Counterfeit electronic components are out there and in very critical applications. The Senate investigation on the DOD supply chain has revealed a huge number of counterfeits already in use in military equipment as well as on the stock shelves ready to be put into service. It is a wonder why we do not have more critical failures in the equipment than we already do. This problem does not look like it is going away anytime soon. There are some new programs being considered, such as DNA marking each new component, but that will not be helpful until those components become obsolete themselves. Click here to read more.
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.
