TECHNOLOGY FOCUS: DRIVES, MOTORS & CONTROLS


TURNING


TRASH INTO TREASURE


I


n the fast-moving world of industrial automation, change is inevitable – but it’s not always welcome. Major companies develop product lines and sell millions of units globally, but after a few years, these products are often deemed obsolete. Support then stops, spare parts become scarce, and customers are urged to upgrade to newer, supposedly better systems. The consequences? Factories are forced into expensive transitions, scrapping entire lines, retraining staff, navigating teething problems, and suspending operations during reinstallation. Meanwhile, the promised performance gains don’t always justify the investment. Yet manufacturers insist on complete overhauls, even when existing equipment could be kept alive longer.


The role of professional refurbishment This is where professional refurbishers step in, with a business model that doesn’t just preserve machines, but also budgets, jobs, and the environment. One of their greatest strengths is turning discarded industrial electronics into fully functional, high-quality equipment, or at least removing valuable components before they are scrapped.


A major element of this model lies in how


refurbishers acquire inventory. They actively visit factories, often just in time to rescue equipment from the scrap heap. Some have likened this work to treasure hunting. One day, the professional refurbisher might come across a very scarce and valuable component in the dusty attic of an old factory, and the next they may find nothing of worth. But what remains constant is their pursuit of value in electronic equipment that is otherwise at risk of being overlooked.


24 PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING | MAY 2026


When manufacturers discontinue support for their older product lines, it forces customers to invest in costly overhauls. As JC-Electronics explains, however, professional refurbishers are now flipping the script


Once acquired, items then go through a


thorough refurbishment process. An extensive technical team should test each component, replacing worn-out parts, sandblasting and repainting metal casings, and swapping out plastic elements for new ones to ensure the product doesn’t just look like new – but works like it, too.


Not everything old is without value The professional refurbishment model hinges on awareness. Factories often don’t realise that what they’re discarding is still worth something, and a good refurbisher will try to educate them that not everything that’s old is without value. Ideally, their approach will be hands-on. While some refurbishers rely on photos or spreadsheets to make offers, the best in the business prefer to visit in person as this builds trust and often leads conversations that uncover further opportunities.


Introducing JC-Electronics At JC-Electronics, we supply refurbished industrial electronics to customers in more than 130 countries. With over 300,000 products in stock and a workforce of 285 employees, our products include PLCs, HMIs, drives, and industrial PCs – all carefully repaired, refurbished, and tested to the highest standards and supported by a two-year warranty. We have also developed a calculator showing the CO2 and resource savings from refurbishing instead of buying new. This has shown that one refurbished product uses 85 percent less CO2, and 95 percent fewer raw materials, compared to a new one. As a result, the water saved alone in our operations over one year could supply three million people. For many companies, the alternative to working with professional refurbishers is a multi-million-pound overhaul. However, if refurbished and guaranteed, electronic devices can keep their production lines going – benefitting the buyer, the seller, and the environment. Change is inevitable, but it doesn’t always need to be wholesale. Often, the best way to move forward is by taking care of what you’ve already got.


JC-Electronics www.jc-electronics.co.uk


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