A HOMAG, WEEKE or IMA machining center is built to run for decades – and many in North American cabinet, furniture and millwork shops have already done so. The mechanics usually hold up. The electronics are where these machines stop: a failed axis card, a dead safety relay or a frequency inverter that no longer starts can idle a six-figure machine for weeks. This guide explains why legacy CNC electronics have become hard to source in the US, what a part really costs once it is on your dock, and how to get a tested original part from Germany within days – often at half the price or less.
Key facts in one minute
- Many control generations used in European woodworking machines – NUM 1040/1060, HOMATIC, Indramat EcoDrive, KEB COMBIVERT F4, SIMODRIVE 611 – are out of production. Supply now comes largely from used, tested stock.
- Much of that stock sits in Germany, where these machines were built and where they are dismantled. Bought directly at the source, our prices can be 50 to 70 % below what the same part costs through US distribution channels.
- We ship from stock the same business day via FedEx or UPS. Express services typically reach US business addresses within one to three business days.
- Import duty is charged on the actual value of the part. On a part that costs a fraction of the US price, the duty stays small – whatever the current rate. Shipments go DAP, with no hidden surcharges in our price.
- Every electronic part is tested in-house and sold with a function guarantee. No core exchange, no core charge.
1. Why electronics, not mechanics, decide how long your machine runs
A spindle can be rebuilt, a gearbox overhauled, a vacuum pump fitted with new vanes. Electronics follow different rules. A control board is tied to a specific hardware revision, a firmware version and – in many machines – a machine-specific parameter set. When the manufacturer of that board ends production, there is no drawing to build a replacement from and no "aftermarket" version. What exists is what was built.
That is exactly the situation for a large part of the installed base of European woodworking CNCs in the US:
| Component family | Typical machines | Situation today |
|---|---|---|
| NUM 1040 / 1060 / 1062 controls and cards | IMA BIMA, WEEKE, HOMAG | Successor generation (Flexium) is not plug-compatible; cards come from used stock |
| HOMATIC and powerControl PC85 boards | HOMAG BAZ, BOF, WEEKE BHC | Mostly exchange or repair via the OEM; used tested boards are the fast route |
| Indramat / Rexroth EcoDrive DKC drives | HOMAG, IMA, many others | Long out of production; the firmware module is a separate value item |
| KEB COMBIVERT F4 inverters | HOMAG edge banders, spindles | Replaced by newer series; a drop-in needs the HOMAG-specific parameter set |
| Siemens SIMODRIVE 611 modules | IMA, HOMAG | Replaced by SINAMICS; spare modules increasingly from used stock |
| Bircher safety relays and switch mats | HOMAG, WEEKE | Machine-specific versions with HOMAG part numbers; we stock tested units and offer repair |
For a shop owner the consequence is simple: when one of these parts fails, the question is not which part to buy, but where an identical, working one is – and how fast it can be in the machine.
2. What a week of downtime really costs
The price of the part is rarely the biggest number. A simple estimate shows why:
Downtime cost = hours lost × value your machine generates per hour
Take a machining center that contributes $150 per hour to your output and runs two shifts. Five lost working days add up to around $12,000 – before overtime to catch up and before late deliveries to your own customers. Measured against that, whether a part arrives in two days or in three weeks matters far more than a few hundred dollars on the invoice. Ideally, of course, you get both: the fast part and the lower price.
3. Three ways to source a legacy board
Through the OEM channel
The machine builder's service organization is the natural first call, and for current parts it is often the right one. For discontinued electronics the answer is frequently an exchange unit, a repair of your defective part or a remanufactured unit. Prices are usually quoted on request rather than published, and exchange programs mean sending your old part back before the deal is closed.
Through US resellers and surplus dealers
Many US listings for HOMAG or IMA boards are European stock that has already changed hands once or twice. The part may be fine – but every step adds freight, import, warehousing and margin.
Directly from the source
Gerhard Sondermann GmbH has supplied the woodworking industry from Lennestadt, Germany, for 65 years. Germany is where HOMAG, WEEKE and IMA build their machines – and where many of them are eventually taken out of service. We buy and dismantle complete machines, test the electronics on our own bench and photograph the exact unit you will receive.
4. Why our prices can be 50 to 70 % lower
This is not a discount campaign. It follows from where and how we sell:
- Used originals instead of new or remanufactured units. A tested used board from a dismantled machine is the same original part – at a fraction of the price of a new or reworked one.
- No intermediate steps. No import into a US warehouse, no distributor margin, no second freight leg. The part goes from our shelf to your door.
- No German VAT. Exports outside the EU are VAT-exempt, and we do not collect US sales tax. The price you see is the price on the invoice. Whether use tax applies in your state is a question for your accountant.
- Published fixed prices. No "call for price", no quote cycle for a part that is on the shelf. Prices are set in euros and shown in US dollars at the current daily exchange rate; you pay in USD at checkout.
5. Landed cost – an honest calculation
Shipments to the US go under DAP (Delivered at Place): we deliver to your door with the freight shown at checkout; you, as the importer, pay import duty and the carrier's clearance fee on delivery. That is the same procedure your European-made machine went through.
US duty rates on European goods have changed several times since 2025 and may change again. Three things stay the same:
- Duty is calculated on the customs value – essentially the price you paid for the part.
- The rate depends on the product's HS code and its country of origin. We state both on every commercial invoice.
- Shipments are cleared regardless of value; the former $800 de minimis exemption is currently suspended.
At the time of writing (October 2026), most EU-origin control electronics enter at a combined rate of around 10 %, Swiss-origin goods such as Bircher relays at around 12.5 %. Your customs broker – usually FedEx or UPS itself – applies the rate valid on the day of import.
Landed cost = price in USD + duty (current rate × customs value) + carrier clearance fee
An illustrative example for a used control board listed at €600, with an assumed exchange rate of 1 EUR = 1.17 USD and an assumed duty rate of 10 %:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price at checkout | $702.00 |
| Import duty at 10 % | $70.20 |
| Subtotal | $772.20 |
| Freight Germany – US (FedEx/UPS) | shown at checkout |
| Carrier clearance fee | per carrier tariff |
| Same part via a US channel at 2–3 × the price | approx. $1,400 – $2,100 |
Even if the duty rate were twice as high, the difference would hardly change. That is the simple reason why tariffs matter less than they seem when you buy at the source.
6. Availability: what "in stock" means with us
- Physically on our shelf. Every listing with a price and "in stock" is a part in our warehouse in Germany – not a part we would first try to find.
- Same-day dispatch. Orders placed on a German business day before the afternoon cutoff leave the same day with FedEx or UPS.
- Export paperwork included. We file the German export declaration and add a commercial invoice with HS code and country of origin, so the shipment clears without questions.
- What you see is what you get. For used electronics the photos show the actual unit, including labels, serial number and EPROM or firmware markings.
7. What we check before a board leaves our building
With legacy electronics, the most expensive mistake is not a defective part – it is a working part that does not fit your machine. That is why our listings tell you what to compare before you order:
- Part number and revision – HOMAG numbers in the format 4-008-32-0456, NUM ident numbers, Siemens MLFB, Rexroth type codes.
- Firmware and software level – EPROM labels on HOMATIC and Beckhoff cards, firmware modules on EcoDrive drives. Newer software usually replaces older; we say so where it applies.
- Machine-specific data – NUM controls keep PLC program and machine parameters in battery-backed memory. Back up your data before swapping a CPU or memory card.
- Bench test – every electronic part is tested by us. The source machine is noted in the listing where known.
Not sure? Send us a photo of the label on your part. We check the match before we ship – at no charge.
8. Function guarantee instead of core exchange
Exchange programs work like this: you pay a core charge and get it back only after returning your defective part. We do not work that way. You receive a tested part with a function guarantee, and your old part stays with you – as a spare, for repair or for the scrap bin. No paperwork, no waiting for a core refund.
For some components we also repair your own unit. Bircher safety relays used in HOMAG machines are repaired at a fixed price; other electronics are inspected first for a flat fee that is credited in full against the repair.
9. Frequently asked questions
Who is the importer of record?
Under DAP, the buyer is the importer. FedEx and UPS act as customs broker and bill duty and their clearance fee to you, usually on delivery or by invoice.
Can I return a part that does not fit?
Our terms for business customers apply. Please check the part number before ordering – or send us a photo and we will confirm compatibility first.
I need a part that is not listed.
Our listed range is only part of our stock. Send us the part number from your machine's parts list or the label on your old part – we check our stock and get back to you.
Start here
- All electronics in stock – control boards, drives, safety relays, power supplies
- Servo motors and drives for CNC machining centers
- Safety switch mats and Bircher relays
- Look up manufacturer part numbers
- Send us your part number
Gerhard Sondermann GmbH, Lennestadt, Germany – spare parts and machines for industry for 65 years. Sales to business customers only. Price comparisons are based on our own market experience and refer to typical cases; individual prices vary. Duty information as of October 2026, for orientation only. Manufacturer names and part numbers are used for identification only; we are not affiliated with the manufacturers.