When you’ve got a product line to take care of, you need to know the ins and outs of the parts that keep it running. If you ever suffer a breakdown, the more you know now, the easier it’ll be to get a replacement.
As such, here’s a quick guide to finding an automation company you can work with – as well as our top 5 recommendations for the best spare parts suppliers in 2026.
How to Choose an Automation Parts Supplier
First thing’s first, what do you need to think about when you’re choosing between automation parts suppliers? Here are the most important factors to focus on:
What parts do you need?
That’s the main question, as you need to be sure the supplier you’re looking at actually is capable of fulfilling your order requirements.
Check their catalogue, current back stock, and feel free to ask if you don’t see what you’re looking for.
Choosing between used and new
Do you want replacement parts that are brand new? Or are you OK to buy used parts that are otherwise still in good condition, or have been totally refurbished?
Either way, all parts will be up to industry standard and undergo the best testing the supplier can manage. There just might be a disparity in the price between the two.
What’s your budget?
This is another thing to think about when you’re considering the kind of parts that you’re comfortable buying.
Your budget needs to contend with replacements on a regular basis, and you need to know you can afford unplanned downtime as a matter of urgency. Buying new, premium parts might not make your money go very far.
How much support do you want?
Finally, what kind of support will you be needing from your parts supplier? Round the clock care, or are you usually fine to keep things within business hours?
The 5 Best Automation Component Companies in 2026
1. EU Automation – Best for those with hard-to-find component requirements
If you were to pick up an iPhone 3G today, there’s no way you’d be able to head to Apple themselves and ask for a fix. The phone is old, obsolete, and is no longer actively supported.
And the same can go for your industrial machinery. That’s where EU Automation can step in to solve the problem.
They’re experts in sourcing hard-to-find components that are no longer available from manufacturer catalogues, and can have that same part to your door within a couple of business days.
2. Adaptive Control Solutions – Best for quick and easy ordering
If you need to find a part ASAP, Adaptive Control Solutions could be the supplier that work best for you.
They specialise in some cutting edge tech, including automation, pneumatic, and fluid control components. All of these parts can be very hard to understand when you’re in a panic and dealing with a machine breakdown!
However, Adaptive Control Solutions have thought of this in advance. That’s why they have their own ‘orange book’ – a catalogue of their in stock replacement parts, made to be easy to skim through by engineering teams and purchasing staff alike.
3. Westpharma Services – Best for medical and pharmaceutical replacements
Healthcare businesses need the best of the best. It’s an industry category entirely its own, with machine precision often being the difference between life and death.
That’s where a supplier like Westpharma Services bridges the gap. Their team makes it easy to source industrial components for your pharmaceutical production line, and there’s no fuss in the way orders can be requested, quoted, and placed.
Their catalogue is also rather varied, allowing you to source the majority of your pharmaceutical automation parts in one place. Indeed, their stocked components include motors, valves, belts, chains, and PLCs (just to name a few).
4. Automotion Components – Best for those needing powerful yet delicate components
Automotion Components focuses on providing spare parts to industries that ‘work with motion’, such as energy suppliers and defense contractors.
These are companies that need the best of the best in terms of made to measure automation components. If anything is ‘off spec’, it could genuinely pose a threat to health and safety.
But that’s not all they do. Automotion Components also has a strong focus on medical automation spare parts and repairs, with a full separate catalogue for healthcare businesses to look through.
On top of all of that, they’re also a member of the Essentra network, who are an automation parts supplier with a wide catalogue and years of expertise. When you buy from Essentra, you’re likely to get high quality.
5. RS Components – Best for spare parts specced toward new technologies
Last but not least, our fifth choice is RS Components. The team has a mission to help companies be ‘industry 4.0 ready’, with a focus on next gen robotics and the use of AI.
If you’re currently integrating these new tech pieces into your production line, they could be the supplier you can rely on.
They also offer over 800,000 products from top brands across the automation sector, including Siemens and Allen Bradley. You’ll get a lot of choice within their catalogue, and that can make all the difference to how well your money gets spent.
And when you place an order of £50 or more, you’ll get free delivery (business accounts only).
Keep Your Production Line Meeting the Demand
If it’s not working, it’s not producing. And when it’s not producing, it’s not making any money. On top of that, if you can’t keep your production floor turning over, you’ll have less inventory to meet the demand of the industries you serve in turn.
All in all, downtime is a money pit that you do not want to fall into! And if you know who has the right spare parts for your needs, you’re going to avoid tripping into the hole. Check out our list of reliable suppliers above, and use the tips we included earlier to evaluate them according to your needs.
