This topic was inspired by a Linked-In post I had seen a while back. Someone was looking for advice on a where to easily purchase some components for a project they were working on. A response turned them onto McMaster-Carr, which they were not familiar with. I am rather, shall we say, experienced, so it hard to imagine not knowing McMaster- I’ve had one of their yellow catalogs on a bookshelf since before their website existed. It occurred to me that there may be quite a few others out there who need an easy to deal with company and don’t know where to look. Here are three companies that we use for various projects. They are all web-based and have simple, online purchasing. For the most part, their websites are easy to navigate and search. They may not have absolutely everything, but between the three of them, they come close.
McMaster-Carr
McMaster’s website is the gold standard of easy-to-search online shopping. The site is very well organized and it is easy to find what you are looking for, even if you don’t know what the proper name is (or how to spell it). They carry pretty much everything: hardware, vacuum and sanitary fittings, O-rings, plumbing fittings, tools, the list goes on. If you’re bored in a meeting, you can kill an hour just browsing… They also have dimensioned drawings and 3D models of almost everything, which are really quick and easy to download. One disadvantage is that most items are generic, meaning that they don’t list manufacturer information (they do for some items). But, I have found that they do not switch manufacturers, you get the exact same part every time you order. It’s just that they don’t say who the maker is. They also have really good support. If you have a question on a specific part they can answer it for you – even physically measuring something if a dimension is needed.
Misumi
Misumi offer a wide range of components as well, but their greatest strength is in the configurable mechanical parts. They sell a number of components that can be customized to meet what you need (a shaft at a specific length with a certain end feature, for example). The cost and lead time for these parts is generally much better than having a custom part fabricated. There are generally many choices to go through to configure a part, which can get a bit confusing, but in the end, it works pretty well. You can even download a model of your configuration. Misumi also sells some hard-to-find Japanese components, which can give some options for unusual problems.
Automation Direct
https://www.automationdirect.com/
As their name suggests, Automation Direct focuses on selling automation components, including mechanical and pneumatic parts, but with a strong focus on electrical items. Some of their items are sold under their own brand names, but they also offer a good selection of well-known, high quality brands. Their website is one of the better ones, as well. It is well organized and easy to search. The items sold under their brands are all of good quality with a significant cost savings over name-brand components. Plus, they are just easy to buy online. We have used a variety of their components (PLC’s, touch panels, solenoids, pressure sensors, level switches, etc.) on everything from a dual path filtration system to an automated water spray system to keep the squirrels out of the tomatoes, and always had good results. Where else can you get a PLC for less than $100?
There are other companies out there that have good websites, but many are more specialized. These three are the ones we start with. The ability to easily find what we are looking for, being able to customize a part if needed, and then purchase easily with just a few clicks saves us time and helps us be more efficient.