Sourcing Policy

Where parts come from

Every line item on a quotation states its source. Three classes:

• OEM original -- direct from the manufacturer or an authorised distributor named on the OEM website.
• Authorised distributor -- a stockholder listed on the OEM distributor map. Common cases: RS Components, Farnell / element14, Mouser, Newark, ABB Authorized Value Provider, Siemens Solution Partner, SKF Authorised Distributor, Parker authorised distributor.
• Vetted cross-reference -- a fit-form-function equivalent from a second manufacturer, named on the quotation. Used only when the OEM original is end-of-life, on long lead-time or otherwise inaccessible.

Cross-reference workflow

When an OEM original is not accessible, the quotation lists the proposed cross-reference manufacturer and part number, the rationale (EOL / lead time / availability) and the relevant equivalent standard. The order is not placed until the buyer confirms the cross-reference is acceptable.

If the buyer cannot accept a cross-reference, the OEM original is sourced at its actual lead time and the quotation states the date - even if that means waiting on a factory order.

Cross-references are never substituted silently. The pack list and commercial invoice on the dispatched consignment name the actual part shipped, never the OEM original it stands in for.

What we don't source from

Items from these channels are excluded from quotations, dispatch and the catalog.

• AliExpress, Wish, Temu and similar consumer marketplaces
• Public discussion forums, social-media classifieds or peer-to-peer sales
• Unverified eBay private sellers (eBay business sellers with a verifiable OEM authorisation are acceptable on a case-by-case basis)
• Crowdsourced spec sheets or community PDFs as the primary technical reference
• Counterfeit risk channels - anywhere lacking a clear chain of custody from the OEM

Counterfeit-risk parts

For categories with a known counterfeit-risk profile -- bearings (SKF, FAG, NSK), electrical (Schneider, ABB), fasteners (DIN-marked stainless), Cummins / MAN engine spares, Eaton hose ends, Parker o-rings -- the supply chain is restricted to OEM original or named authorised distributor only. Cross-references in these categories must come from a second OEM (e.g. NSK in place of SKF), never an unnamed manufacturer.

Where buyers have an internal vendor-approved-list (VAL), the VAL is honoured: sourcing is restricted to listed suppliers and the quotation states which VAL entry each line maps to.

OEM portal access

For brands behind authorised-distributor portals (Xylem / Wedeco, Hanovia, Pentair, Veolia for water-treatment spares; Wartsila, MAN ES, Hyundai-MAN for marine engine OEM PDFs; Schneider mySchneider, Siemens Industry Mall), portal access is held against an account with the OEM rather than scraped from third-party copies. Where the OEM publishes a public datasheet, the link is to the OEM CDN.

Data and image sourcing

Product images on this site are either (a) the OEM-published photo linked to the OEM CDN, (b) the OEM-published photo mirrored to the cBallast origin (for stability, with the OEM as cited source), or (c) a same-origin family line-drawing authored by cBallast in the spec-sheet style (no photographic content, schematic only).

No image on this site comes from competitor catalogs, Pinterest, image search dumps or unverified third-party photo sites.

Image and text content is updated as OEMs publish revisions. The catalog database carries a per-product last-revised timestamp.

Conflict of interest

cBallast does not carry a captive supplier book. Brand priorities follow buyer specification, not internal commercial pressure. Where two OEMs offer an equally specified item, the quotation lists both with the rationale for the recommendation.