July, 2014
www.us-tech.com
Avoid Performance Concerns Caused By Counterfeit Components
Continued from previous page
labels that can be easily removed, and using labels that are difficult to repro- duce. Anti-counterfeiting technologies include different printing techniques, such as micro-printing, invisible ink, layered inks, or heat-reactive inks, bar codes, the use of radio-frequency iden- tification (RFID) for model numbers, combinations of holograms and RFID, magnetic stripes, and chemical and biological markers.
Detecting Counterfeits According to the National
Defense Authorization Act, DoD con- tractors must purchase their parts from OEMs to avoid the use of coun- terfeit parts. But for companies that cannot afford the luxury of working exclusively with OEMs, some means of detecting counterfeit parts will be needed. Detecting counterfeit elec- tronic components is not always sim- ple or easy. Visual inspection is the most straightforward detection meth - od, relying on visual clues or identify- ing marks to differentiate an original component or IC from a copy. Visual inspection may involve
the use of a microscope or other tools, including scanning electron micro- scopes (SEMs, as reported in U.S- Tech, March 2014, p. 70) for close looks at the packaging and outside of an electronic device and x-ray sys- tems for investigating the internal portions of an electronic device. But visual inspection also relies upon enough knowledge of the authentic component or IC so that a compari- son can be made, or to have access to an authentic component or IC to serve as a reference. Sometimes, a counterfeit IC can be identified by a faulty mark or indentation. Or the feel of the surface texture may be wrong. At times, it is the color of the paint or the way that an electronic device has been painted that is off. Paying attention to the smallest details can help when inspecting electronic components and ICs for counterfeits. X-ray inspection systems can be
used to examine electronic devices according to the latest counterfeiting inspection standards, including IDEA 1010B from the Independent Distributors of Electronics Associa - tion (IDEA,
www.idofea.org), CCAP 101 from the Components Tech nol - ogy Institute (
www.cti-us.com), and AS6081 from SAE (
www.sae.org). X- ray inspection permits nondestruc- tive testing of electronic components, with the capability of “seeing inside” a part without taking it apart. The SAE standard AS6081, for example, which is applied by the DoD, requires organizations purchasing electronic devices to have a quality manage- ment system in place and the capa- bility to verify the authenticity of purchased components by means of visual and x-ray inspections.
Authentic Documentation Checking the documentation
that accompanies different electronic products can help when searching for counterfeit parts. The printed docu- mentation, packaging, and labeling can be compared with an original product when available to check for strange use of language, spelling and grammatical errors, and unusual printer fonts compared to the origi- nal. The date codes on a product can
also be checked for date codes on a label that may not match the product or may represent future dates or dates that do not make sense. Curbing electronic component counterfeiting can be done, but it
ent points along the manufacturing chain, including at the factory, prior to shipping, and at any port of entry for international orders. Manufacturers and distributors can help their own efforts by working
Anti-counterfeiting technologies include different printing techniques, such as micro-printing, invisible ink, layered inks, or heat-reactive inks, bar codes, the use of RFID for model numbers, combinations of holograms and RFID, magnetic stripes, and chemical and biological markers.
requires concerted efforts by manu- facturers and distributors. Inspec tion policies must be well defined at differ-
closely with law-enforcement agencies to improve their own knowledge of recent counterfeiting episodes and the
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types of components and ICs that might be most affected. Perhaps the most significant efforts that can be made to stop counterfeiting of elec- tronic components start by training staff to recognize counterfeit products, and to provide the required tools, such as SEMs and optical microscopes, that can help separate counterfeit devices from authentic products. The manufacturer of an electronic product should know their own product the best, and be capable of identifying counterfeit copies of the product. By helping investigators and their own employees to better spot the counter- feit products, customers are eventual- ly the ones who will benefit, with elec- tronic components and ICs that pro- vide the performance and reliability as advertised. r
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