How to describe a part you cannot identify
Some parts cannot be identified from the part itself. That does not make them unsourceable — it makes the description the whole job.
Start with the machine, not the part
Manufacturer, model and year of the machine it came off. Suppliers search by machine far more often than by loose part shape, because the same component appears across a family of machines with different part numbers.
Say where it sits and what it does
A photo of the part in place, with a wider shot showing the assembly, tells a supplier more than a close-up of the part on a bench. Describe the function: what moves, what it seals, what it drives.
Photograph it with a scale
Three sides, plus one shot with a ruler or caliper in frame. Include any markings, casting numbers, logos or mould numbers — even a partial number is often enough to find the family.
Add the quantities and the constraint
How many, how often, and what the machine does when it is down. A part that stops a production line is worth an alternative; the same part for a spare shelf is not, and a supplier who knows the difference will not waste your time with substitutes.
Do not accept "equivalent" without the specification it is equivalent to. Equivalent in dimensions is not equivalent in material, hardness or pressure rating — ask which attribute was matched.
Other guides
- How to read an industrial nameplate before asking for a price
- Bearing suffix codes: what ZZ, 2RS, C3 and N mean
- Four measurements before ordering a hydraulic hose
- Three checks on a pneumatic solenoid valve
- How to measure an O-ring or oil seal correctly
- Compatible, OEM or genuine: what the word on a quotation actually commits you to