How do I start ordering obsolete and discontinued industrial parts from a Chinese factory?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice
A workable first order follows the same sequence in every category: fix the specification in writing including tolerance and finish; decide the quantity against the minimum above; get a physical sample approved before any mass production; agree tooling ownership and payment terms in writing; arrange inspection before the balance is paid; and confirm the HS code and the destination labelling requirements before the goods ship rather than after. For obsolete and discontinued industrial parts the two details that most often delay a first order are supplying a part number without the machine make and model; the same number exists across manufacturers and accepting an "equivalent" for a safety-critical application without documented equivalence.
Sources
- Industrial aftermarket sourcing practice — Industry practice; part availability varies by category
- Machinery and mechanical appliance classification — World Customs Organization HS nomenclature
What goes wrong with obsolete and discontinued industrial parts
- Supplying a part number without the machine make and model; the same number exists across manufacturers.
- Accepting an "equivalent" for a safety-critical application without documented equivalence.
- Not asking whether the source is the original manufacturer, a licensed maker or an aftermarket copy — all three exist and differ in price and risk.
- Ordering one unit of a part whose failure mode is fatigue, then having it fail again.
- Reverse-engineering without verifying the material, only the geometry.
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