Resources & Guides
Practical guides on sourcing, identifying, and cross-referencing industrial parts.
How to Read an Industrial Bearing Part Number
5 min read
A plain-English guide to decoding bearing part numbers — the bore size, series, seals, clearance and cage codes used by SKF, FAG, NSK, NTN and others.
Cross-Referencing Industrial Parts: How to Find an Equivalent
5 min read
How to find a working equivalent when a part is unavailable, discontinued, or from a brand you can't source — a step-by-step cross-reference method.
Where to Buy Obsolete or Discontinued Industrial Parts
4 min read
Practical options for sourcing obsolete, discontinued, or hard-to-find industrial parts — and how a sourcing service finds what distributors no longer stock.
How to Request an Industrial Parts Quote (for a Fast, Accurate Reply)
3 min read
The details to include in a parts quote request so you get an accurate price and lead time on the first reply — not a back-and-forth.
How to Identify an Electric Motor From Its Nameplate
5 min read
A plain-English guide to reading an electric motor nameplate — HP/kW, RPM, voltage, frame size, and enclosure — so you can find an exact replacement.
How to Read a Solenoid & Pneumatic Valve Part Number
5 min read
Decode pneumatic and solenoid valve part numbers — port/position counts like 5/2 and 3/2, actuation, port size, and coil voltage — to find the right valve.
How to Replace a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive): A Spec Guide
5 min read
What to match when replacing a variable frequency drive — power rating, input voltage and phase, output current, enclosure, and control — to avoid a costly mismatch.
IP and NEMA Ratings Explained for Industrial Equipment
4 min read
What IP65, IP67 and NEMA 4X actually mean, how the IP code's two digits work, and a rough NEMA-to-IP cross-reference for picking the right enclosure.
How to Replace a PLC or I/O Module
5 min read
What to match when replacing a PLC CPU, I/O or communication module — exact catalog number, series/firmware, I/O type and point count — for Allen-Bradley, Siemens and others.
How to Read a Gearbox / Gear Reducer Nameplate
5 min read
Decode a gearbox or gear reducer nameplate — ratio, output torque, service factor, and mounting/shaft type — to source an exact or equivalent replacement.
How to Choose a Replacement Industrial Sensor
5 min read
A guide to replacing proximity and photoelectric sensors — sensing mode, range, body size, output type (PNP/NPN) and connection — so the new one drops in.
How to Identify a Hydraulic Pump
5 min read
How to identify a hydraulic pump for replacement — pump type, displacement, pressure rating, rotation, shaft and mounting flange — even when the model number is worn.
How to Read a Contactor or Relay Part Number
4 min read
Decode contactor and control-relay part numbers — coil voltage, pole count, current/HP rating and auxiliary contacts — to find the right switching device.
How to Measure a Bearing When the Number Is Gone
4 min read
How to identify a bearing by measuring it — bore, outside diameter and width — when the part number has worn off, and convert those dimensions back to a designation.
How to Identify a V-Belt or Timing Belt
4 min read
How to read the markings on a V-belt or timing belt — cross-section, length, tooth pitch and width — to find the exact replacement or a cross-referenced equivalent.
How to Replace a DIN-Rail Power Supply (24V DC)
4 min read
What to match when replacing an industrial DIN-rail power supply — output voltage, current/wattage, input range and features like power boost or redundancy.
How to Select a Pressure Transmitter or Sensor
4 min read
How to spec a replacement pressure transmitter — pressure range, output signal, process connection, reference type and wetted material — so it reads correctly.
How to Identify a Shaft Coupling
4 min read
How to identify a replacement shaft coupling — type, both bore sizes, outside diameter and the flexible element — for jaw, gear, grid and disc couplings.
How to Replace an HMI / Operator Touchscreen
4 min read
What to match when replacing an industrial HMI or operator panel — screen size, brand/series, communication ports, voltage and project software compatibility.
How to Replace a Rotary Encoder
5 min read
What to match when replacing a rotary encoder — incremental vs absolute, resolution, output/protocol, shaft and flange — so it works with your drive or controller.
How to Size and Replace a Pneumatic Cylinder
4 min read
How to spec a pneumatic cylinder — bore, stroke, mounting style, rod and port size — and the ISO standards that make cylinders interchangeable between brands.
How to Identify a Pump Mechanical Seal
4 min read
How to identify a replacement pump mechanical seal — shaft size, component vs cartridge, face materials and elastomer — plus a note on lip/oil seals.
How to Select a Replacement Circuit Breaker
4 min read
How to spec a replacement circuit breaker — current rating, poles, voltage, interrupting capacity and trip curve — for MCBs and molded-case breakers (MCCBs).
How to Match a Servo Motor and Drive
5 min read
Why servo motors and drives are a matched pair, and what to match when replacing one — torque, voltage, feedback type, control mode and mounting.
How to Identify a Replacement Limit Switch
4 min read
How to spec a replacement mechanical limit switch — actuator head type, contact configuration, rating, housing and connection — so it fits and triggers correctly.
Is the Siemens S7-300 Obsolete? Phase-Out Timeline and What Replaces It
6 min read
Siemens has set an end-of-sale date for the SIMATIC S7-300 and ET 200M. Here's the phase-out timeline, how long spares are supported, and what replaces them.
Bearing Cross-Reference: SKF, FAG, NSK, NTN and Beyond
6 min read
How to cross-reference a bearing between SKF, FAG, NSK, NTN, Koyo and Timken. The base number is shared; only the seal, shield and clearance suffixes change.
Allen-Bradley to Siemens PLC Cross-Reference and Migration Guide
6 min read
A practical map of Allen-Bradley / Rockwell PLC families to their Siemens SIMATIC equivalents - and why a migration is never a simple drop-in swap.
How to Read a Siemens Part Number (MLFB Order Numbers Decoded)
5 min read
What 6ES7, 6SL3, 6AV, 6GK and 3RT mean. A plain-English guide to decoding Siemens MLFB order numbers so you can identify and source the right part.
How to Tell If an Industrial Part Is Obsolete (and What to Do Next)
6 min read
Obsolete, discontinued, end-of-life: what the terms mean, how to check a part's lifecycle status, the warning signs, and your options once a part is no longer made.
What to Do When Your Distributor Can't Get a Part
5 min read
Your usual distributor says a part is unavailable, backordered, or on a long lead time. Here's a step-by-step way to find it anyway and keep the line running.
How to Read an Allen-Bradley Catalog Number (Bulletin Numbers Explained)
5 min read
What 1756, 1769, 1746, 1761 and other Allen-Bradley / Rockwell bulletin numbers mean - a plain-English guide to identifying the platform from the catalog number.
Festo to SMC Cross-Reference for Pneumatic Cylinders and Valves
5 min read
How to cross-reference Festo and SMC pneumatic cylinders and valves using ISO mounting standards - and the Kv-to-C flow conversion that trips people up.
Is My Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Product Obsolete? How to Check and Replace It
6 min read
How to check the lifecycle status of an Allen-Bradley / Rockwell product, what the status codes mean, and what replaces the legacy SLC 500, PLC-5 and PowerFlex lines.
New vs Refurbished vs Surplus Industrial Parts: What to Buy
5 min read
New, surplus (new old stock), refurbished, used - what each really means for industrial parts, the warranty and risk trade-offs, and when each one is the right buy.
How to Source Spare Parts for Legacy and Obsolete Machinery
6 min read
A practical strategy for keeping older machines running when the OEM is gone or the parts are discontinued - from spares planning to cross-references and sourcing.
ABB and Schneider VFD Cross-Reference and Replacement Guide
6 min read
How to map ABB ACS and Schneider Altivar variable-frequency drives to current models when yours is obsolete - by power, voltage and application class.