Testing Requirements for Components from Unauthorized Sources


Reading time ( words)

It is common knowledge in the electronics industry that counterfeit parts can cause serious, potentially fatal system failures. It is also known that the prevalence of counterfeits has increased to massive levels in the last decade. While there are numerous methods of alleviating this problem, most all of them are centered around some form of testing, which is meant to verify that the part is both legitimate and in the condition that the buyer believes it to be.

An additional reason to ensure that parts are adequately tested is liability. While no level of testing can guarantee a part is absolutely authentic, fully functional, and is not a used or cloned part, showing supplier due diligence is vital when product that is not procured from an authorized source is used. In some environments, such as the aerospace and defense industries, it is required. This article will demonstrate not only the importance of proper testing, but ways to determine both the ideal quality and degree of testing that should be performed--and how to identify when you are receiving this quality.

Counterfeiting is a serious problem with massive negative effects--economic and otherwise. According to the International Chamber of Commerce, “The cost of counterfeiting and piracy for G20 nations is as much as $775 billion (USD) every year,” as of 2008. In the same report that brought this fact to light, the cost of counterfeiting to G20 nations was expected to grow to $1.7 trillion annually by 2015. In addition to the ICC’s report, a report issued by the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2012 indicated that there were over one million counterfeit components in the United States military supply chain. These were indicated by the report to be a major concern due to their “significant impact on reliability and security of electronic systems."  According to an article in the Journal of Electronic Testing entitled “Counterfeit Integrated Circuits: Detection, Avoidance, and the Challenges Ahead,” there are seven main types of supply chain vulnerabilities to counterfeit electronics.

Read the full column here.


Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of SMT Magazine.

Share




Suggested Items

Turn E-textiles Concepts Into Real-World Products

01/10/2023 | Julia Gumminger, IPC
IPC E-Textiles 2023 is an international forum for materials suppliers, product designers, manufacturers, technical experts, and company executives from around the world to collaborate on all areas of the supply chain for e-textiles technologies in the fashion design, health and medical, sports and athletics, automotive, and military and aerospace sectors. It takes place Monday, Jan. 23, in conjunction with IPC APEX EXPO. This year’s event will feature informative and engaging presentations encompassing all areas of e-textiles, Q&A discussions with presenters, and a panel discussion on the economic and business aspects of e-textiles.

Intermingling Semiconductor and PCB Machine Capabilities

12/14/2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007
In the midst of electronica, which included the co-hosted SEMICON show, Nolan Johnson speaks with Koh Young’a Harald Eppinger about the convergence of capabilities in the IC and PCB lines at Koh Young. In addition, Eppinger points out that while there are similarities between the global regions of production, there also are unique requirements.

How Important Is Trust?

07/20/2022 | Randy Cherry, IPC
If you work for a U.S. defense prime contractor, do you have concerns that the controlled unclassified information (CUI) for your printed circuit boards, your printed circuit board assemblies, and your cable and wire harnesses is safe? What about the design and the development process for your products? Is the controlled technical information (CTI) safe and protected? Are the suppliers that your company selected maintaining a quality system, a supply chain risk management process, a security system to protect products and services from unauthorized access, and a Chain of Custody policy for electronic and physical materials?



Copyright © 2023 I-Connect007 | IPC Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.