We are never surprised to get counterfeits from a long time independent stocking distributor. There is a certain type of distributor class whose main focus is buying excess inventory from OEM’s and CEM’s. They are great because they have a ton of inventory. Generally they do not get a lot of counterfeits on these large purchases of many line items so we believe that they have made the decision not to test for counterfeits. It is somewhat understandable, but in these times there is no excuse. Our supply chain is polluted and we all have to do extra work, even if you are typically not selling to the end user.
This lot of parts was blatantly obvious. The easiest tests revealed that they were blacktopped. You can see that the indent has blacktop in it without even touching the parts. Then a simple acetone scrub revealed a coating and sanding marks underneath.
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.
