Genuine parts meet off-highway needs

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 8, 2007

Mike Goatley of ZF explains why using genuine parts is vital for best profitability and performance of off highway vehicles.

The issue of using genuine manufacturers' parts in off-highway vehicle transmissions (or anywhere else for that matter) is an emotive one.

Buying parts that fail quickly or do not perform as efficiently and cost-effectively as those specified originally is clearly more expensive than buying ones that last and do the job perfectly.

However, is this always the case?.

Should not companies reduce their costs by using alternative parts?.

Aren't manufacturers just trying to maximise their profits by insisting that only genuine parts should be used?.

The quick answer to both of these questions is "no".

Costs are rarely reduced by using nongenuine parts.

In fact the opposite is usually the case, due to premature failure of the parts concerned.

And manufacturers are hardly maximising profits by trying to ensure that the design life they promise from their transmissions is underpinned by the synergy of the best package of parts available.

In fact, it has been demonstrated time and again that genuine parts will deliver the lowest cost per hour operating costs, the highest machine availability and the best profitability and performance to the customer, simply because they have been designed specifically for the task that they are required to perform.

Despite these arguments, the replacement of genuine with nongenuine parts continues.

But who makes the decision and on what criteria?.

In addition, is the person who makes the alternative purchase qualified to do so, and are the cost/benefit arguments properly evaluated?.

These are all very relevant points that may not be considered at the time against a rosy background of perceived benefits.

The primary objective of course is cost reduction - or is it?.

Surely the need to ensure that replacement parts keep a machine functioning at the same level of performance as that enjoyed previously is paramount?.

If this requirement is not fulfilled, then the fault - and the costs - of premature failure lie squarely with the customer, who is suddenly unsupported by the benefits of a manufacturer's warranty.

ZF's Off Highway division has addressed the question of genuine parts in its remanufacturing programme for transmissions.

To many operators, the policy of using nonstandard parts in repairs is acceptable; however, as ZF has demonstrated, the policy is flawed because many nongenuine parts are designed using reverse engineering.

This is because non-OEM manufacturers do not have access to original designs.

As a result, many nongenuine parts are designed and manufactured from inferior materials, with poor tolerances.

These parts will certainly not be as accurate as the originals.

Moreover, with constant manufacturer update of parts, undertaken to improve performance, how does the non-OEM manufacturer know that the part they are using as a pattern is original and accurate?.

It could have gone through many generations of development, each one different from the last.

This problem is particularly acute in the area of transmissions because of the potential multiplier cost effect of component failures.

The last thing such an operator needs is to have a lineof trucks waiting under pressurised operating conditions due to the failure, for example, of a wheel loader transmission.

This is why ZF designs its transmissions with parts that are optimised on a materials, heat treatment, mechanical design and lubrication platform to provide a synergy of operation.

All of them play their part in the overall calculated life of the transmission.

If cheaper, nongenuine parts are introduced into the transmission, then this operating synergy is lost and the vehicle operator has no warranty to fall back on.

Moreover, if for some reason an accident occurs and operators are using parts not recommended by the manufacturer, then this could result in litigation; particularly so, if the parts are cited in any subsequent investigation.

Finally, in addition to safety and cost implications for the vehicle operator, there is also the question of servicing.

Transmissions that have used only genuine manufacturer parts are much more easy to diagnose from a servicing viewpoint when problems arise.

The transparency of the life of the transmission means that problems can be pin-pointed much more quickly, helping to safeguard the operator from the crippling costs of vehicle downtime.