When we receive parts they are inspected for over 30 different attributes to determine if they are in fact authentic. It starts with an examination of the paperwork which was sent with the parts and the packaging. There are all sorts of clues from paperwork all the way to an inspection of the die after destructive decapsulation of the product. It takes years of experience and good training for a QC team to be effective in counterfeit detection. Unfortunately, there are a number of product manufacturers out there who have heard about a simple trick here and there to detect counterfeits. Anything from a simple acetone blacktop removal test to a full blown electrical test from a test house without any other investigation. In this game of trying to catch the next evolution of counterfeiting one must be looking at all of the different ways to spot a fake. Don’t just rely on a few quick checks to give you confidence. Learn the gamut of detection methods or have a company that is well known for their skills to do them for you. For more details on detection visit the quality page on our website by clicking here.
Robb Hammond, founder and president of AERI (American Electronic Resource, Inc.). Founding member and former committee chair of the SAE AS6081 Standard created for the avoidance of counterfeit electronic components. Robb founded AERI in Costa Mesa, California, in 1994 as an independent distributor of hard-to-find, obsolete and allocated electronic components. AERI is AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015 and AS6081 certified, tests to AS6171 standards, and inspects every part in its in-house QC lab before it ships. Robb writes about electronic component shortages, sourcing strategy and counterfeit avoidance.
