Buying spare parts for your plant or equipment must never happen in haste as it may lead to a wastage of time, effort and money if proper care is not taken.
A well-informed and conscious decision to buy parts only from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is important for the sound health of the plant.
It is an accepted fact that customers/operators focus more on the purchase price and delivery options while selecting replacement parts. If these alone become the deciding factors, then it may result in the purchase of low quality parts. It is in the best interest of the plant/equipment that OEMs urge customers to buy only original spares.
Spurious parts can
- Increase the frequency of downtime
- Reduce production
- Cause increased maintenance issues
- Cause deadlines to be missed
What should be considered for selecting wear and spare parts?
- Correct design
- Sizing
- Optimal material
- Support from the OEMs
It is important for all concerned to understand that though original part and spurious part look same in appearance, quality will differ.
A spurious part used in a plant will
- Damage the equipment
- Lifetime of the parts will be shortened
- Jeopardise the safety of employees
- The seating surface will get worn out and the mother body of the machine will get affected, leaving a lasting impression. Later on, it would not be possible to fit an OEM part in its place
- Frequent failures might happen in the toggle plate
- Support bar might be worn out quickly
- Toggle seat area might worn out quickly
- Spurious parts can damage other components as well. In the long run, it will increase downtime and the maintenance cost
Key points to bear in mind.
- The part needs to be a perfect fit.
- Check if the design has been changed and if there are upgrade kits to improve performance.
- Have access to a supplier who can give the needed components and technical expertise quickly.
- Spurious spares may need to be changed more frequently leading to the loss of precious production hours.
- For greater good, it is better to maintain minimum inventory. We must have control over the inventory which will help reduce the down-time.
- The OEM will provide solutions for a trouble free operation over an extended service life.
If genuine parts are used, the OEM will provide holistic support during upgrades and to optimize production.
Go in for genuine parts from the OEM, always!
