When working in the procurement industry for aircraft it is imperative to know the various condition terms and codes to be able to reference and identify the parts. This allows for clear communication of the quality of parts to be bought and sold to the customers. We will go over the terminology and some codes to better identify the parts.
There are five different ways to assess the condition of the part, the first one is “new condition”, meaning the part is brand new from the factory and has appropriate codes to prove it. O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or 8130 trace which is the most qualified because it is identified as being straight from the manufacturer. Without explanation, the new condition should be self-explanatory and is the most ideal condition for a part but could be costly due to the O.E.M certification or 8130 traces. There are a couple of ways the industry abbreviates “new condition” is NE (new) or FN (factory new).
The next is “new surplus”, meaning the part is brand new however it does not have the O.E.M trace but will come with a C.O.C. (Certificate of Conformance) or ATA106 by the company. This means that it will be slightly cheaper than the new conditioned part due to the lesser value of the certification. The new surplus is often abbreviated as NS.
An “overhauled” unit is a part that was taken off an aircraft. Once the part is taken off it is sent to an FAA Authorized 145 repair station to have cleaned, inspected, and repaired as required. The repairing station will do their best to make the part look as close to what it once was by changing the internal pieces and do restorative work. Once this is done it will acquire the 145-trace as proof that the part was worked on and is in working condition. An Overhauled unit is often abbreviated OH.
A “serviceable” unit is like an overhauled unit as it was taken off an aircraft. The difference is that the part may not look the best as it will not be cosmetically modified or cleaned but is tested to fulfill its function. In the case that there is an issue in the part, the part will be fixed however otherwise it will be just as is. The serviceable part is often sought after due to the cost difference, for it will be a working part without needing to pay for a new or overhauled price. A serviceable unit is abbreviated SV or RP (repaired).
Finally, the “as removed” part which is the lowest condition on the market. The as removed condition means that the part was taken from the aircraft for a variety of reasons. Some reasons could be that the aircraft was being torn down due to an airplane accident or maybe a malfunction in the part. It is not the most qualified part but it is often times the cheapest. These types of parts can be sent to be repaired however there is no guarantee that it will. And the removed unit is abbreviated AR.