Find applications and sourcing guides
Search applications and sourcing guides by part, material, process or problem. You can also contact HAM about items not covered here.
Parts & machining / Molds & forming / Materials / Equipment / Electrical & control / Inspection / Other needs
You can discuss your product or application with HAM before the specifications are final.
PARTS & MACHINING
Aluminum parts for your equipment
Ask HAM about replacement parts, prototypes or new aluminum parts. Tell us what you know about the intended use and what the part needs to fit.
View this application →FORMING & PRODUCTION
Plastic parts and molds for production
Discuss the part, the mold or both. You can start before choosing a resin or production quantity.
View this application →PACKAGING & PROCESSES
Packaging for bread and bakery products
Start with the bread, its storage conditions and how it is packed. The material and equipment can follow.
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Sourcing guides
Finding suppliers
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How to Source Industrial Products from Japan
Learn how to choose a sourcing route, prepare a supplier enquiry and compare offers before your first purchase from Japan.
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How to Find Japanese Manufacturers and Suppliers
Learn how to search for Japanese manufacturers, check each company’s role and identity, and narrow down who to contact.
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Why Japanese Suppliers Don’t Reply to Overseas Inquiries
Find out what to change when a Japanese supplier does not reply, and when to try another contact route or supplier.
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Japan Sourcing Agent vs Trading Company vs Direct Purchase
Compare direct purchasing, trading companies and sourcing support by their responsibilities, costs and the work your team needs to handle.
Automation & control
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Factory automation and control
Identify equipment and confirm electrical, communication and installation requirements for a replacement or new control application.
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Industrial Automation Parts from Japan
Learn which part and equipment details to send when asking Japanese suppliers about availability, condition and quotation scope.
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How to identify industrial parts: nameplates, photos and next checks
Choose the next check from the condition of the nameplate, then prepare photos and a clear identification enquiry.
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How to Source Japanese PLC, Servo and Sensor Parts
Check which specifications and system connections to compare before buying a replacement, successor or alternative PLC, servo or sensor.
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Genuine, Used, Refurbished or Compatible Industrial Parts
Compare offers for industrial parts using records of origin, condition and testing, rather than relying on labels such as ‘new’ or ‘refurbished’.
Maintenance & replacement
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Machine and Industrial Spare Parts from Japan
Decide which Japanese equipment spares to identify, keep in stock and source first, based on failure risk and downtime.
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Finding Discontinued Parts for Japanese Equipment
Compare remaining stock, repair, reproduction, redesign and equipment replacement when the original Japanese part is no longer available.
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Obsolete PLC: Repair, Replace or Retrofit?
Compare repair, like-for-like replacement and retrofit for an ageing PLC, including recovery time, backups and testing.
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PLC Migration Checklist
Review the interfaces, backups, testing and rollback arrangements needed before migrating a PLC on an operating machine or line.
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How to Find a Machine Part Without a Part Number
See what to photograph, measure and record to identify a machine part when its part number is missing.
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Custom Replacement Parts and Reverse Engineering
Check what must be established before reproducing a replacement part, and when further investigation, redesign or stopping is needed.
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Replacement oil seals: why matching dimensions is only the start
Read the marking, the installation and the operating conditions together before treating a candidate as interchangeable.
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Can you replace only a linear guide block? Check the rail and the assembly first
A matching series and size is a starting point. Interchangeability, assembly accuracy and the condition of the existing rail determine the replacement scope.
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Can a replacement bearing be chosen by its number and dimensions alone?
The basic number narrows the search. The suffix, installation and operating conditions decide what still needs to be checked.
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R, Rc, G or NPT: identify the connection before ordering
A nominal size is only the start. Establish the thread on each side and where the joint is intended to seal.
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Replacing a ball screw: beyond diameter and lead
Compare the screw, nut, machined ends and support bearings as parts of the installed feed axis.
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What to specify when replacing a shaft coupling
Connect shaft attachment, changing loads, alignment and installation space to the replacement quotation.
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Is a matching ratio enough to replace a gearbox?
Relate operating speed and load to installed shaft positions, mounting and lubrication.
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Replacing an industrial timing belt with unreadable markings
Connect pitch, tooth profile, tooth count and nominal width to the installed pulleys, rather than ordering from damaged dimensions.
Supplier checks & enquiries
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Japanese Supplier Due Diligence Checklist
Learn how to check a Japanese supplier’s identity, authority, capacity and payment details before your first order.
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Buying from Japan: MOQ, Lead Time and Export Terms
Compare quotations from Japan on the same basis, including MOQ, lead time, delivery terms, payment and total costs.
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How to Write an RFQ to a Japanese Supplier
See how to write an RFQ that gives a Japanese supplier the product details, commercial questions and response format needed to assess your request.
Standards & export documents
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JIS vs ISO Standards for Industrial Products
Compare JIS and ISO requirements by edition, scope and technical differences before answering an overseas customer’s enquiry.
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How to Verify JIS Certification and Standards Claims
Distinguish a standards reference, a test result and certification, and check the product and scope each claim actually covers.
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Export Documents and Compliance for Industrial Parts from Japan
Review the goods, parties, export controls and documents to check before shipping industrial parts from Japan, including destination requirements.
Sourcing guides
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Before you compare aluminium part quotes by unit price
Compare aluminum part quotes on the same scope: surface treatment, inspection, supplied materials and delivery conditions. A mounting-plate example shows what to ask.
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Your aluminium prototype works. Should production still use machining?
A successful machined prototype does not settle the production process. Compare machining, casting and extrusion through geometry, volume, tooling and finishing.
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Can you order a sheet-metal cover by its outside dimensions?
Mounting points, usable space and hardware determine whether a cover fits after forming—not just its overall size.
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Anodizing and fit: specify the finished hole, not just the colour
A pin that fits before finishing may not fit afterwards. Set the functional dimensions, masking boundary and inspection stage together.
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Why “Ra 1.6” can still leave a machined surface open to dispute
Agree the functional face, measurement path and evaluation conditions before comparing roughness reports.
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Will the shaft fit if the order only says “20 mm hole”?
Compare the limits for both parts, their finished condition and the way the assembly needs to work.
Sourcing guides
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A moulded sample fits. Is it ready for production approval?
A plastic clip fits, but is it ready for production approval? Define dimensional, visual and functional checks, test conditions and the limits of sample acceptance.
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Moving an injection mould is only part of restarting production
Moving a mold is only part of a production transfer. Check machine compatibility, mold condition, trials and approval before committing to a supply cutover.
Sourcing guides
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Before changing bread packaging, decide what the storage trial must show
Bread firming involves more than moisture escaping the bag. Plan a shelf-life trial around selling conditions, texture, mold growth and package performance.
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The seal specimen is strong. Why does the production pack leak?
A good seal test may not predict a full packaging run. Separate sealing, handling and storage trials to investigate wrinkles and leaks before changing film.
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Sauce sachet packaging machines: compare the same requirements
Compare SANKO FR5 and TOYO MV published conditions, then define sauce, sachet, filling, trial and overseas service requirements before requesting a machine.
Sourcing guides
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A material certificate needs a link to the metal you receive
How to connect a mill document to a cut bar, an order line and the finished parts made from it.
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Can a “SUS304 equivalent” replace the material on the drawing?
A similar grade name starts a comparison. The product specification, supplied condition and authorized change decision determine whether you can order it.
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Can the same polymer name justify a material change? Checking a molded-part grade substitution
Connect similar datasheet values to dimensions, function and change approval for the existing mold.
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Ceramic prototype machining in Japan: from function to RFQ
Prepare a ceramic prototype RFQ with material requirements, drawings, critical dimensions and inspection. Compare published Japanese supplier capabilities.
Sourcing guides
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Before buying a new measuring instrument, check how the part is held
An inspection fixture may improve placement and access. First establish whether these are the sources of the inconsistent readings.
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Can a three-phase motor be replaced with one of the same kW?
Compare the supply rating, shaft and mounting, then the work the motor must do. Output alone does not establish interchangeability.
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Ordering a replacement pneumatic cylinder: what bore and stroke leave out
Match the mounting, rod end, air connections and position feedback to the existing mechanism.
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Replacing a proximity sensor: will the controller read it?
Match the output circuit, input thresholds and detection conditions before accepting a same-size substitute.
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Solenoid valve replaced, but still no movement: what matters besides voltage?
A matching 24 VDC rating leaves valve function, pilot pressure, manifold and wiring to be checked.
Other parts, equipment and materials
You can discuss your product or application with HAM before the specifications are final.
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