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Page 50


www.us-tech.com


October, 2017


Countering Counterfeiting: Keeping the Electronics Supply Chain Clean


By Kathryn Cramer T


he threat of counterfeit compo- nents making their way through the global supply


chain continues to plague the elec- tronics industry, at an estimated cost of $10 billion annually. However, in recent years the industry has struck back, developing a number of robust defense mechanisms to identify coun- terfeits and remove them from the supply chain as early as possible. Distributors play a key role in


this process, as they receive parts from many different manufacturers around the world and then transfer them to many different assemblers, also located around the world, in a wide variety of industries. They can be a weak link in the supply chain, allowing counterfeit parts to slip through, or they can be a bulwark, halting counterfeits long before they can infect end products. One distributor with a particu-


larly rigorous defense mechanism against counterfeit parts is Future Electronics of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which operates in 169 loca- tions across 42 countries. The third- largest global franchise distributor in the world, Future Electronics serves aerospace, military and medical cus- tomers from facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia. The compa- ny’s commitment to ensuring that only legitimate, fully-functional


A technician uses Glenbrook’s Jewel Box 70T X-ray inspection system to screen components for counterfeits.


tailed documentation and a rigorous inspection process.


Compliance with Standards Paolo Baldassarre, director of


quality at Future Electronics, over- sees all these procedures from the company’s headquarters in Montre- al. To begin with, he lists a veritable


AS9120-certified, for the aerospace industry,” he says. “Our inspection process is based on AS6081, which ensures a high level of protection, helping to assess, mitigate and con- trol the risk of fraudulent or counter- feit parts being distributed or enter- ing the global electronics supply chain. We also follow the IDEA STD


parts are delivered to its customers is based on numerous certifications, de-


alphabet soup of certifications for the company and its employees. “We are


1010 quality standard for the visual inspection of electronic components. All our inspectors are certified to that inspection guideline.” And, he adds, “We need to comply with SAE AS5553: Counterfeit Electronic Parts; Avoidance, Detection, Mitiga- tion, and Disposition standards.”


To support the inspection team,


the company uses what Baldassarre calls “one of the best systems out there” to provide detailed informa- tion on when parts are received, for traceability. “We can pinpoint to the millisecond who inspected it, when they inspected it, what room they were in, and what they were wear- ing,” he says. This extensive record- keeping pays off. Incoming compo- nents must then pass an intensive, 13-step gauntlet of tests to ensure their integrity. A full post-test report is created and after customer review and approval, the part is shipped. As a franchise distributor, Fu-


ture Electronics has agreements with a number of electronics parts manufacturers that authorize the company to sell their parts. Even with the close relationship that can develop between a manufacturer and its franchise distributor, rigorous in- spection of incoming parts is re- quired to maintain the company’s


Continued on next page


See at productronica, Hall A3 Booth 419 and The ASSEMBLY Show, Booth 1945


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