Counterfeit parts are a growing problem in every industry using board-level electronic components including commercial, industrial, automotive, military/aerospace and aerospace.
This is because it is increasingly difficult to know the true origin of the component. Counterfeit electronic components can be highly sophisticated and often pass such as external and internal visual, dimensional check, marking permanency, pin correlation and even electrical testing. Because such components can be easily cloned or altered, more sophisticated testing to detect counterfeit components is necessary.
The US military estimates that up to 15 percent of all spare and replacement parts for its weapons, vehicles and other equipment are counterfeit, making them vulnerable to dangerous malfunctions. A high number of components can be easily replicated or modified which leads to the need for even more sophisticated testing in order to detect counterfeits.
There are distributors with their own test lab claiming that their capabilities are reliable enough to avoid counterfeit material to pass through. They may also be ISO9001 and AS9120 certified, which adds to the assuredness that their counterfeit mitigation is in place and followed through. But it’s important to make sure they are not just capable but are certified to AS6081 test methods but include functional electrical testing.
Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary, has reported that the airline found counterfeit components in two of its aircraft engines during assessments in Texas and Brazil, reported by Aviation24.be and The Telegraph.
“These findings come amidst a broader issue in the aviation industry regarding counterfeit parts supplied by a company called AOG Technics, affecting various airlines and regulators worldwide.”
“AOG Technics has been accused of providing thousands of engine parts with falsified certification documents for Airbus and Boeing models, including older-generation 737-800s used by Ryanair. Although Ryanair claims it never directly conducted business with AOG and received these components through intermediaries, the airline removed the suspect parts from the engines,” according to Aviation24.be.
New and original microchips are becoming harder and harder to find, especially ‘end of life’ or obsolete components. Chip recycling is big business in China. It is a multi-billion dollar industry annually and very closely guarded. The typical microchip recycling house in China is a small business generating approximately $1M each year. The majority of the boards that these small backyard businesses process are from the USA and Russia. In these operations most of the boards are stored outside in open air, with a high risk of water damage, and absolutely no ESD protection.
Therefore, it has become increasingly difficult to know a board’s true origin. Honest Components procures new and original, as well as obsolete and hard-to-find electronic board-level components.
To address this conflict of interest, there is only one ethical option – independent 3rd party test labs. It is important that your current distributor allows an independent 3rd party lab to test the parts.
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Website: https://honestcomponents.com