On a custom window and door project, the product is only half of what ships. The other half is documentation: the drawings that were approved, the calculations behind the specification, the certification that satisfies the authority having jurisdiction, and the packing that gets finished frames and glass to site undamaged. Buyers who handle this part at quotation stage rarely have problems at delivery; buyers who leave it until the container is booked usually do. This guide covers what to prepare, and in what order.
The Certification Set and What Each One Is For
Certification requirements vary by market and by who is approving the building, so the first step is to establish which schemes actually apply to the project. We can provide ISO, CE, ift, BREEAM, LEED and BNB documentation on request, and it helps to know roughly what each is doing in a submission package:
- ISO — evidence of the manufacturer's quality management system, used to qualify the supplier before the technical review.
- CE — the conformity route required for construction products placed on the European market.
- ift — test and assessment evidence from the German window and façade institute, commonly requested for performance claims.
- BREEAM — a building-level sustainability assessment, relevant where the project is being rated as a whole.
- LEED — the widely used green building rating system, where material and performance documentation feeds credits.
- BNB — the German sustainable building assessment scheme, used on projects following that framework.
The practical point is that certification is scope-bound: it covers the products and processes within its scope. Confirm the required schemes at enquiry stage so the documentation is prepared alongside production rather than chased afterwards.
Technical Documentation That Travels With the Order
For a custom package, the technical file should include the approved shop drawings, the opening schedule, the system datasheets, the glazing specification with the Uw calculation (see how U-values are built up), hardware schedules and the finish reference. On a project where several systems are combined, the datasheet set is what allows the installer and the consultant to verify at the end that what was ordered is what arrived.
Drawings, Schedules and Unit Marking
A window and door package is delivered as many individual units, and marking is what keeps them identifiable on site. Each unit should be traceable from the approved drawing to the crate it travelled in, so that a panel can be located without opening every package. Unit marking is set at the order stage, together with the packing list, and it should match the numbering your installation team is already using on the building.
Export Packing for Aluminum Frames and Glass
Frames and glass travel under different risks and should be protected accordingly. Aluminum profiles are dimensionally stable but easy to scratch or distort during handling, so the protection strategy matters more than the thickness of the outer carton; glass is rigid but vulnerable at the edges and should be separated so that adjacent units cannot touch. For projects with long sea transit or a transfer at a port, split packing between frames and glazing is often the safer arrangement — it reduces weight per crate and makes the load easier to handle at both ends.
Terms of Sale and What They Change
Custom aluminum fenestration is bulky and low in density, so terms of sale have a direct effect on cost and risk. We handle EXW and FOB terms: under EXW the buyer arranges collection and all onward movement, while under FOB we deliver to the nominated port and the buyer takes over from there. Because terms change the price, the handling plan and the insurance position, the trade term should be agreed before the final quotation is issued rather than after.
Markets and Compliance Fit
Documentation is not only about the product — it has to fit the destination. We serve clients in Brunei, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and each market has its own expectations about evidence, approvals and the form of paperwork. A project in a tropical, high-rainfall climate will also put more weight on watertightness evidence, while projects in cooler regions focus on thermal performance — see how glazing choice drives performance. Stating the destination and the climate at enquiry stage lets the technical documentation be assembled around the right performance claims from the start.
Preparing the Documentation Package
- Confirm which certification schemes the project actually requires, and for which parties.
- Ask for the technical datasheet set with the quotation, not after the order.
- Agree unit marking and packing list format with your installation team.
- Confirm the packing strategy for frames and glass, including split packing where transit is long.
- Agree the trade term — EXW or FOB — before the final price is issued.
- State the destination market and climate so performance claims match the submission.
- Keep the approved drawings, sample approval and unit marking file together as the project record.
Documentation Support From the Factory
Shanghai Ruishi Window & Door has delivered high-end aluminum window, door and curtain wall systems for more than 20 years, and has been a core strategic partner of Schüco International (Germany) since 2005 — the authorized fabrication partner in Shanghai, recognized with the "Schüco China Quality Partner" award in 2019. More than 90% of our business comprises Schüco system products, delivered from our 5,000 m² facility in Jinshan District, Shanghai, with an annual capacity of 100,000 m².
That track record includes more than 80% of Schüco's foreign-invested projects in China, such as Bayer Shanghai R&D, BASF Shanghai R&D, Roche Shanghai R&D, Novartis Shanghai R&D, BMW Shenyang Plant, the Mercedes-Benz Asia Re-manufacturing Center, Siemens Suzhou and Shanghai Disney Resort.
How the factory is set up — machinery, capacity and the projects delivered — is covered on our about page, and the standard terms and questions are answered on the FAQ page.
Send us your drawings, specifications and destination market and we will come back with a quotation and the documentation package that fits your submission — free e-brochures are available on request.