How Long Do Spare Parts Take for Machines Built 1995+?

Model Year 1995+ — Why This Is the Line

On the used CNC machine market, there is an informal boundary: model year 1995. Machines older than 30 years enter a zone where spare parts availability becomes unpredictable. Control manufacturers typically guarantee 10-15 years of support after a generation's end of production — meaning parts for controls from the 1980s and early 1990s are officially discontinued.

For a Polish business buying a machine from Germany, this boundary has practical significance: a 1997 machine with Fanuc 16i can be an excellent purchase at EUR 12,000. A 1992 machine with Fanuc 10 — that is a risk that needs to be priced in.

At Hutnia, we evaluate parts availability as one of five main parameters in our purchase recommendations. Here are the concrete data points we gather from the market.

Fanuc — King of Availability

Fanuc is the only control manufacturer that maintains parts availability for 25+ years after end of production. This is not official policy (officially: 10 years), but market practice.

Fanuc operates three service centers in Europe (Luxembourg, Echternach + locations in DE, FR, IT) and a partner network in Poland. Service response time in PL: 24-48 h. This is the best infrastructure of any CNC control manufacturer.

For machines from 1995-2005 with Fanuc 16i/18i, our availability rating at Hutnia: 8/10. Best in market.

Siemens — Solid Second Tier

Siemens SINUMERIK offers good availability, but with clear generational boundaries:

The key difference vs. Fanuc: Siemens officially ends support after 10 years and sticks to it. After that, the Siemens response is "please contact a certified partner" (read: broker or retrofit company).

Siemens has strong service presence in Poland (Siemens Polska, Warsaw office + partners). Response time: 24-48 h. But Siemens service visit costs run 15-25% higher than Fanuc.

For machines from 1995-2005 with SINUMERIK 840D: 7/10. With SINUMERIK 840C: 4/10.

Mitsubishi Electric, Mazak, OKUMA — Detailed Comparison

Three brands with closed or semi-closed ecosystems:

Mitsubishi Electric (MELDAS):
- MY 1995-2005 (MELDAS 500): lead time 3-6 wks, rating 6/10
- MY 2005+ (MELDAS 600/700): lead time 1-2 wks, rating 8/10
- Strengths: backward compatibility between generations, lower prices than Fanuc
- More in our Mitsubishi Electric article

Mazak (Mazatrol):
- MY 1995-2005 (Fusion 640): lead time 2-4 wks, rating 7/10
- MY 1990-1998 (T-32/M-32): lead time 4-8 wks, rating 4/10
- Note: without Mazak service contract — parts +20-40% more expensive
- Details in our Mazak Mazatrol article

OKUMA (OSP):
- MY 1997-2007 (OSP-U100): lead time 4-8 wks, rating 5/10
- MY 2005+ (OSP-P200): lead time 1-2 wks, rating 8/10
- Note: OKUMA encoders are a separate line item (EUR 800-2,000/ea)
- Details in our OKUMA OSP article

European Controls That Went Bankrupt — Red Flags

With machines from 1995+, you occasionally encounter controls whose manufacturer no longer exists:

• Num (France) — bankrupt 2007, acquired by Schneider Electric, limited support
• Selca (Italy) — bankrupt ~2015, no official support
• Heidenhain TNC — ACTIVE, excellent availability (mentioned for contrast)
• Bosch Rexroth IndraMotion — ACTIVE, but expensive parts
• Beckhoff TwinCAT — ACTIVE, PC-based, standard components

A machine with Num or Selca costs 30-50% less on the used market than a comparable model with Fanuc. But if the control fails, retrofit is the only option (EUR 5,000-15,000). On a machine worth EUR 8,000, the math does not work.

Spare Parts Brokers — How the Secondary Market Works

When the manufacturer no longer supplies parts, the broker market steps in. Several dozen companies in Europe specialize in CNC control parts. The largest:

• CNC Shopping (France) — Fanuc, Mitsubishi, Siemens, stock of 50,000+ items
• CNCE (Germany) — specialization Fanuc + Siemens, module repair
• Arburg Elektronik (Germany) — PCB refurbishment
• Tokyo Boeki Europe — Fanuc parts, authorized

Broker prices: 30-60% of new module price. Warranty: 6-12 months (vs. 24 months from manufacturer). Lead time: 1-5 business days (stock) or 2-6 weeks (on order/refurbishment).

At Hutnia, we maintain contacts with 8 brokers in DE, FR and NL. Before a purchase recommendation, we verify availability of key parts from at least two sources.

Practical Decision Table

Next Step

Before committing to a machine from 1995+, commission a parts availability check for the specific model. At Hutnia, we verify the catalog numbers of key modules and confirm availability with both manufacturer and brokers before making a recommendation.

Book an initial consultation Step 0 for €49 — fully deductible from the €500 mandate.