Sampling / Supplier Nomination

送样 / 定点Advanced

A supplier sends samples for testing, and once approved, is formally named as the supplier for a project.

This pair of terms comes from the automotive supply chain. Sampling is when a component maker delivers samples to an automaker or a complete-robot maker for testing and validation; nomination (or “design-in”) is when the customer formally notifies a supplier that it has been selected to supply a specific part for a specific project, after which the two sides co-develop the part, and once mass production begins, batch supply follows. The humanoid-robot industry has adopted the same language: listed component makers often say in announcements or investor briefings that they've “sampled to a certain customer” or “received a nomination.” Sampling doesn't guarantee an order, and a nomination doesn't guarantee the eventual production volume, so it's worth reading news carefully to see exactly which stage a company is at.

ExampleA lead-screw maker announces that it has sampled its product to several humanoid-robot customers, but has not yet received a nomination.

Also called: Design-In
Related: Start of Production · Tesla (Optimus) Supply Chain · Tier-1 Supplier · Per-Unit Content Value · Engineering / Design / Production Validation Test · Humanoid Robot Concept Stocks
Sources: Production part approval process - Wikipedia