Fake electronic components pose a major risk to all walks of life around the world. These fake components affect almost in all industries, including medical, automotive, consumer products, networks, communications, aerospace and defense, etc.
During PCB Assembly, these components may be ignored, which will increase the failure, scrap and repair rate of the PCB involved. What’s more, it will affect the overall profitability and value of risk of SMT Factory, and cause serious consequences in high-reliability applications. Especially in the medical and automotive industries. Therefore, it is very important that the components must pass some industry-specific tests before SMT and Th Through can identify fake electronic components.
Manufacturers and suppliers have issued many specifications and guidelines to establish and maintain product traceability. By adhering to these practices, it is possible to eliminate the use of fake electronic components in the manufacturing process and ensure that all products are genuine (good quality) electronic components. Grande guarantees the three principles of not purchasing and using any components, as well as not recommendingcomponents of unknown origin.
What are fake electronic components?
Fake electronic components are fake/non-genuine components that have been misrepresented in terms of source or quality. “Fake” includes passing off low-quality components to high-quality components by changing components numbers, repackaging, or mixing with better-quality components.
Typical Fake Components:
1. Purchase from an unauthorized source
2. Produced by an unauthorized contractor instead of OCM (Original Component Manufacturer)
3. Violation of the original OCM design, model and performance specifications
4. Defective components sold as new good components
5. Incorrect documents components
How do those fake electronic components come from?
1. Reverse/Clone
Cloning is a process involving the manufacture of reverse engineering equipment that matches the original equipment in terms of assembly, use, and structure. The products are manufactured with low-grade equipment. Therefore, they will not be able to meet the required reliability requirements. These devices are marked and distributed as OCM components.
2.Scrap
During the manufacturing process, defective equipment is sent to a recycling station to recover valuable metals. Recyclers can prove that the equipment has been destroyed without scrapping the equipment, and then add it back to the supply chain.
3.Misleading
Misleading is a form of fraud involving overproduction or declaring low production.
4.Put the sample equipment back into the supply chain
OEM and OCM test, evaluate and certify a large number of equipment. The end-of-life assessment process includes accelerated testing to determine the performance and reliability of the product. Samples/samples and stolen parts can be resold to the supply chain as brand new products. Most end-of-life devices can still work after they are scrapped, which makes them a prime target for fraudsters.
5.Deception
High-performance components require rigorous testing for automotive, aerospace, avionics, and other applications. But the fraudsters bought lower-spec components for these applications. Later, they re-labeled and reselled these parts at high prices. Printed circuit boards play an important role in the automotive field.
6.Recycling
Many electronic devices contain multiple working devices when they are scrapped. Valuable parts can be recovered from these devices for reuse. Improper disassembly of components will damage its original performance, reliability and durability. Later, the poor supply chain sold these components.
7.Embedded Malware
Faker often reprogram programmable devices, causing potential damage to the product. This kind of reprogramming is dangerous, especially in 3 types of products such as military and aerospace boards. This will endanger the safety of the system and users. Malware will hamper almost all embedded servers, leading to serious consequences. Usually in the tracking process, this will directly lead to the customer’s liability and compensation claims to the hardware manufacturer.
