BEACON FALLS, Conn. — To help industrial laundry operators keep equipment running with greater speed and confidence, LAVATEC has launched an online OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts storefront. 

The new platform provides 24/7 access to original LAVATEC replacement parts, real-time inventory visibility, streamlined ordering, and simplified repeat purchasing for commercial laundry facilities across North America.

Unlike generic, third-party replacement sourcing, LAVATEC says it maintains the original drawings, specifications, and bills of material for every machine it has ever built over decades. This gives operators direct access to the exact OEM parts designed for their specific system, whether sourcing a fixed bearing, basket arm bushing, double-lip seal, sensor, drive component, or critical motor assembly.

“While our equipment is simple to operate and maintain, every tunnel system of ours is a highly engineered system where every seal, sensor, bearing, and motor must work in precise synchronization,” says Kim Thrasher, the company’s sales and marketing coordinator who manages the LAVATEC parts program.

“When uptime matters, operators need more than a replacement part. They need confidence they are installing the exact component that is engineered specifically for their machine.”

LAVATEC says the launch reflects a growing industry focus on reducing preventable downtime caused by non-certified replacement components. Plant operators have increasingly recognized that the short-term savings of generic parts can lead to repeat failures, emergency repairs and catastrophic operational disruptions.

One laundry plant manager described the consequences of relying on rebuilt third-party drive motors and non-certified replacement components: “We started to buy the original motor, and it lasts three times longer than the one that goes out on you with no notice.”

For some facilities, the consequences of straying from OEM parts have been far more severe than an unexpected repair bill, shares LAVATEC. Plant managers reported repeated quarterly breakdowns that shut tunnel operations down for two to five days at a time, forcing maintenance crews into the grueling work of physically crawling into the middle of tunnels to clear preventable jams and failures.

For laundries operating LAVATEC systems that have been running reliably for decades, simply identifying the correct replacement part can become another major challenge.  

Older equipment documentation, superseded part numbers, and missing operating manuals can leave maintenance teams guessing. Third-party distributors may offer generic replacements, but they cannot provide the original engineering support behind the machine, the company says.

LAVATEC maintains the original drawings, specifications, and bills of material for every machine it has ever built, helping operators identify the exact OEM component required for their specific system configuration. 

By sourcing original OEM parts directly from the people who built the machine, LAVATEC says operators can eliminate guesswork, reduce repeat failures, and keep their plants running smoothly.

“Our customers are responsible for uptime all the time,” says Thrasher. “This platform becomes their new counterpart in keeping their equipment going.”