To make the detection of counterfeits even more tricky, we know that even the original manufacturers do re-mark their parts for different reasons. In this rampant counterfeit market it is very hard to give the benefit of the doubt that the manufacturer has done the re-marking. AERI’s policy has, for the most part, leaned towards a guilty verdict on any part that is re-marked, unless the manufacturer can confirm with us that they did re-mark the part, and that almost never happens. Our suppliers love to use the fact that manufacturers have re-marked parts themselves to legitimize their re-marked parts. We get the “well you know that manufacturers remark their parts too, so how can you prove that our parts are in fact counterfeits?”. At that point we just reply with, “If you can get us the documentation that they have been re-marked from the manufacturer, then we will take them.” It almost always ends there.
We received some very obvious manufacturer re-marks this week. As you can see in the picture, the paint job is more than obvious. They did not even sand down the old part markings. Just painted right over them. When we see carelessness like this, it makes it easier to assume that the manufacturer did the re-marking. We are still going to do all of our additional testing, but it’s a good sign that they are legitimate parts.
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.
