Have you always wondered what is the difference between Genuine, Original Equipment Manufacturers or Quality Replacement spare parts whenever you are purchasing items for your vessel?

Don’t fret! This article will clarify these differences!

Genuine spare parts:

Genuine spare parts refer to parts that you buy from the same equipment maker or brand that you bought your equipment from. Remember, whether it’s for a car, an industrial machine or marine equipment, these equipment makers seldom, or never, manufacture everything themselves. They buy these from other manufacturers who specialize in certain sub-components.

Buying a genuine part therefore gives you the best bet that you are getting the most accurate part for your equipment, but it also means you are paying for a hefty markup compared to buying an OEM part. 

If you are okay with paying a higher price, buying a genuine part from the equipment maker or its representatives with the equipment logo printed on the box or stickered on the part, can give you peace of mind.

However, keep in mind that Genuine spare parts might not necessarily mean they are better than Original Equipment Manufacturers or Reliable spare parts. With OEM parts, many times, the parts over the years will come with an update or with the improvement that will help in enhancing your equipment life-cycle.

There are definitely parts to buy from genuine equipment brands and also ones you are better buying off from the OEM who actually manufactures these.  

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) spare parts:

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) spare parts refer to parts that are produced and sold by actual manufacturers  that  develop and create the  parts you are buying. The brand/maker who sold you the equipment you are now buying the parts for, buys these parts from the same OEM makers.

OEM parts are the same exact parts that are installed in your equipment. The only difference is that it does not come with the Equipment Maker logo and their part number. So they are the exact same as “Genuine parts”, but with better value.

Buying from the OEM, instead of from the equipment maker, has certain risks that they may not be the exact part as what is used in the equipment. Sometimes, for parts such as electronics or controls, there may be configuration and settings that are not included that a Genuine part purchase would have taken care of. 

However, by buying through good sources with adequate knowledge. And also for some simple straight forward spares, it is definitely a better idea to buy from the OEM. 

Quality Replacement Parts (QRP):

Once an equipment is built, many companies will start to manufacture parts that will work for the equipment. Although QRPs might not be a direct copy of the Genuine or OEM parts, they do perform the same function that is required within the equipment. 

Despite the risk, usage of QRPs is very common in the market for many types of spares, as buying Genuine or even OEM is just too expensive, especially if they  are often changed. 

QRPs are also not necessarily of the poorest quality. Many manufacturers of QRPs are much better ones than the ones chosen by the equipment sellers. Just like in a car, the oil filter that you buy in the shop for your toyota may be a better one than that was installed in the car originally when you bought it in the showroom. 

With QRPs, our suggestion is for purchasers to only buy from vendors that they trust, or ones that provide a warranty of sorts. 

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This article is brought to you by Giantech Engineering Pte Ltd. Check out their extensive e-commerce shop for your spare part needs!