It's probable that you'll have purchased fake electronics and not realized it. The explosion in fake electronic components is driven by many factors including increased industrial globalisation, extended supply chains, the expansion of brands and weak law enforcement in certain territories.
The Necessity for High Reliability Components
While standard electronic components are OK for most consumer and commercial devices, there are several critical applications which require components which can operate under acute conditions (for example of pressure, acceleration or temperature) or which are of very high reliability (or both). Examples of such applications include Defence, Aerospace, Medical and Communications.
There are standards for such high reliability components like MIL-PRF 19500 and MIL-STD-883. There are manufacturers which make versions of electronic components that meet these standards for high reliability and operation under extreme conditions. However , it is critical that such parts are sourced from reputable providers to ensure they have been correctly manufactured and tested to the proper standards.
Grey Markets, Green Markets and Counterfeit Components
Electronic components for standard consumer and commercial applications can be acquired from a number of standard resellers. These resellers will source the parts by a variety of means and cannot always be sure that they're new and from a reputable manufacturer. Components sourced in this manner may come from a variety of channels...
1. Grey Market- here's where the elements have been acquired from a source aside from a reputable manufacturer or an authorised distributor. The problem is it's impossible to verify the authenticity and quality of elements procured in this way - they might be counterfeit or recycled.
2. Green Market - here's where the devices have been extracted and recycled from discarded electronic devices such as computers or mobile phones. There may well be concerns about the quality, resilience and lifespan of such parts. Additionally , it is highly likely that such 'green market ' parts have actually been harvested in abominable and dangerous conditions.
3. Counterfeit - this where the elements are produced as fake copies of the manufacturer's original devices. They may or may not have a (fake) manufacturer stamp. They are most likely to be of poor quality and the source will be untraceable. Often , it is necessary to use xray inspection to figure out whether such an electronic component is genuine or not.
The Sourcing of High Reliability Components
For most standard applications the risk of procuring devices through the above channels is restricted to poor performance and early failure. But for critical applications like aerospace, transport and defence such risks can end up in serious damage, injury and even death. Systems for such applications will undergo comprehensive testing but there are significant costs involved in replacing the below-standard devices.
Therefore, electronic components for high reliability applications must be acquired via specialist distributors who can absolutely verify and guarantee that they have been made to the correct specification by a named reputable manufacturer. If contractors always procured such elements in this manner then substantial savings can be made. Proper high reliability components cost substantially more than their standard counterparts but this extra cost is outweighed by the costs of failure and replacements.
The Necessity for High Reliability Components
While standard electronic components are OK for most consumer and commercial devices, there are several critical applications which require components which can operate under acute conditions (for example of pressure, acceleration or temperature) or which are of very high reliability (or both). Examples of such applications include Defence, Aerospace, Medical and Communications.
There are standards for such high reliability components like MIL-PRF 19500 and MIL-STD-883. There are manufacturers which make versions of electronic components that meet these standards for high reliability and operation under extreme conditions. However , it is critical that such parts are sourced from reputable providers to ensure they have been correctly manufactured and tested to the proper standards.
Grey Markets, Green Markets and Counterfeit Components
Electronic components for standard consumer and commercial applications can be acquired from a number of standard resellers. These resellers will source the parts by a variety of means and cannot always be sure that they're new and from a reputable manufacturer. Components sourced in this manner may come from a variety of channels...
1. Grey Market- here's where the elements have been acquired from a source aside from a reputable manufacturer or an authorised distributor. The problem is it's impossible to verify the authenticity and quality of elements procured in this way - they might be counterfeit or recycled.
2. Green Market - here's where the devices have been extracted and recycled from discarded electronic devices such as computers or mobile phones. There may well be concerns about the quality, resilience and lifespan of such parts. Additionally , it is highly likely that such 'green market ' parts have actually been harvested in abominable and dangerous conditions.
3. Counterfeit - this where the elements are produced as fake copies of the manufacturer's original devices. They may or may not have a (fake) manufacturer stamp. They are most likely to be of poor quality and the source will be untraceable. Often , it is necessary to use xray inspection to figure out whether such an electronic component is genuine or not.
The Sourcing of High Reliability Components
For most standard applications the risk of procuring devices through the above channels is restricted to poor performance and early failure. But for critical applications like aerospace, transport and defence such risks can end up in serious damage, injury and even death. Systems for such applications will undergo comprehensive testing but there are significant costs involved in replacing the below-standard devices.
Therefore, electronic components for high reliability applications must be acquired via specialist distributors who can absolutely verify and guarantee that they have been made to the correct specification by a named reputable manufacturer. If contractors always procured such elements in this manner then substantial savings can be made. Proper high reliability components cost substantially more than their standard counterparts but this extra cost is outweighed by the costs of failure and replacements.
About the Author:
TTL Electronics has been a trusted supplier of high reliability components to the defence, aerospace and communications sectors for over 20 years. It works alongside its manufacturers to guarantee the authenticity of the devices it supplies. It also works alongside specialist manufacturers to remanufacture obsolete components and and test these so that their authenticity and reliability can also be guaranteed.
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