A recent request for quotes on Sparehawk asked for ZM9a-150-N/A, with the brand field left empty, and a search for ZM9A150NA had found nothing. Both happen often: a number copied from a label or an old order, without the name of whoever made the part. Suppliers can answer requests like that, but only when the request carries enough to identify the part.
Why the brand matters to a supplier
A part number is unique only inside one manufacturer’s range. The same short string can be a valve from one maker and a relay from another, and N/A in a number can be a real suffix or someone’s note that a field did not apply. Requests go to the suppliers best matched to each line, and the brand is the strongest clue to who they are. Without it, a supplier has to guess, and few will quote a guess.
Find the maker on the machine
- Look at the part from every side: the logo is often on the back, on a connector or moulded into the housing.
- Check the machine’s parts list and circuit diagrams; they usually name the maker next to the number.
- Ask the machine builder. A part fitted by a builder often carries the builder’s own number, and the builder can say whose part it really is.
- Look at the parts around it. A cabinet built with one maker’s contactors often uses the same maker’s auxiliary contacts and timers.
If the label is still legible, try the photo search with a picture of it.
Describe the part, not only the number
When the maker stays unknown, the description does the work. Say what the part is and what it does, then add the facts a supplier can check against a catalogue:
- the kind of part: a solenoid valve, a proximity sensor, a contactor, a gear;
- the electrical data on the label: voltage, current, power, frequency;
- the main dimensions and the connection: thread, flange, plug or cable;
- the machine it came from, with the machine’s maker and year;
- photos of the label, the whole part and the connection, ready for a supplier who asks.
Copy the number exactly as printed
Write the number character for character, with its hyphens, slashes and lower-case letters, and say which characters you are unsure of. Do not correct it: a corrected number can point to a different part. Search takes a number with or without spaces, so the spacing matters less than the characters, but a supplier reading your request needs to see the original. Our post on what to do when a part number search finds nothing covers look-alike characters and suffixes.
Where to send it
Send a request for quotes when you need the part now and can describe it well. Suppliers see the parts and your country, not your contact details, until you accept a quote. Post a wanted request when finding the part may take time: suppliers can answer it when the part turns up. Both are free for buyers.