Sourcing obsolete & legacy marine spare parts when the OEM no longer ships
Procurement

Issue 01 · Editorial · Hamburg

Sourcing obsolete & legacy marine spare parts when the OEM no longer ships

How a Hamburg-based ship-spares supplier identifies fit-and-function equivalents for discontinued pump, compressor and separator parts.

Maritech Hamburg·6 min read·
In this article
  1. 01Old stock
  2. 02Reverse-engineered replica
  3. 03Approved equivalent

When the OEM has discontinued a marine spare part, the three reliable sourcing routes are: stocked-old-stock dealers, reverse-engineered fit-and-function replicas, and approved-equivalent substitutes from a parallel manufacturer. MARITECH's Hamburg desk uses all three — the choice depends on class requirements and lead time.

Average lead time, old-stock route
1–4 weeks
Average lead time, reverse-engineered replica
6–14 weeks
Obsolete-parts inquiries handled by MARITECH per year
200+

Old stock

Specialist dealers (predominantly in Germany, the Netherlands and South Korea) maintain inventories of discontinued OEM parts. Lead time: 1–4 weeks. Class status: original, no requalification needed.

Reverse-engineered replica

Where original drawings are unavailable, MARITECH coordinates 3D scanning and CMM measurement of a worn sample, then manufactures a replica via approved European or Korean machine shops. Lead time: 6–14 weeks. Class status: requires materials certification and, often, surveyor witness.

Approved equivalent

Many obsolete pump and compressor parts have a parallel manufacturer that holds class approval — e.g. a screw pump rotor that fits multiple OEMs. Lead time: 2–6 weeks. Class status: per equivalent's own approval.

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