SUPPLY CHAIN


When supply chains failed, refurbished kept us running


When JC-Electronics’ customer Quero Automation faced severe supply chain disruption, refurbished equipment provided a way to survive the crisis and thrive.


By Manuel Santamaría Paniagua, sales delegate and solutions’ advisor Quero Automation


O


ur business knows only too well the consequences of supply chain interruption for our customers. Offering new and remanufactured components, critical repair services and a cashback service to manufacturers ranging from automotive to metalworking to petrochemical, food processing and pharmaceutical, our business ethos is simple: to keep factories running and make life easier for the people working in them.


We were sourcing critical components, PLCs, HMIs and drives, with delivery times that, in some cases, became completely incompatible with industrial reality. Had we failed to source the appropriate spares, the consequences would have meant prolonged shutdowns, lost orders and a serious competitive disadvantage. Even for a medium-sized plant, this failure can easily translate into millions of euros of losses per year due to unplanned downtime and underused capacity.


Remanufactured equipment initially appeared as a last resort to survive the crisis, but it quickly became part of a long-term strategic solution.


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Our main initial concern was perceived reliability. When you are supporting the ‘brains’ of a production line, using equipment such as PLCs or complex drives, there is a very strong myth in the market that only brand-new equipment can guarantee continuity. The question was whether a


 measure, could really deliver the necessary performance and lifespan demanded,  depend on it.


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The performance of the equipment from JC-Electronics has far exceeded our initial


40 MAY 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS


expectations, and what began has a sourcing solution built out of necessity has evolved into a real competitive advantage. But this only works by ensuring that the underlying quality of the industrial spares we supply is assured. We insist on advanced diagnostic and testing technologies such as  


 


Our approach is now fully committed to the Circular Economy. We have integrated equipment lifecycle thinking into our decisions, focusing on long-term sustainability, availability and risk reduction. As a company, Quero Automation and I personally, have completed the Sustainable Supplier training program (III Edition 2025),


which covers topics such as CO2 emissions’ reduction and governance. This training has helped us connect our day-to-day decisions on remanufactured equipment with broader sustainability and compliance goals.


 Combining circular automation with our advanced solution has enabled us to stock large volumes of products across many different codes and product families, allowing us to respond quickly and to keep older but productive machinery (PLCs, drives, etc.) running despite obsolescence. This extends asset lifespans and avoids unnecessary full migrations.


Our Quero Solutions predictive resilience offer uses digital twin technology to simulate the future in near real time by connecting plant data with predictive models and interoperable systems. This allows us to anticipate potential equipment failure through predictive maintenance, as well as production  


automotive and food processing sectors. We also use ‘system-in-the-loop’ test benches, where real components are tested in virtual environments, which is of particular  projects. This integrated approach allows  reductions in operational costs and clear improvements in quality and stability.


 My main recommendation to any business  spares is not to view the equipment as a  asset-management strategy for the future. Circular automation builds resilience against future supply-chain shocks. I suggest combining remanufactured equipment with advanced consulting, such as machine- safety audits or digital twin integration, to turn resilience into measurable savings and fewer surprises.


Finally, embrace sustainability as part of your business model. Joining the circular automation movement does not only save time and costs; it also contributes to broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by preventing e-waste and reducing carbon footprint.


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