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ACI Adds Two-day Turn for Counterfeit Prevention
July 20, 2007 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
PHILADELPHIA As part of its efforts to eliminate counterfeit components, the American Competitiveness Institute (ACI) developed a component-verification program for independent and franchised distributors, contract manufacturers (CMs) and EMS providers, and OEMs. Components are tested to the IDEA-STD-1010-A standard within a two-day turn time.
Counterfeiting electronic components is a $15 billion/year business, said Ken Friedman, Equipment Advisory Board (EAB) coordinator, ACI. Supply chains often lack traceability, and short three to five days escrows placed on component orders from independent brokers overseas put a time-sensitive restriction on testing. ACI's goal is to enable purchasing bodies, brokers, OEMs, EMS providers, or others, to verify components before releasing purchasing funds. "Two-day turns reduce risks for brokers purchasing large quantities of components, and reduces the costs further down the line of discovering false components post-assembly at an EMS or OEM company," Friedman noted. The Department of Defense (DoD) and Electronic Resalers Association, Inc. (ERAI) support the program.
ACI's analysis processes use visual and mechanical inspection methods, including microscopy, lead-integrity testing, and marking assessment to determine if labels were physically or chemically altered. Solvency testing is used rule out date-code changes, simulated markings, and false lead-free labels. ACI also incorporates X-ray tools to verify RoHS compliance and perform internal-component checks. "Our facility has specialized engineers in metallurgies, chemistry, etc., so once we identify a specific counterfeiting procedure, we can test for it quickly," Friedman explained. Other methods for discovering fakes include verifying paper documentation, such as lot numbers and creation dates.
Counterfeit component analyses are compiled into a report for the OEM, EMS provider, or other service customer. ACI sees counterfeit components from disreputable overseas manufacturers and distributors as a challenge and threat to lead-free manufacturing and high-reliability assemblies. Improperly labeled "lead-free" components can suffer damage at higher reflow temperatures, or could cause an assembly to fail RoHS and other environmental regulations. The two-day-turn testing program will establish a working method to prevent and catch counterfeiters before the product enters U.S. supply chains, Friedman said.
Low labor costs and e-waste dumping practices in certain regions of the world are cited as catalysts for counterfeit component manufacturing. "Enforcement or regulations on counterfeiting in these places are non-existent," Friedman asserts, adding that the practices endanger profits, workers throughout the supply chain, and especially in the case of critical equipment could have safety ramifications. Organizations like ACI, the National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA), and others attempt to prevent assembly with counterfeit parts through screening, legislation, and awareness programs. ACI is also examining malicious counterfeiting, wherein components are designed to destroy a system, similar to the way in which computer viruses work.