IECQ wages war against counterfeit components

The IECQ CAP is a part of the long established IECQ Approved Process Scheme, which encompasses management processes associated with avoidance and mitigation for dealing with counterfeit or fraudulent electronic components. The idea is that manufacturers and distributors will be able to promote their products and services with more confidence; obtain independent monitoring and verification of their components and systems, including their auditing system; benefit from advanced detection of potential technical problems in the supply chain; eliminate duplicate testing; and achieve easier acceptance by regulators and others in the supply chain in many countries. The first company to receive IECQ CAP certification is US firm Secure Components, an independent distributor specialising in sourcing no longer manufactured and hard to find components for the aerospace and defence industries. Todd Kramer, Secure Components' ceo, commented: "Before IECQ CAP, industry had no reliable programme at an international level to ensure a company's compliance to an effective counterfeit avoidance plan. A broker or distributor could claim compliance to systems without third party oversight or international recognition. "Counterfeiting is something that affects all industries across the board. Everyone is suffering from intellectual property being stolen and safety being compromised. Embracing this change will not only help business but more importantly this will increase the safety of the men and woman using the equipment."