SAE AS5553 Addresses Mitigation of Counterfeit Aerospace Electronics
October 20, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
Responding to the proliferation of counterfeit aerospace electronics, SAE International released SAE AS5553 – Counterfeit Electronic Parts; Avoidance, Detection, Mitigation, and Disposition.
SAE AS5553 standardizes the requirements, practices and methods related to parts management, supplier management, procurement, inspection, test/evaluation and response strategies when suspected or confirmed counterfeit parts are discovered.
The standard, adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense, calls for:
- Maximized availability of authentic parts.
- Procurement of parts from reliable sources.
- Assuring authenticity and conformance of procured parts.
- Control of parts identified as counterfeit.
- Reporting counterfeit parts to other potential users and government investigative authorities.
The standard's control plan includes processes to specifically address counterfeit part risk mitigation methods in electronic design and parts management, supplier management, procurement, part verification, material control and response strategies when suspect or confirmed counterfeit parts are discovered.
Counterfeit Parts in the Supply Chain
SAE cited a study by the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry & Security reporting a jump in the number of counterfeit incidents (reported by 387 participants) from 3,868 in 2005 to 9,356 in 2008, an increase of more than 140%. About 9% of the companies documented cases related to government applications.
"Quite simply, it's a huge problem," said Phil Zulueta, chair for SAE's Counterfeit Electronic Parts Committee.
"We've seen a 140% increase of counterfeit incidents in three years, but that's only what the U.S. Department of Commerce has been able to document. The problem is unquestionably bigger than this. That figure only accounts for the incidents reported, and the majority of incidents go unreported."
The globalization of the aerospace industry and the resulting diversity of regional and national requirements have complicated the problem. It has become increasingly difficult to assure the quality and integration of products purchased from suppliers throughout the world, and at all levels within the supply chain, according to SAE.
The problem is due, in part, to the fact that the volume of electronics used by the military and the airline industries is very small compared to consumer electronics applications. Chip manufacturers, said SAE, focus on meeting large volume needs and subsequently stop producing less-profitable aerospace components.
When original equipment manufacturers can no longer buy from an original component manufacturer, they must go to the open market and find a broker who can supply the equipment. Counterfeiters are aware of the shortages and begin approaching brokers, who must rely on the word of the suppliers and have no way of determining if the electronic parts are fakes.
"The longer the supply stream, the more opportunity for counterfeiters to slip bogus parts into the mix," said Zulueta.
"When the parts changes hands multiple times, it becomes rather easy for them to get in the supply chain. It is a huge, expensive problem."
Source: SAE International.