When Machinery Breaks Down: The Top 5 Companies For Sourcing Replacement Automation Parts In 2026

A broken machine can spell disaster for any business with a production line. The moment your factory floor has to halt work, and go through an hour or more of downtime, is the moment you start to lose money.

And while planned downtime is essential to staying up and running for as long as possible, unplanned incidents are never something to get comfortable with.

That's why it's essential to know who you can turn to when you've got a machinery issue. The quicker you can get it fixed, the less money you're at risk of losing.

And 9 times out of 10, you simply need to replace a certain component that the machine relies on. As such, here's what you need to know about finding a reliable replacement part supplier for your automated machines.

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What Does Downtime Cost?

It's hard to estimate in advance, as every business is different. However, it's important to understand that the cost can grow exponentially with every minute that your production processes are offline.

Indeed, there's quite a few guides out there for scoring the exact cost of downtime as you may experience it, with estimates on the cost-per-minute ranging anywhere between $427 to $9000. This is for small and medium to large businesses respectively.

Either way, there's a chance that even just half an hour of downtime could carry a price of over $10,000 in both lost profits and maintenance costs. That's not the kind of expense most businesses are suited to fork out for without warning.

And that's why you need to deal with machinery issues as quickly as possible. If there's a component breakdown that needs rectifying, you need to find the right part for it without any delay.

The Top 5 Companies for Sourcing Your Replacement Components in 2026

You know the problem, you're just not quite sure where to find the solution. But that's why we've put together a list of potential replacement component suppliers for businesses like yours.

Without further ado, here are the top 5 companies that can source spare parts (both new and refurbished) for the machinery at work within your business:

1. EU Automation – Best for securing rare and obsolete components
Our number 1 pick for this list is EU Automation. As a company, they're the kind of supplier you can really rely on – and that's all thanks to their commitment to stocking rare and/or obsolete components you can't get anywhere else.

They stock replacement parts from most leading OEMs, so it's practically guaranteed you're going to find the rare component you're looking for. Plus, there's a 12 month warranty on all new parts, with fast track worldwide delivery on shipments too.

And as far as your broken components go, EU Automation runs an exchange program to help you easily get rid of useless tech.

2. AutomationParts – Best for those wanting an easy-to-use platform
If we could describe our second pick in a few short words, we'd say that AutomationParts is simply ‘Ebay but for automation components'. It's an easy-to-use platform that hosts a wide catalogue of spare part sellers all in one place, allowing you access to tens of thousands of suppliers at the same time.

You can place an offer on a part that you need and have it responded to within 24 hours or less, which helps to keep turnaround down as well. Plus, if the seller doesn't quite meet your budget expectations, you're more than allowed to reject the quote they put your way.

3. Essentra Components – Best for a wide range of various critical components
Essentra Components are a bit of a generalist, as they don't just provide automation hardware components. They also have a rather wide range within their catalogue, where they offer other hardware components like hinges and locks, cable management clips and ties, and fasteners for a range of mechanical needs.

That could make them a good all round supplier for an industrial setting. We also like the fact that they offer free samples on all of their products, which also get shipped out at no extra cost.

4. Digikey – Best for those needing electrical engineering expertise
One of the biggest catalogues of automation parts for those with electrical infrastructure needs, Digikey hosts a wide catalogue of electrical components made for businesses with strong engineering requirements.

Indeed, their catalogue contains around 18 million different parts, and Digikey themselves say that at least 1 million of these parts are in stock at all times and available for immediate shipping.

They also offer free delivery on orders over £33, which is a low threshold for securing free shipping and makes them rather budget friendly.

5. OEM Automatic – Best for custom parts made to spec
Our final choice, OEM Automatic offers a full bespoke part design and creation service, specialising in electrical, pneumatic, and mechanical assembly. When you use their bespoke service, you work with their specialist engineering and design team, to make sure every order is made to the highest standard.

That's the kind of quality many industries struggle to find with regular spare part suppliers, and could even be the perfect option for any machinery that needs more than just one piece replaced. You could work with OEM Automatic to come up with a larger, more in depth custom part that takes care of the entire repair in one go.

Get Your Factory Floor Up and Running Again

The last thing you need right now is for your machinery downtime to stretch out endlessly. And if you don't know who to call to source the exact right spare part for the situation, you really could be facing down an unproductive period that could ruin your finances.

Act fast. Close down the floor, diagnose the issue, and contact a supplier who has the part in stock and ready to ship ASAP. And it's best to get to know these suppliers in advance, so you can have a business account up and running and ready to use in an emergency.