Buying Knives from the OEM? 5-Reasons to Reconsider

Reconsider OEM Replacement Knives, Blades Wear Parts

Ordering replacement knives, blades, and wear parts for industrial machinery seems like it should be a pretty straightforward task. Call the manufacturer of the equipment, order the parts needed, and wait for them to arrive. If you limit yourself to ordering directly from the OEM, you could be missing out on an opportunity to optimize performance, improve stock availability, increase yield, and decrease your investment. Keeping all that in mind, it's too much to sacrifice without checking out your options.

Skilled industrial knife manufacturers can be an excellent resource for supplying the replacement industrial machine knives, razor blades, and wear parts you need. Here are some of the reasons why it can really pay to look beyond the OEM when you need replacements.

Your parts have to fit and perform exactly as they're supposed to at all times. There is no room for error. Ill-fitting parts can cause pre-mature wear, imprecise cuts, machinery to work harder than it should, and in some cases even failure of the blade or equipment. Professional industrial knife manufacturers make their products to the exact specifications of the OEM's prints so that tight tolerances are maintained without deviations. This level of accuracy helps your organization avoid unnecessary downtime, premature wear, and costly waste.

Partner directly with the source of your industrial knives, blades, and replacement parts. Get to the root of any manufacturing or stocking issues with a single phone call. Industrial knife manufacturers that have a deep understanding of metallurgy and cutting applications are able to evaluate your entire cutting operation to determine where and why failures occur.

Industrial knife and blade manufacturers understand your operation from the beginning to the end across the multiple processes in your production line. Across every step from the first cut to the last, your knife supplier's engineering and account team should understand where opportunities for optimization exist and how you can get more from your production environment via materials, geometry adjustments, and technical enhancements others might miss.

How many OEMs manufacture their own knives and blades in-house? OEMs that use an industrial knife supplier to make their parts are likely marking up those to recoup costs or make a profit. In some cases, they may even come from the same industrial knife and blade manufacturer you're considering.

Working directly with the source of your knives can drastically improve your bottom line and production costs.

Not only can you reduce the mark up from the middle man, you're able to work with a supplier that can also help you reduce your expenses across multiple steps in your production line. For example, if you use cutting applications across your production process, an industrial knife supplier can help you maximize your spend for all your industrial, blade, knife, and wear part needs. Consolidating your vendor list can dramatically improve your bottom line.

Flexibility and Alternatives

As mentioned earlier, industrial knife manufacturers like ACE have engineering, metallurgy, and cutting application expertise that just can't be replicated with other suppliers. When appropriate, a skilled industrial knife provider can create an OEM compatible knife that exceeds the OEM standard. Following the OEM drawings doesn't mean your industrial blade manufacturer can't get creative when you require a higher level of blade performance. It's important to remember that you have options.

The right industrial knife supplier will work with end users, engineers, and maintenance managers to truly understand your application and process. Work with a team that has knowledge beyond knives. Partner with an organization that knows cutting and can help you recognize optimization opportunities that others might miss.

Industrial knife manufacturer often offer more raw material choices and a greater selection than an OEM. For example, for many knives and blades ACE manufacturers products made from a variety of materials in almost every size available. This type of blade variety, in-stock and ready to ship isn't easy to find from other suppliers. When you need a replacement knife, blade, or wear part, it's important to get what you need exactly when you need it.

Check with your industrial knife supplier to see if they'll work with you on an inventory or warehouse agreement. ACE often works with customers to rotate replacement blades and wear parts into their cutting operation just when they need them, saving our customer's the hassle of managing their inventory levels and saving valuable space. This allows them the opportunity take advantage of volume pricing without worrying about storage.

Put ACE's skilled team of industrial knife and blade experts to work for you. ACE carries a wide variety of compatible OEM replacement knives, blades, and wear parts for many industries. Check out our industries page or online catalog for more information. Not sure what you need? Contact us to discuss your specific application requirements.