# Material Substitution Request Form Template

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/material-substitution-request-form-template
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Record why a material grade is being replaced, compare properties and capture engineering and quality approval.

## Category

engineering-plm

## Audience

- Design engineer
- Buyer
- Quality engineer

## Tool

**Kind:** template

**Output:** document

**Fields:**

#### Company

**Key:** company

**Type:** text

**Default:** Acme Precision Ltd

#### Request number

**Key:** req_no

**Type:** text

**Default:** MSR-0087

#### Date

**Key:** date

**Type:** date

**Default:** 2026-10-20

#### Part number and revision

**Key:** part

**Type:** text

**Default:** PN-48213 Rev C

#### Specified material

**Key:** orig

**Type:** text

**Default:** AISI 4140 steel, quenched and tempered

#### Proposed substitute

**Key:** alt

**Type:** text

**Default:** EN 42CrMo4 steel, quenched and tempered

#### Reason for substitution

**Key:** reason

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- Supply shortage
- Cost reduction
- Lead time
- Supplier change
- Regional sourcing

**Default:** Supply shortage

#### Scope

**Key:** scope

**Type:** select

**Options:**

- One lot
- Time limited
- Permanent change

**Default:** One lot

#### Property comparison summary

**Key:** props

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Chemistry is close. Minimum yield and tensile strength meet the drawing requirement at the specified section size. Hardenability and machinability are comparable.

#### Risk and impact

**Key:** risk

**Type:** textarea

**Default:** Low risk for fit and function. Heat treatment parameters to be confirmed with the supplier. Customer notification required if the contract specifies the grade.

**Blocks:**

#### Material Substitution Request

**Body:** Company: {{company}}
Request no: {{req_no}}
Date: {{date}}
Part: {{part}}

#### Proposed change

**Body:** Specified material: {{orig}}
Proposed substitute: {{alt}}
Reason: {{reason}}
Scope: {{scope}}

#### Property comparison

**Body:** {{props}}

#### Property check table

**Table:**

**Columns:**

- Property
- Specified
- Substitute
- Acceptable

**Rows:**

**0:** Yield strength

**0:** Tensile strength

**0:** Hardness

**0:** Corrosion or wear

**0:** Weldability or machinability

#### Risk and impact

**Body:** {{risk}}

#### Approvals

**Signatures:**

- Design engineer
- Quality manager
- Purchasing
- Customer representative if required

**Notes:** This is a starting point for your internal process. Equivalence of grades under different standards is approximate, so verify properties on the supplier certificate and the drawing. Check contract terms before substituting.

## Content

**Intro:** When a specified grade is unavailable, someone proposes an alternative. This form records the reason, the comparison and the approval, so that substitutions are controlled rather than made informally at the counter.

**Sections:**

#### How to complete the form

**Body:** Identify the part and revision, then name the specified material and the proposed substitute using the standard and grade. Choose the reason and scope, and summarize the property comparison. Complete the property table with the values from the drawing and the supplier certificate. Add risks and route the form for signature before purchasing or cutting material.

**Bullets:**

- Name both grades with standard and condition
- State if the change is for one lot only
- Attach the datasheet for the substitute
- Do not buy before approval

#### Why grade equivalence is never exact

**Body:** Tables that list steel grade equivalents between AISI, EN, JIS and other systems are guides, not guarantees. Chemistry limits, heat treatment condition, section size and testing requirements differ between standards. For example, two grades with similar names may differ in allowable sulfur or in minimum toughness. Compare the actual requirement on the drawing, not just the grade name, and check the certificate of the lot you will receive.

#### Controls and traceability

**Body:** A substitution is a change to the product definition. Treat it with the same discipline as an engineering change, including a number, an owner and an approval record. If the customer specified the grade, the contract may require written consent. In an ERP, record the approved alternate against the item or the work order, and make sure the lot received is traceable to the approval so the shop does not use the wrong material later.

**Bullets:**

- Limit scope and expiry of the approval
- Update the BOM or alternate item record
- Notify the customer when required

**Cta:** If approvals for alternates are scattered across email, we can build an agent that tracks them against ERP items and work orders.

**Faq:**

#### Can I substitute any equivalent grade from a conversion table?

**Answer:** Not safely without review. Conversion tables are approximate. You need to compare the requirements stated on the drawing and the test results on the certificate, and obtain approval from the design authority before using the substitute.

#### When must the customer approve a substitution?

**Answer:** Whenever the contract, purchase order or drawing specifies the material and does not permit equivalents. Aerospace, defense and medical customers commonly require written approval. Check your agreement and when in doubt ask.

#### Should the approval be permanent?

**Answer:** Prefer limited approvals, for example one lot or a set period, unless the evaluation supports a permanent change. A permanent change should update the drawing, BOM and item master through your change process.

#### What evidence should I attach?

**Answer:** Attach the supplier datasheet or standard extract, the mill certificate for the lot, and any test results or calculations that support the property comparison. Evidence makes the approval defensible in an audit.

## Search terms

material substitution request form, material substitution template, alternate material approval form, steel grade substitution request, engineering material deviation form, equivalent material approval template, material change request form, alternate alloy approval

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