Woodley Engineering Blog

OEM Or Aftermarket?

Posted by William Karslake on Apr 26, 2018 7:48:27 AM

OEM Or Aftermarket

It’s a question you have probably asked yourself: which is better, OEM or aftermarket? Not so long ago, the answer was clear, but technology has changed things considerably, and today the question needs asking again.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of OEM Solutions

Starting out with OEM solutions, there are several obvious advantages. The first is material conformity; that is the materials will always comply perfectly with the original specifications. In a similar way, tolerances and finishes are always to the exact specifications of the originals parts.

However, that perfect specification comes at a cost. The price of OEM is one of the more obvious downsides, but there are some more. Lead times can be months for OEM parts, and if it’s something you need urgently – for instance a replacement for another OEM part damaged on arrival, then it can be catastrophic to your plan.

But there is another, often overlooked downside to OEM parts, and that is their uniformity. Yes, being made to the exact tolerances specified is a good thing, until you want to adjust your equipment to do something new. As your business adapts and changes to meet market demands, with new machinery, new processes and so on, sometimes, off-the-shelf solutions simply don’t cut it. It may be just a small adjustment to the OEM specs, but if that is what you need, you are unlikely to get any joy from OEM channels. There is no way to adjust production to suit new needs within the OEM supply channels.

Alternatives To OEM

However, OEM is not the only solution. Third party solutions are growing in popularity today. With third party production, those downsides of OEM can all be solved, with significantly faster supply that can be crucial in production-critical situations. Not only that, but those parts are also much more cost effective, offering large savings over the alternatives. In addition, the ability to tailor components to meet your needs is integral to the process, and through third party components modified this way, equipment can be tailored to any specific situation.

Bespoke Solutions From Woodley Engineering

At Woodley Engineering we have immense experience delivering tailored solutions that enable you to maximise your equipment’s potential, and through our advice centre are able to guide you through the process to ensure the outcomes you desire. From production design changes, material alteration or new configurations, our skilled team will work with you to create the results you need.

Because we offer all of this support and innovation without sacrificing the cost savings and faster delivery cycle that third party solutions are known for, our service provides quality without compromise. Whatever your needs, our advice centre team provide the right solution for you, with vast experience and understanding of the industry, we are able to offer the complete end-to-end solution for every situation.

Find out more about our way of working by downloading The Woodley Engineering Guide To Precision Engineering today by clicking here.

Woodley Engineering Precision Engineering Guide

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