E-waste in the military

Two years ago, the Pentagon and the US Senate Armed Services Committee reported that vital components of the nation’s military hardware routinely include “counterfeit” electronic materials, from China (70%), the UK (11%), and Canada (9%). The Pentagon defines counterfeiting as recycled materials wrongly sold as new, or misuse of others’ intellectual property.

Often these counterfeits come from recycled e-waste – the committee estimated more than a million counterfeit parts were in service in US planes. It’s no surprise much of this can be traced back to China, where counterfeiting operates at an industrial level, with factory floors populated by thousands of workers dedicated to the task.

Take the Boeing P8 Poseidon, a plane used by the US Navy to drop torpedoes, depth charges and carry surveillance equipment. In 2011, Boeing reported it had discovered a faulty ice detection system in the aircraft, according to the senate committee report. Further investigation revealed the part was previously used, and made to appear new.

After tracing the parts through companies in California and then Florida, it turned out the ice detection equipment had originally come from “an affiliate of A Access Electronics in Shenzhen, China.” And before that? Who knows? Investigators from the senate committee wanted to find out but were denied Chinese visas.

Now the story is in the news again. Forbes has just published a column on the topic as did National Defense magazine, an obvious mouthpiece for the military industrial complex. The principal beneficiaries of the complex are warning that this malfeasance continues unabated, and at a massive level, despite 2012 legislation designed to quell it.

The senate committee report refers to “risks to national security and the safety of US military personnel” posed by this trade in counterfeit e-waste. There is no mention of the risks posed to people all over the world by the United States’ very use of matériel, of course.

But the fact that e-waste is on the agenda in such powerful quarters bodes well for real reform towards managing it properly.

The technology is available to recycle our electronic pleasures in a much safer way than is generally the case. In many instances, laws exist to mandate that. What we need is proper use of the technology and serious enforcement of such legislation. But beyond that, we need an end to the built-in obsolescence and advertising-fuelled clamour surrounding innovation.

Extracted and republished under the Creative Commons license, from theconversation.com.

Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Counterfeit Semiconductors To U.S. Navy

A Massachusetts businessman by the name of Peter Picone admitted selling counterfeit electronic components to the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Connecticut, U.S. and other customers.

Through Picone’s companies Tytronix Inc. and Epic International Electronics, it is estimated that he sold $2.5 million worth of counterfeit semicondocutors to numerous clients from February 2007 to December 2012.

On Tuesday 3rd June, Picone pleaded guilty in federal court to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to traffic counterfeit military goods. He faces between three and four years in prison for his crimes.

Research for impact event highlights ChipCheck project

TWI recently held an event titled “Research for impact”. This event marked the successful conclusion of the EU Seventh Framework Programme and acknowledged the continuing and valuable support from the UK Technology Strategy Board. Twenty one key projects including ChipCheck were showcased to around 60 SMEs.

Pictured is TWI’s Ian Nicholson talking to MEP Vicky Ford about the counterfeit electronic component problem and how the ChipCheck consortium are addressing the issue through the development and commercialisation of an automated inspection system.

SAE Standards for Counterfeit Mitigation in Electronics: Which Is Right For You?

There are now a number of SAE standards for counterfeit mitigating in Electronics. However, it can be difficult for a company to know which one is relevant to them. A free one hour telephone/webcast will be held on October 10, 2013 (11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET). The featured speaker will be Anne Poncheri, Counterfeit Electronic Parts Consultant and Technical Business Unit Manager, Premier Semiconductor Services. The webcast will provide a brief overview of each of the standards (AS5553, AS6081, ARP6178, AS6171 [in draft]), including their scope and purpose and the intended certifications/accreditations, if applicable. For more details on how to register click here.

COG Counterfeiting Workshop– Update and New Regulations





The Component Obsolescence Group (COG) is hosting a Spring Workshop on the 17th April 2013 in St Albans, Herts, UK.

The objective of this workshop is to update attendees on the size of the problem, the different levels of counterfeiting as it applies to the Electonics Component industry and to appraise them of the procedures and regulations that are being introduced to reduce the risks of receiving and accepting such components.

For more  information please click here.

ChipCheck ready to inspect your components!

The 4th UKEA ‘Anti Counterfeiting Forum’ Seminar

Counterfeit electronic components are a growing threat in the UK but advice and guidance are at hand. Following the success of previous events, the UK Electronics Alliance is organising a further seminar to be held at 1VS Conference Centre in London on 20th February 2013.

Titled Strategies for Counterfeit Avoidance in the Electronics Supply Chain, the seminar will cover the work being undertaken by component manufacturers and distributors to combat counterfeits and the international standards that are currently available and being developed. For information please click here.