Counterfeit components

Over the past few decades, a significant number of counterfeit electronic parts have entered the supply chain. These components pose performance, reliability and safety risks.

Counterfeit electronic components often use cheap raw materials, are assembled poorly and lack testing and dye qualification by the original component manufacturer (OCM) or their service providers.

Situation & consequences

Counterfeit components are increasing, Can be:

• From manufactured from cheap substandard materials
• Incorrect dimensions, critical values & functionality

Can cause

• Safety risks
• Reliable risks
• Performance risks
• Environmental risks
• Production blockages
• Loss of sales contracts

External visual inspection cannot always easily find counterfeits.

Users need to know their supply chain to avoid counterfeits.

Fraudulent recycled components

Over the past few decades, along with counterfeited components entering the supply chain, recycled components are also on the increase as older components become obsolete.

Recycled components are parts that have been removed from discarded devices, cleaned and re-labelled, and then presented to the market as new components.

Depending on their application, recycled electrotechnical components can be very dangerous and can create numerous risks, owing to the uncontrolled processes in which parts are removed, cleaned, and remarking, leading to high risks of damaging these components.

Situation & consequences

Fraudulent recycling is on the increase as older components become obsolete.
Reliability & performance risks 

• Uncontrolled processes damage the components
• Useful life will have been used
• Usability impacts the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) products' mean time before failure (MTBF) as will have lower field reliability than new parts
• Unreliable, as will lower in field reliability as compared to new components 
• Environmental risks

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to understand their entire supply chain.

Cloned components

Cloned components definition per international standard SAE AS6171.

“A reproduction of a part produced by an unauthorized manufacturer without approval or design authority that replicates the authorized manufacturer’s part.”

Cloning of components is an age-old problem and difficult to prove without the original components manufacturers' (OCMs) assistance. In most cases, the OCMs will only assist if components are purchased from franchised distribution.

Cloned components are not ‘black-topped’ components and do not have recycling markings so cannot be detected by visual inspection easily.

Situation & consequences

Cloning is an age-old problem

• Difficult to prove without the OCMs' assistance
• Cloned parts are counterfeit parts
• The OCMs will only assist if purchased from franchised distribution
• Will fail earlier than expected and may operate differently from the official datasheet
• Are not ‘black-topped’ components and do not have recycling markings so cannot be detected by visual inspection easily.

NOTE: Cloning eliminates the large development cost of a part. Cloning can be done in two ways: by reverse engineering or by obtaining design information and/or technical data inappropriately (such as by unauthorized knowledge transfer from a person with access to the original part design).

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are far better off buying from ‘known’ franchised sources as cloned parts are difficult to detect.

Re-manufactured microcircuits

Re-manufactured microcircuits (ICs) are typically where the die within a component is extracted (using acid and plasma etching), and then the die is re-metalized, repackaged and tested in the desired package to the desired temperature limits.

Can be legitimate – for example, where a higher temperature range component is required – i.e., take a general industry graded component (plastic case part) extract the die and re-manufacture it into a ceramic higher temperature package.

Huge risks involved in the processes result in a decreased mean time before failure (MTBF) of the components. 

Components would need to be qualified 100% to the original component manufacturers' (OCMs) original specification. 

Long-term reliability is not ensured.

The OCM will legally condemn such action if they are still in business. 

Situation & consequences

Sold as a solution for obsolescence.

Can be legitimate

• If the re-manufacturer declares the process and assigns their part number and logo to the re-manufactured component.

Can be illegal and considered counterfeit

• If the re-manufacturer does not use their logo or trademark and passes this off as an original part.

Potentially a safety and reliability risk

• For example, in the CIVIL AVIONICS this would require 100% screening and qualification testing.

Original equipment manufacturers need to know their supply chain, particularly suppliers and OCMs' capability.