EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Spare Parts Spare parts rip off!

"Could it be that the manufacturer receives 'sub-assembly kits' (as boxes of parts) from various different suppliers and then assembles those boxes of 'Parts' to build the device?

They then sell us the 'sub-assembly kit' rather than the part - because that is how they buy them in.

If this is the case, they need to give us a list of their 'sub-assembly kit' suppliers so we can get those 'original' parts... or the manufacturers need to look at the feasability of supplying 'sub-assembly' parts."

This is a 'difficult issue' for us industry folks.

It all boils down to product liability - we have to supply the parts fitted at production. If we don't, then there could be issues in the future if there is a subsequent failure.

We (that is, manufacturers or distributors) have to carry expensive product liability cover, and if we supply 'aftermarket' or 'second-sourced' parts without the necessary work to validate and document the suitability of these parts, then the excrement could hit the impeller in a big way if there should happen to be an incident. So, we are generally unable to provide lists of component sources.

So, we're obliged to play safe and supply either the parts fitted at production, or aftermarket parts that have been through a lengthy testing and validation process - and naturally all this incurs costs, which as businesses we have to recover.