Sample You Approved?
A small sample helps you judge texture, gloss, base color and the exposed edge. A full-slab reference reveals the scale and direction of veining. A fabrication trial shows whether the chosen material and workshop process can produce the intended detail. Each answers a different approval question.
For a marble-look island or a large wall, request full-face photographs taken square to the slab and identify the available faces. Review seam positions, bookmatched pairs and vein direction against the cutting layout. A close-up photograph cannot show whether a major vein lands across a sink opening or stops abruptly at an adjoining panel.
Keep an approval reference that can survive a reorder
Record the sample ID, product code, finish, nominal thickness, approval date and acceptable appearance range. Retain a physical sample with the buyer and supplier where practical. Link full-slab images and any approved layout to the same order record.
For phased projects, ask how slabs will be allocated to each phase and what happens when a later order comes from another batch. Compare the proposed replacement or replenishment material before promising the client an exact match. A familiar product name alone is insufficient for matching material already installed.
How Funtek Connects Your Sample Approval to the Order
We help buyers review the finish on a physical sample and the pattern on a full-slab reference. For countertops, feature walls and furniture, our team checks vein direction and piece positions against the drawing, then records the approved reference with the order.
Standard small physical samples are free; buyers pay international courier charges. Larger, fabricated or custom samples are quoted individually. Use our sample approval checklist to specify which appearance and fabrication questions the sample must answer.
What you can review with us: small samples, full-slab appearance references, product and finish identification, and the approved pattern or piece layout for your order.
6. Do the Test Reports Cover the Slabs You Are Actually Buying?
Request a technical data sheet and the reports relevant to the application. Check the manufacturer, product or sample description, thickness, finish, test method, report date and issuing laboratory. Where a report covers a product family, ask the supplier to explain how the ordered material falls within that scope.
A quality-management certificate describes an organization's management system. A laboratory report records results for identified specimens under a stated method. Neither automatically approves every slab, finish, cutout or installation system the company sells.
| Question | Evidence to request | What still needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| Will dimensions and surface quality meet the purchase specification? | Dimensional inspection method, measured results and defect criteria | Agreed limits, measurement conditions and the actual shipment |
| What performance was measured? | Complete relevant test report with specimen identity, method, units and results | Whether the ordered thickness and finish are covered |
| Does a certificate apply to this order? | Current certificate and verifiable product or facility scope | Exact listed product, intended use and destination requirements |
| Can the product be used in the proposed assembly? | Product instructions plus the relevant assembly or project approval | Support, fixings, joints, adhesives, exposure and local requirements |
ISO 10545-2 describes methods for determining ceramic tile dimensions and surface quality. Naming a test method does not establish the acceptance limit for your purchase. Specify the applicable product requirement and the agreed limit alongside the method.
How Funtek Supports Product Document Review
Tell us the application, destination market and document requirements when requesting a quotation. Funtek makes its certificate and test-report library available for review and asks buyers to identify the documents needed for the selected product and use.
Our order review covers the surface reference, dimensions, thickness, quantity and packing requirements. Use the test-report reading guide to check the product identity, method and result in each applicable report before completing your project submission.
What you can review with us: available product documents and applicable reports or certificates, checked against your selected specification and the project document list.
7. Can the Supplier Turn Your Drawings into Finished Pieces?
If your order includes sink cutouts, narrow strips, mitred edges or furniture components, arrange a trial that reproduces the difficult detail. A straight cut on a small sample does not qualify a full vanity top with an opening and exposed corners.
Give the fabricator the selected product, thickness, finish, drawing revision and intended edge treatment. Record the machine, tooling, support arrangement, cooling and cutting sequence used in the trial. Inspect the finished edge, cutout corners, dimensions and visible surface, then check fit against the drawing.
Laminam's technical guide for furnishing and design illustrates why this review is product-specific: it addresses workbench condition, suitable tools, preliminary trials and internal-corner geometry for its own slabs. Obtain the corresponding processing instructions for the slab you will buy and confirm them with the workshop carrying out the work.
Define the first article before repeat production
For a repeat order of vanity tops or tabletops, approve a completed first article with its drawing, edge sample, dimensions, cutout positions and packaging. Require written approval of any subsequent drawing or material change. If a trial fails, investigate the slab, support, tool condition and processing sequence together before releasing the remaining quantity.
How Funtek Supports Custom Cutting and Fabrication
Funtek coordinates full slabs and fabrication to customer drawings. Work available for assessment includes cut-to-size pieces, sink and equipment cutouts, edge trimming, chamfers, 45° mitre cuts and jointing solutions.
Before fabrication, we confirm finished dimensions, thickness, cutout positions, edge profiles, pattern direction and delivery form. Complex shapes and jointed components go through drawing review to confirm feasibility, pricing and lead time. The quotation identifies the fabricator, fabrication location and whether delivery covers full slabs, prefabricated parts or bonded assemblies.
What you can review with us: drawing and piece-schedule review, the proposed edge and cutout details, fabrication scope, and packing requirements for the finished components.
8. What Gets Checked Before Your Slabs Are Packed?
Replace requirements such as “good flatness” and “no obvious defects” with a written inspection schedule. For each check, state the method, measuring equipment, locations, acceptance limit and record required. Agree how slabs will be supported during dimensional checks and how appearance will be assessed.
Include length and width, thickness at agreed locations, squareness, flatness, surface condition, edges, product identification and quantity. For fabricated parts, add cutout position, edge profile, finished dimensions and drawing revision. Use photographs of accepted and rejected appearance where words would leave room for disagreement.
How Funtek Checks Slabs Before Order Release
Our order checks cover surface condition, dimensions and thickness, quantity, product references, labels and agreed batch requirements. Appearance review includes color, pattern, finish and visible defects; dimensional checks compare slabs or finished pieces with the order specification.
We agree inspection and packing requirements with the buyer. Our quality and inspection resource helps define the checks for the selected product, so the review follows the approved slab or component requirements.
What you can review with us: the agreed inspection criteria, approved surface reference, product and batch identification, and the order checks required before dispatch.
Separate a factory audit from shipment inspection
A factory audit examines the site's processes and controls. Pre-shipment inspection examines the produced order against the agreed requirements. Ask the inspector to identify the lots, quantities and individual slabs or pieces sampled; one photographed caliper reading does not describe an entire shipment.
Agree the sampling plan, defect categories and rejection procedure before inspection. For a small bespoke package, checking every finished piece may be practical; for larger slab orders, the plan needs to address each relevant specification and batch. Do not treat an AQL figure as a guaranteed defect percentage or a substitute for defining the defects.
When a failure is found: record the affected batch and quantity, isolate the material, agree rework or replacement, and re-inspect the corrected scope. Keep the final disposition with the order record before releasing packing or shipment.
9. Can the Factory Meet Your Quantity and Delivery Schedule?
Ask for minimum quantities by surface, finish, thickness and supply route. A supplier's minimum total order does not necessarily allow every color to be ordered in very small quantities. Stock combinations and fresh production may have different commercial conditions.
For a distributor, separate regular stock from showroom samples and project-specific material. Adding more designs to a first container reduces the quantity held in each design and can leave too little material for the next customer order. Check the replenishment route before expanding the assortment.
See how to plan the product mix for a first sintered stone order before increasing the number of colours and thicknesses in one shipment.
Our standard minimum order is 300 m²; trial, project and mixed-surface arrangements are reviewed against the product list. Confirm the minimum for each requested combination and the packing plan in the quotation.
How Funtek Plans Stock Orders, Production and Dispatch
Order preparation and production schedules are confirmed with your quotation based on the selected design, specifications, quantity and current availability. Transit time is confirmed separately for the shipment.
Request dates for specification approval, material allocation or production, fabrication where required, inspection, packing and readiness for dispatch. Then ask the forwarder to add sailing availability, transit, customs clearance and final delivery. An order arriving at the port on the installation date is already too late for unloading, inspection and local processing.
Use the order and shipping lead-time breakdown to work backward from the required site date. Record which approvals, payments and documents must be complete before the supplier's quoted preparation period starts.
10. How Will Your Slabs Be Protected from Factory to Warehouse?
Request a packing proposal for the ordered slab size or fabricated components. Review the frame or crate design, surface separation, edge and corner protection, restraint, lifting access, labels and piece sequence. For cut pieces, the packing list should identify the drawing reference so the receiver can locate the correct part without unpacking the whole shipment.
Ask for gross mass and external dimensions per package, the proposed container arrangement and photographs of the actual loaded order. Container selection must account for both load limits and physical fit. Include destination lifting equipment, warehouse access and unloading space in the review.
Calculate gross cargo mass as: total slab or component mass + frames/crates + separators + protective materials. Verify it against the container's permitted payload and the applicable transport route limits. An area-only loading estimate misses the effect of thickness and packing weight.
How Funtek Prepares Slabs for Export
Funtek coordinates export packing for full slabs and fabricated pieces. We select frame or crate requirements around material dimensions, quantity and the handling plan, then confirm protective materials and shipping marks before dispatch. Finished parts need protection around exposed edges and cutouts, with labels linked to the piece schedule.
Our team coordinates container planning, packing lists, shipping marks and required export documents. Packed dimensions and shipment weight inform the loading arrangement; your receiving team confirms unloading access and equipment. The 20GP loading guide helps you review reference quantities and weight before the final mixed-order plan is confirmed.
What you can review with us: packing specifications, package dimensions, piece or slab identification, packing-list details and the container arrangement for the agreed destination.
If wood packaging is used, have the supplier and forwarder check the applicable treatment and marking requirements for the route. The IPPC's ISPM 15 resources explain the wood-packaging framework; a crate photograph alone does not verify its treatment status.
11. Is the Lowest Slab Price Really the Lowest Finished Cost?
Compare quotations using the same product, finish, grade, dimensions, packing and delivery scope. Separate slab price, fabrication, inspection, packing, freight and destination costs. Identify the named delivery location and agreed trade term so a port quote is not mistaken for delivery to your warehouse.
For fabrication, compare the material cost against the accepted finished area produced from it. Layout waste, vein selection, trimming and rejected pieces can change the economics even when the purchased slab area is identical.
Worked example: why the lower slab price may cost more
Assume two offers for a hypothetical fabrication program. Supplier A costs USD 24 per purchased m² and yields 90% accepted finished area. Supplier B costs USD 22 per purchased m² and yields 78%. These are illustrative inputs, not quoted market prices or measured factory yields.
Material cost per accepted finished m² = purchased material cost per m² ÷ accepted-area yield.
A: 24 ÷ 0.90 = USD 26.67/m².
B: 22 ÷ 0.78 = USD 28.21/m².
B costs USD 1.54 more per accepted finished m² before fabrication and logistics. Replace the assumed yields with your cutting layout and trial records; add processing, shipping and any replacement costs to compare the complete program.
For a slab distributor who resells uncut material, use accepted saleable slab area as the denominator instead. Do not apply a fabricator's cutting yield to a business that sells whole slabs.
12. Who Helps When Slabs Arrive Damaged or Need Replacing?
Ask what evidence is required for a quality or transit-damage claim, how quickly it must be reported under the agreed terms, and who reviews it. Keep the product labels, packing list, inspection report, loading photographs and receiving photographs connected to the same order.
Agree how the parties will distinguish a pre-existing slab defect, packing damage, transport damage and a later fabrication or installation issue. If a problem appears during cutting, preserve the offcut, affected piece, slab identification and workshop records so the investigation can examine more than a photograph of the final crack.
A replacement promise also needs a cost and timing scope. Clarify whether the proposed remedy covers material, fabrication, packing, international transport, local delivery or removal and reinstallation. For a phased project, review whether available replacement material will match the installed batch before approving the remedy.
Request in writing: reporting procedure, responsible contact, evidence list, response process, remedy approval and the handling of replacement shipping costs. Use those answers to decide whether the supplier's support fits your project exposure.
13. What Must Be Approved Before You Release the Order?
A useful supplier evaluation ends with a decision for a named product and order scope. Record the evidence reviewed, unresolved questions, responsible person and next approval. A supplier can be ready for a trial while still awaiting approval for bulk production.
| Stage | Release when | Hold when |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier qualification | Company, production site and responsibilities are identified | The contracting entity or manufacturing route remains unexplained |
| Sample or first article | Product, appearance and difficult fabrication details are approved | Only an untraceable sample or catalog image is available |
| Bulk production | Specification, drawing, acceptance criteria and schedule are agreed | A material substitution or drawing change lacks approval |
| Shipment | Inspection issues are closed and packing, quantities and documents reconcile | Rejected material is unresolved or receiving arrangements are unconfirmed |
What to send Funtek for a supplier and order review
Send the brief below with your shortlisted surfaces. Our team uses these details to review samples, availability, fabrication, inspection and export preparation together.
Use Funtek’s slab supply and project support to review the material, processing and export scope for your shortlisted surfaces.
Application and destination: [distributor stock / countertop fabrication / furniture / project], [country, port and delivery location].
Material: [product codes], [finish], [slab size and thickness], [quantity per specification].
Approval: [small samples / full-slab references / first article], [drawing revision and key details], [required documents and inspection criteria].
Delivery: [required arrival date], [mixed-order or phased supply], [packing and unloading restrictions].
Please confirm: supply route, minimum quantities, available supporting documents, sample arrangements, production milestones, packing proposal and claims procedure for this order.
For a factory visit, include the production or fabrication processes you need to review. For a trial order, identify what the trial must demonstrate before the next quantity is released.
Review Your Slab Order with Funtek
Send your product list, drawings, quantity and destination. Discuss samples, fabrication, inspection and packing before confirming the order.