New OEM, rebuilt, exchange, or aftermarket — the right answer depends on the part, the machine generation, and what an hour of downtime costs you. Here is how to think it through.
When a component on your labeler wears out, the OEM parts question comes up fast: do you pay for genuine label handling equipment OEM parts, hunt for an aftermarket equivalent, or take a third route most plants overlook? For Krones labelers there are actually four options — new OEM, used, rebuilt, and exchange — and LES stocks replacement parts for labeling machines across all of them. The right pick is rarely the same for a glue pot as it is for a gripper cylinder.
The Problem With “Just Get the OEM Part”
Krones labelers have been built over several decades, and the same nominal part can differ between machine generations. A centering bell or glue roller shaft that fits one build of a Solomatic may not match another, which is why ordering by description alone is the slowest way to get a line running again. “OEM” on the invoice does not help you if it is the OEM part for the wrong generation of the machine.
That is also the honest caveat about aftermarket: the risk is not that a part is aftermarket, it is that nobody verified fit and tolerance against your specific machine. A correctly specified rebuilt assembly beats a wrongly specified genuine one every time.
OEM Parts for Label Handling Equipment: When New Is Worth It
A new part is the simplest route and the most expensive one. It makes sense when the component is a true wear-and-forget item, when no rebuilt or exchange stock exists, or when you are building out spares kits for planned maintenance. For components like glue pallets, sponge rollers, label magazines, and gripper cylinders, LES supplies new parts compatible with Solomatic, Topmatic, Starmatic, Universella, and Bontmatic cold glue machines, plus the hot melt side — Contiroll, Canmatic, and Prontomatic.
For obsolete components the calculus changes: when the original manufacturer no longer supports a part, custom engineering is often the only “OEM-equivalent” path left. That is a service call, not a catalog order — and it is exactly the situation where a parts partner who knows the machine generations earns their keep.
Rebuilt and Exchange: The Options Most Plants Underuse
A rebuilt part is not a cleaned-up used part. Wear surfaces are re-machined back to specification, bearings, seals, and bushings are replaced, alignment is set, and the assembly is tested before it goes on the shelf — rebuilt to OEM specifications or better, with a warranty that matches or exceeds the original manufacturer’s coverage. It typically costs well under a new assembly.
Exchange goes one further on downtime: a tested unit ships from the shelf — often same day — you install it during a planned changeover, and the worn core goes back in the same packaging. Your line never waits on a rebuild. The full flow is laid out on the exchange and remanufacture program page, and it covers major assemblies: labeling aggregates, glue pots, centering heads, gripper cylinders, infeed worms, and gearboxes.
When is exchange the wrong call? When the part is genuinely rare, or when the core is too far gone to be worth rebuilding. A straight answer on that up front beats a credit dispute later.
How to Spec the Right Part the First Time
Most of the delay in a parts order is not shipping — it is the back-and-forth identifying exactly which component is needed. Five things collapse that to a single call:
- The machine model and, if you have it, the serial or build number
- The Krones part number stamped or tagged on the component
- A photograph of the part, ideally showing any markings
- The aggregate type — cold glue, hot melt, Canmatic, or pressure sensitive
- A rough measurement if no number is visible
With a photo and a model number, the part can usually be confirmed the same day. And if your machine is a Contiroll, the dedicated Krones Contiroll parts and service page covers vacuum drums, cutting units, and the rest of the wrap-around aggregate in detail.
Common Questions
Are rebuilt labeler parts covered by a warranty?
Yes. LES remanufactured and exchange parts carry a warranty that matches or exceeds the original manufacturer’s coverage.
What should we keep on the shelf so we are not ordering under pressure?
Spare parts kits for high-wear components like glue pots and label magazines, plus a metric hardware assortment matched to your labeler model so the right fastener is always on hand. Building the spares list during preventive maintenance visits, when the machine’s actual wear is visible, beats guessing from a catalog.
What if we cannot identify the failed part at all?
A description of the machine and the failure is enough to start — it just takes another round of questions. If the line is down, on-site service can put a technician in front of the machine instead.
Need a Part Identified?
Send a photo and the machine model, and LES can usually confirm the part the same day — new, rebuilt, or exchange from thousands of SKUs in stock.
Call 800-391-4867 Request a QuoteChange parts are where tolerance matters most. See labeler change parts and how to cut size-change time.