White Paper
Counterfeits: Battling A Growing Problem
By Dale Lillard, Lansdale Semiconductor
Counterfeits continued to be a major topic at the military-sponsored Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) and Standardization Conference held in Hollywood, FL, from August 29 through September 1, 2011. The conference was started in 1982 to help mitigate DMSMS, and now it also includes a focus on the growing problem of counterfeits.
Counterfeit parts are not just a DMS problem. While counterfeits are often found in the supply chain when a part is DMS, they are also common when a part is still available in the market. Barry Birdsong, Quality, Safety, and Mission Assurance Directorate Parts and Materials Program Manager for the Missile Defense Agency, stated that of the 8 counterfeit components found since 2004, only 4 were considered DMS while the other 4 were still available from manufacturers. This is a result of a faulty procurement process that historically purchased product of unknown origin from the lowest bidder with no regard for the system risk and possibility of failure that could be caused by counterfeits.
The content you requested is only available to registered users of RF Globalnet. By registering now, you'll get exclusive access to this piece of content and thousands of addtional articles and product reviews across our entire network of sites.
