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Over 50 million electronic components shipped with zero suspect counterfeit parts!


Few electronic component distributors take counterfeit mitigation as seriously as accredited independent distributor of EEE components Princeps does – and fewer still hold the certification to back up this claim. Princeps knows that the parts customers need aren’t always available with full traceability – either because they’re obsolete, unavailable or on unacceptably long lead times. But in these instances, as Ian Walker, operations director at Princeps, explains here, the company’s AS6081 certification provides direction on how the risks associated with parts sourced on the open market can be effectively mitigated.


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ith electronics powering sensing, connectivity and intelligence in virtually every category of product or system, electronic


components are big business, resulting in increased prevalence – and sophistication – of counterfeit parts in the supply chain. The substantial risks that such counterfeit or fraudulent electronic components pose shouldn’t be underestimated – especially for aerospace & defence and other hi-rel applications. This continues to be a significant and growing problem for procurement managers, especially during ongoing component shortages. Industry awareness of the scale of the problem has also increased notably over recent years. Princeps takes this threat very seriously – placing quality at the centre of its entire operation, with solid systems and processes in place to support its quality management approach. As one of only a handful of UK-based distributors to hold the AS6081 accreditation, Princeps has invested heavily in its in-house testing and verification laboratory, recently adding more than £150,000 worth of new equipment. This supports the deep expertise of its inspection and quality assurance team with effective and reliable technology, from high power optical microscopes to an XRF spectrometer and a decapsulation system.


Milestone alert: Over 50 million electronic components shipped with zero suspect counterfeit parts! Princeps is proud to announce a significant milestone achievement: the company has now successfully shipped over 50 million electronic components without a single suspect counterfeit device slipping through its


50 June 2024


stringent quality control measures! Since 2006, Princeps has upheld the highest industry standards, holding AS6081 certification for eight years and AS9120 certification for 12 years. This accomplishment underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to reliability, authenticity and customer satisfaction.


In the world of electronic component distribution, trust is paramount. The Princeps team’s dedication to rigorous inspection protocols, robust supplier partnerships and continuous improvement initiatives has enabled the company to maintain an impeccable track record, safeguarding customers from the risks associated with counterfeit products.


“We’re immensely proud of this milestone achievement, which reflects the collective effort of every individual within our organisation,” said Dan Hughes, managing director at Princeps. “It’s testament to our culture of excellence, integrity and relentless pursuit of quality in everything we do. As we celebrate this achievement, we also renew


Components in Electronics


our pledge to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and reliability in serving our valued customers and partners worldwide.” Princeps belongs to a global elite of EEE component distributors that hold both AS9120 and AS6081 accreditations for industry-leading quality assurance. Both standards require a multi-stage certification process, followed by periodic surveillance audits to ensure compliance is maintained throughout the three-year certification cycle. Together, these AS9120 and AS6081 certifications provide a robust best practice framework of risk management for specialist independent distributors operating in the aerospace, defence and security sectors. AS9120, the aviation industry’s quality management standard for distributors, ensures compliance with stringent regulations and satisfies customer flow downs (including AS5553), while AS6081 focuses specifically on counterfeit avoidance. By adhering to these standards, distributors can establish and demonstrate effective quality control measures, helping customers


assure product safety, efficiency and reliability by guaranteeing that the components sourced from them are genuine, as well as guarding against the infiltration of fraudulent, counterfeit or substandard parts into the aerospace and defence supply chain. “Even with our stringent procedures and in-depth knowledge of the global components marketplace, we are uncovering an average of one or two fraudulent or counterfeit items every month,” warns Ian Walker, Princeps operations director. “This demonstrates the level of vigilance necessary, especially when trying to source obsolete parts. When sourcing through Princeps, customers are assured of component authenticity through a range of risk mitigation solutions, including fully bespoke test and inspection plans following AS6081, AS6171 or any of the other methodologies available.”


How to spot counterfeit electronic parts


To source and deliver electronic components in a safe, trusted and secure manner – mitigating risk and verifying authenticity – Princeps employs a range of techniques to identify suspect and counterfeit electronic components in the supply chain. This includes review of dimensions and markings, comparison to an extensive library of known-good devices, x-ray inspection and decapsulation. While individual tests often show up anomalous results, this combination of approaches helps reliably produce the ‘smoking gun’ evidence needed – especially given that some suspect devices are, in fact, very ‘good’ clones, parts that would possibly even work for a while and under certain conditions.


https://www.princeps.co.uk/ www.cieonline.co.uk


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