The campaign to promote the benefits of workshops fitting original equipment (OE) parts is taking its message to the commercial vehicle market.

The Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) will have a stand at the forthcoming Commercial Vehicle Show, which runs alongside Workshop 2014,  where it will explain to visitors the merits of fitting OE parts. OESAA, whose slogan is ‘Our Quality Your Reputation’, represents 14 leading manufacturers and suppliers of OE automotive parts to vehicle-makers, with most also supplying parts to the CV sector.

It is to exhibit examples of its OE parts alongside non-genuine alternative products currently available in the commercial vehicle component aftermarket in Ireland and the UK on stand 3H95 at the show which takes place from April 29th to May 1st at the NEC in Birmingham.

OESAA’s main aims are to promote the benefits of fitting OE quality components and to ensure that workshops and distributors can make an informed choice when purchasing parts. The members of the association also stress that they do not claim that all second line parts are poor quality; indeed some are of good quality, but they are not Original Equipment.

OESAA Chairman Nigel Morgan, Managing Director of Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket, responsible for the LuK clutch, INA tensioner and FAG wheel bearing OE brands, said, "Many of our members supply parts to the HCV and or the LCV market and the show gives us the ideal opportunity of taking our message directly to those who fit parts to lorries, trucks, buses and coaches as well as the ever expanding LCV market.” He adds, "Vehicle manufacturers and OE suppliers invest millions in R&D as well as testing to ensure that their products offer the highest levels of performance and safety to the consumer. We share a common concern when it comes to safety and we want the CV market to recognise the risk of fitting inferior or sub-standard non-tested parts.”

Nigel also points out other benefits of fitting OE in that the vehicle is more likely to ‘feel the same and drive the same’ and the installer will have the reassurance that the product will fit first time, every time and that they can ‘fit it and forget it’.

OESAA members say that some aftermarket parts suppliers are claiming to ‘match OE quality’, even though it is clear by physically comparing the components that they do not. OESAA Members only use the OESAA logo on products that are fitted as original equipment; they do not use it for non-OE product publicity.

The group stresses that there are other brands in the market offering quality products, but that its target is to raise the awareness of the need to fit the highest possible quality parts and also of the dangers of supplying and fitting sub-standard components.

More information on OESAA is available at www.oe-suppliers.org