When "Discontinued" Stops the Whole Machine
Every machine outlives its spare parts catalogue eventually. The model gets superseded, the OEM trims the spares line, and one day a gear or bushing that used to cost $40 simply cannot be bought at any price. The usual advice call the OEM, search surplus dealers, try salvage stock sometimes works. Our customers come to us when it hasn't: the part is gone from the market, and the machine it belongs to is too good, or too expensive, to scrap over one component.
That's the gap this service fills. We don't search for the part we manufacture it. Your worn original goes on our CMM, we rebuild the geometry to design intent (not the worn state), you approve the drawing, and a new part ships. Done once, the CAD is yours and the part is never unavailable again.
Discontinued Parts We Make
Gears & sprockets
Spur, helical, bevel tooth profile measured and re-cut, including odd legacy modules.
Shafts & spindles
Journals, keyways, splines and threads restored to bearing-fit tolerance.
Bushings & sleeves
Bronze, polymer or hardened steel; press and running fits held to the original.
Housings & covers
Machined from billet to replace unavailable castings, bores line-matched.
Brackets & mounts
Load-bearing weldments and machined brackets with original hole patterns.
Rollers & guides
Conveyor and machine rollers, crowned or grooved, with bearing seats.
Levers & cams
Motion parts with profiles traced from the original common in older packaging machines.
Threaded fittings
Legacy and non-standard threads identified and reproduced. See custom fasteners.
Your Options When a Part Is Discontinued
| Route | Works when | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| OEM / distributor stock | Recently discontinued, stock remains | First to dry up; prices spike as stock falls |
| Surplus & salvage market | Popular machine, common failure part | Used condition unknown; one-time find, not a supply |
| Repair the old part | Damage is local and weldable/sleeveable | Buys time once; base material keeps aging |
| Reproduce it new (us) | You have the part, or photos of it | One-off costs more than the old catalogue price spares in the same run cost a fraction |
We're honest about the order: if the part is still findable cheaply, buy it. When it isn't or when you'll need it again and want a permanent source reproduction is the route that ends the problem instead of postponing it. Our guide to sourcing parts when the maker is gone walks through the search routes in detail.
No part number? Doesn't matter. Part numbers point at catalogues, and the catalogue is exactly what failed you. We work from the physical part: its geometry, material and function. If you can't identify the part at all, our blog covers how to identify an unknown mechanical part or skip that and just send us photos.
How It Works
- Send the part or photos worn and broken is fine. Include one known dimension if you're sending photos only.
- We rebuild the CAD free measured on CMM, restored to design intent. Material verified or upgraded. See how obsolete-part reverse engineering works.
- You approve the drawing critical fits flagged for your confirmation before any metal is cut.
- We machine and inspect MOQ 1; spares in the same run at a fraction of the first-piece price.
Typical turnaround is 2–3 weeks from sample to shipped part. If the machine is down right now, say so see our broken part reproduction service for failure-driven jobs where we compress the schedule.
Discontinued Parts We Have Reproduced
Parts reproduced after OEM discontinued them measured from worn samples, period drawings or mating components:
Who Orders Discontinued Parts From Us — and Why
The buyers who reach us have usually already worked the search routes and hit a wall: the OEM dropped the line, surplus dealers have none, and the machine is worth far more than the one part holding it up. Here's who they are and what they send us.
"A gear on a 30-year-old line is discontinued — we're down until I find one"
Send the worn gear. We measure the tooth profile on a CMM, rebuild it to design intent (not the worn state) and cut a new one in the original module — odd legacy pitches included. MOQ 1, and we'll quote a spare in the same run so this part never stops the line again.
"I've got a stack of obsolete spares the OEM dropped — I want one permanent source"
Send the parts, or a list with samples. We reproduce each to OEM form-fit-function, supply mill certs to material, and keep the CAD so reorders are a quick email. We quote mixed batches together and drop to tiered pricing once we run quantities.
"Part's no longer available — all I have is the broken original and a model number"
The physical part is all we need; the model number just adds context. We work from the part itself, not the catalogue. If it's lost, clear photos from several angles plus one known dimension (a caliper across the bore) usually let us quote.
"I keep legacy installs running and need discontinued parts I can re-supply — ideally tougher than the original"
We reproduce discontinued bushings, cams, levers and housings, and upgrade the material where the original wore out too fast — bronze for sintered, 4140 or hardened steel for mild steel, 316L where corrosion was the cause. Batches with certs, repeatable from saved CAD.
"The plastic trim for my discontinued car model broke — no dealer or breaker has it"
Interior bezels, clips, housings and trim pieces machine well in POM, ABS or nylon from the broken original — often stronger than the injection-moulded part that failed. Our guide to getting discontinued car trim remade covers what to send and what it costs.
What Buyers Search For When a Part Is Discontinued
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases yes. If you have the old part even worn or broken we measure it, rebuild the CAD to design intent and machine a new one. If you only have photos with a known reference dimension, we can usually still quote. The OEM's catalogue status doesn't limit what can be machined.
For functional replacement parts on equipment you own, generally yes design patents on older industrial parts have typically expired, and repairing your own machine is a recognized right. We reproduce the function and geometry; we never copy brand names, logos or protected markings.
The physical part is enough that's what we work from, not catalogues. If the part is lost, clear photos from several angles plus one known dimension (a caliper across the bore, for example) usually lets us quote. Machine make and model help for context but aren't required.
A single reproduced part usually costs more than the part did when it was in the catalogue one-off machining carries the full setup. But it's almost always far cheaper than replacing the machine, and ordering 2–3 spares in the same run drops the unit price sharply. We quote both options.
Yes — and it's one of the main reasons to reproduce a part rather than chase old stock. If the original wore out or failed early, we can upgrade the material — bronze instead of sintered metal, 4140 or hardened steel instead of mild steel, 316L where corrosion was the issue — while holding the exact fits. Tell us how the old one failed and we'll recommend the upgrade.
Yes. Send the parts or a list with photos and we quote them as one batch, which usually lowers the setup cost per part versus quoting each separately. We keep the CAD for every part we reproduce, so future reorders — single piece or batch — are a quick email at the lower repeat-order price.
Discontinued Part Quote
Part or photos accepted. Reply in 24h.
// Qty & price
1 pc
Sample price
Confirm fit before a run
3–10
Unit price drops
Setup cost shared
10+
Best price
All tiers quoted upfront
- →No distributor — you pay the maker directly
- →CAD saved after first order — reorder anytime at lower unit price
support@ekinsun.ltd