Over the past 10-20 years, counterfeit electronic components have become a serious problem. Counterfeit components are parts that have somehow been misrepresented as to their origins or quality. Because counterfeit parts are often of lower quality than what are called “franchise” parts, they may represent a hazard if used in critical systems such as automobiles, aircraft of any kind, military equipment, or space vehicles.
One of the ways to prevent counterfeit components from getting into your supply chain is to follow guidelines designed to ensure that you purchase authentic parts. Several standards have been developed for companies to follow, including SAE AS5553, Counterfeit Electronic Parts; Avoidance, Detection, Mitigation, and Disposition. This SAE Aerospace Standard standardizes practices to:
- Maximize availability of authentic parts
- Procure parts from reliable sources
- Assure authenticity and conformance of procured parts
- Control parts identified as counterfeit
- Report counterfeit parts to other potential users and government investigative authorities
SAE AS5553 is for use by organizations that procure or use electrical, electronic, or electromechanical (EEE) parts and assemblies containing these parts. The requirements of this standard are intended to be applied throughout the supply chain by all organizations that procure EEE parts and assemblies, regardless of type, size, and product provided. The mitigation of counterfeit EEE parts in this standard is risk-based and these mitigation steps will vary depending on the application, desired performance, and reliability of the equipment/hardware.
Because ensuring that we use only authentic parts from reliable sources is important for our customers, AMETEK Programmable Power recently announced that it is now in full compliance with AS5553/DFAR 252-246-7007/252-246-7008 anti-counterfeit mitigation requirements. This allows us to accept purchase orders marked with this requirement without exception.
This is the process for purchasing an AS5553-compliant product:
- Customers will submit a purchase order with the required counterfeit parts mitigation clause to AMETEK
- AMETEK will plan each order
- As a default, AMETEK will build your product with 100% franchise components at standard lead times. In the event that an order will require a longer lead time, AMETEK will offer options for filling the order using franchise components and qualified non-franchise components.
- Customers will choose an acceptable option based on lead time and application requirements, and provide written confirmation to AMETEK
- AMETEK will fill the order based on this decision and deliver the product within the quoted lead time
Our goal is to provide the best possible solution for every order. This process allows AMETEK to comply with all mandated requirements, while also allowing customers flexibility should our lead times not allow us to deliver as quickly as desired. We feel that this process exemplifies AMETEK's continued commitment to providing our customers with products of the highest quality and reliability and our focus on customer-focused improvement.
For more information on AS5553 and our compliance program, contact one of our sales representative by visiting https://www.powerandtest.com/sales-reps/programmable-power-sales. You can also email us at sales.ppd@ametek.com or call 800-733-5427 or 858-450-0085.
