Siemens Expands Refurbished Automation Market with New Partnership for Industrial Spare Parts
Time:2026-09-11 Browse: 0
Published: September 2026
Siemens is expanding its approach to industrial automation lifecycle management through a new partnership with Sparepartsnow, creating another channel for customers to access refurbished Siemens automation products.
The partnership was announced in September 2026 and is designed to combine Siemens' refurbishment capabilities with Sparepartsnow's digital marketplace. The initiative focuses on providing refurbished automation products that meet the original manufacturer's technical specifications and performance characteristics.
For industrial automation users, the development is significant because many factories continue to operate equipment that was installed years or even decades ago.
Replacing an entire automation system simply because a single PLC module, communication card, power supply, or I/O component has reached the end of its original production cycle is not always economically practical.
Refurbished automation equipment can provide another option.
The new approach also reflects a wider movement toward circularity in industrial technology, where manufacturers seek to extend the useful life of existing equipment rather than automatically replacing complete systems.
Why Industrial Automation Equipment Has a Long Lifecycle
Industrial automation systems are different from many consumer electronics products.
A consumer device may be replaced every few years.
Industrial automation equipment can remain in operation for much longer.
A PLC installed in a manufacturing plant may control machinery that has been operating for 10, 15, or even 20 years.
The reason is straightforward.
Industrial equipment is expensive to design, install, validate, and commission.
Replacing a controller can require more than purchasing a new device.
Engineers may need to modify programs, test communication networks, validate I/O signals, update documentation, train operators, and schedule production downtime.
For critical processes, even a relatively small hardware change can require extensive testing.
As a result, industrial companies often prefer to keep reliable equipment operating for as long as possible.
This creates a strong demand for replacement parts even after the original manufacturer has discontinued a product.
The Challenge of Legacy PLCs
Legacy PLCs are particularly important in this market.
Industrial facilities around the world operate multiple generations of programmable logic controllers.
Some machines may use modern PLC platforms.
Other production lines may still depend on older controller families because the equipment continues to perform its intended function.
A factory may have no immediate reason to replace an entire production line simply because its controller has reached the end of its normal sales lifecycle.
Instead, the maintenance team may need one replacement CPU, digital input module, analog output module, communication processor, power supply, or expansion module.
This is where refurbished industrial automation equipment can become valuable.
A professionally refurbished component can potentially help an operator restore a machine without undertaking a complete control system migration.
The availability of manufacturer-refurbished products can also provide additional confidence regarding product condition and technical performance.
Circularity Is Becoming More Important in Automation
Sustainability is becoming a larger consideration across industrial technology.
Historically, the industrial equipment lifecycle often followed a simple pattern:
manufacture, install, operate, replace.
A more circular model attempts to extend the useful life of equipment through maintenance, refurbishment, repair, reuse, and responsible recycling.
This can reduce unnecessary replacement of functional equipment.
For industrial automation, circularity has a practical advantage.
Automation hardware often contains valuable electronics, metals, processors, communication components, and engineered mechanical assemblies.
If a controller can be refurbished and returned to service, the useful life of those components can be extended.
This does not mean that every old automation component should remain in service indefinitely.
Some systems eventually become too difficult to support or too vulnerable from a cybersecurity perspective.
However, refurbishment can provide an intermediate solution between continuing to use aging equipment unchanged and replacing an entire automation architecture.
Siemens' Role in the Refurbished Automation Market
Siemens has one of the world's largest installed bases of industrial automation equipment.
Its SIMATIC portfolio is widely used across manufacturing, process industries, infrastructure, machine building, and other industrial applications.
That installed base creates a long-term lifecycle management requirement.
Customers need access to replacement components, technical information, engineering tools, and support as systems age.
The new partnership with Sparepartsnow creates an additional digital route for customers looking for refurbished Siemens automation products.
The approach combines Siemens' refurbishment expertise with a digital marketplace designed to improve access to those products.
For customers, this can make the search for replacement equipment more convenient.
For industrial automation suppliers, it also demonstrates how the aftermarket is evolving.
The market is no longer limited to new equipment.
Lifecycle services, refurbished products, repairs, and replacement components are becoming increasingly important parts of industrial automation.
Why Spare Parts Availability Matters to Manufacturers
For a production manager, the failure of a small automation component can have a surprisingly large financial impact.
A failed PLC communication module may stop an entire production line.
A defective power supply may prevent multiple controllers from operating.
A failed I/O module may affect sensors, valves, motors, or other equipment.
If the correct replacement cannot be found quickly, the plant may experience extended downtime.
The cost of downtime can easily exceed the price of the failed component.
This is why many manufacturers maintain spare-parts inventories.
Critical components may be stored locally so that maintenance teams can replace them immediately when required.
However, keeping every possible component in inventory can be expensive.
This creates demand for reliable external sources.
A digital marketplace for refurbished automation equipment can potentially help maintenance teams locate components that are no longer readily available through conventional new-product channels.
Refurbished Does Not Mean Uncontrolled
One of the biggest concerns surrounding refurbished industrial automation equipment is quality.
Industrial users need to know whether a component can perform reliably after refurbishment.
This is particularly important for PLCs, communication modules, I/O systems, power supplies, and industrial computers.
A professional refurbishment process should involve inspection, cleaning, testing, repair where required, and verification of operating performance.
The objective is not simply to resell used equipment.
The equipment should be assessed to determine whether it can meet appropriate technical requirements.
The Siemens partnership is notable because the company describes the refurbished products as meeting the original manufacturer's technical specifications and performance characteristics.
This distinction is important for industrial buyers.
The value of refurbishment comes from providing a controlled alternative to purchasing unknown-condition used equipment.
The Relationship Between New and Refurbished Automation
The growth of refurbished automation equipment does not necessarily compete directly with new automation products.
The two markets can serve different customer requirements.
A new factory with a new production line will generally require current-generation PLCs, DCS systems, industrial networks, safety systems, and other modern technologies.
An existing factory may have a different requirement.
If an older machine is still productive and reliable, the plant may only need a replacement module.
In that situation, replacing the entire machine may not make economic sense.
A refurbished component can help bridge the gap.
This creates a two-speed industrial automation market.
Greenfield projects can adopt the newest technology.
Brownfield facilities can continue operating existing systems while selectively upgrading or replacing components.
Both markets are important.
Legacy Systems and Digital Transformation
The existence of large numbers of legacy automation systems also creates an interesting challenge for digital transformation.
Many manufacturers want to connect older machines to modern data platforms.
However, legacy PLCs may not support the communication protocols or cybersecurity features expected by newer systems.
Instead of immediately replacing the controller, manufacturers can sometimes use gateways, industrial PCs, protocol converters, or edge devices to connect older equipment to modern networks.
This approach allows companies to preserve existing control logic while adding digital functionality.
Refurbished hardware can support this strategy by keeping the original control system operational while modernization occurs around it.
For example, a factory might continue using an older PLC while adding an industrial gateway that transfers production information to an analytics platform.
Over time, the company could then decide whether a complete PLC migration is necessary.
Automation Maintenance Is Becoming More Data-Driven
Modern maintenance strategies are also changing.
Traditional maintenance often depended on fixed schedules.
Engineers replaced components after a certain period or when they failed.
Today, manufacturers increasingly use condition monitoring and operational data to understand equipment health.
This includes monitoring motor current, temperature, vibration, communication errors, CPU diagnostics, I/O status, and other parameters.
The objective is to identify potential problems before they cause unexpected downtime.
This approach can also improve spare-parts planning.
If a component shows signs of deterioration, maintenance teams can locate a replacement before the failure occurs.
Digital marketplaces and inventory systems can then become part of a larger maintenance workflow.
The combination of predictive maintenance, digital inventory management, and refurbished equipment could make industrial asset management more efficient.
The Importance of Automation Lifecycle Management
Industrial automation should not be viewed as a one-time purchase.
A PLC or DCS system has a lifecycle.
That lifecycle can include:
System design.
Procurement.
Installation.
Commissioning.
Operation.
Maintenance.
Modernization.
Replacement.
Decommissioning.
Each stage creates different requirements.
During operation, spare parts and technical support become critical.
During modernization, migration strategies and compatibility become important.
During decommissioning, companies need to consider responsible disposal and recycling.
A circular approach attempts to optimize this entire lifecycle.
The Siemens and Sparepartsnow partnership is therefore part of a much broader trend toward lifecycle-based industrial automation management.
Opportunities for Industrial Automation Suppliers
The refurbished automation market also creates opportunities for companies involved in industrial spare parts.
Demand exists for many categories of equipment, including PLC CPUs, digital I/O modules, analog modules, communication processors, power supplies, industrial Ethernet modules, operator panels, drives, remote I/O, and control-system accessories.
Customers may be looking for equipment that is discontinued but still required for an existing machine.
They may also need emergency replacement components when a production line fails.
In these situations, product availability can be more important than having the newest technology.
Reliable inventory, accurate model information, testing capability, and fast response can therefore become important competitive advantages.
Siemens and the Future of Industrial Automation Aftermarket
The partnership also illustrates how the industrial automation aftermarket is becoming more organized.
For years, the market for used and refurbished automation equipment was highly fragmented.
Customers often had to contact multiple suppliers to locate discontinued components.
Digital marketplaces can make this process easier by bringing product information and inventory together.
Manufacturer-backed refurbishment can add another layer of confidence.
As automation systems become older, this market is likely to continue expanding.
The installed base of industrial controllers is enormous, and many of these systems will remain operational for years.
Even as manufacturers adopt new PLC generations and advanced digital platforms, older equipment will continue to require support.
Conclusion
Siemens' new partnership with Sparepartsnow highlights an important but sometimes overlooked part of the industrial automation industry: the aftermarket.
While much of the attention surrounding automation focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics, smart factories, and next-generation PLCs, thousands of existing factories continue to depend on proven automation systems.
For these facilities, the ability to obtain reliable replacement components can be just as important as adopting new technology.
Refurbished automation equipment can provide manufacturers with another option for extending the useful life of existing systems, reducing unnecessary replacement, and supporting more circular industrial operations.
The trend also demonstrates that the future of industrial automation will not consist exclusively of new equipment.
New PLCs, DCS platforms, industrial PCs, robotics, AI, and digital systems will continue to expand.
At the same time, legacy automation equipment will require maintenance, replacement parts, repair, refurbishment, and eventual migration.
Companies that understand the entire automation lifecycle will therefore be better positioned to serve the global industrial market.
For manufacturers, the message is practical: modernizing a factory does not always mean replacing everything.
In many cases, the smarter strategy is to combine new technology with reliable existing equipment, extending asset life where it makes sense while gradually preparing the plant for the next generation of industrial automation.
