{"id":756,"date":"2023-06-04T21:11:41","date_gmt":"2023-06-04T21:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/partstack.com\/blog\/?p=756"},"modified":"2023-07-13T21:00:46","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T21:00:46","slug":"understanding-as6081-standard-enhancing-counterfeit-electronic-parts-detection-avoidance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/partstack.com\/blog\/understanding-as6081-standard-enhancing-counterfeit-electronic-parts-detection-avoidance\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the AS6081 Standard: Enhancing Counterfeit Electronic Parts Detection and Avoidance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Counterfeit electronic parts\u2014not something you want to have show up in your workshop. But between 2021 and 2022, the number of reported electronic components increased significantly. Many more go unreported or, worse, unnoticed. Detecting and avoiding counterfeit parts is vital. Counterfeit parts can cause premature system failures, reduced quality, and even safety issues<\/span><\/a>. If you ship something containing counterfeit parts, you will likely see reduced customer satisfaction and complaints. In some cases, counterfeit parts can even cause a fire. Avionics, for example, is one area in which counterfeit parts are a huge problem. However, it also takes a certain amount of skill to detect fake parts. Because of this, the AS6081 standard<\/a> <\/span>has been created.<\/p>\n

The AS6081 standard establishes best practices to help you reduce your risk of buying, receiving, selling, or using counterfeit parts. AS6081 certification is primarily used by distributors of electronic components to demonstrate a commitment to quality. Being a distributor with AS6081 certification demonstrates that you are doing the best you can to keep your supply chain clean and your management system robust. As an end user,<\/p>\n

Counterfeit Electronic Parts: Risks and Challenges<\/span><\/h2>\n

Counterfeit parts are a billion-dollar industry. These parts originate from every part of the globe. Many of them (but not all) come from China and are shipped alongside legitimate parts. It can be hard to distinguish them.<\/p>\n

Definition and Impact of Counterfeit Electronic Parts<\/h3>\n

Counterfeit<\/a><\/span> electronic parts fall into several categories:<\/p>\n

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  1. Second-hand or used parts that are passed off as new: This inevitably results in premature system failure when the already-worn part gives way.<\/li>\n
  2. Parts marked as being from a reputable manufacturer that are actually from a substandard maker<\/li>\n
  3. Manufacturing rejects that should not have been sold or parts that were never actually QA’d<\/li>\n
  4. Parts labeled as something else, particularly integrated circuits<\/li>\n
  5. Non-functional or incomplete parts<\/li>\n
  6. Parts that are labeled as being tested to a higher standard, such as consumer quality chips being passed off as military standard<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    All of these can result in a part being used that is prone to premature system failure or will never actually work as designed.<\/p>\n

    Risks Associated With Counterfeit Parts in Electronic Systems<\/h3>\n

    \"Employees<\/p>\n

    The biggest risk is a premature system failure. In a cell phone, this might result in the phone’s screen dying. In an airplane, it can easily result in a crash. Counterfeit parts have caused a number of fatal crashes. While this includes physical counterfeits (such as the infamous Partnair Flight 394 crash<\/a> <\/span>in 1989), counterfeit electronics could easily affect a pilot’s ability to control a plane. In 2020, an air force pilot<\/a> <\/span>died because his ejection seat malfunctioned. It may have had as many as ten counterfeit components.<\/p>\n

    Counterfeit electronic components can also:<\/p>\n