Abstract: 

Counterfeits are known from many areas of daily life. Counterfeit money, fashion, or art objects are known in many different facets. It is less known, that the industry is also strongly affected by counterfeiting in many fields. The Component Obsolescence Group (COG) estimates that in 2018 about 4% of electronic components worldwide are counterfeits. While fraud in the art trade usually only causes (considerable) financial damage or damages the reputation of highly respected art collections, the dangers posed by counterfeit electrotechnical components can be considerably higher. If such components are installed in medical equipment or safety technology, for example in aircraft, those manipulated components can cost lives. Even the Pentagon has been confronted with counterfeit components. In 2010, a US broker was shut down and the owner was convicted of fraud for selling manipulated electronic components. Among other products, those components ended up in US Air Force fighter jets and in train braking systems. It is unclear whether counterfeit components were also installed in rockets or satellites, but given the quantity of individual components and the extremely high-profit margin, thanks to the high prices for space components, it is very likely. This makes it clear how important it is to detect counterfeit components in advance in order to minimize the dangers they pose. A variety of different examination methods like light microscopy, X-Ray inspection, XRF, Scanning Acoustic microscopy, etc. are used for this purpose. In this talk, we will report on the everyday work of HTV analytics in the fight against manipulated components. We would like to give you an insight into our experience with counterfeit electrical components and show you how counterfeits have changed over time and how these are becoming increasingly difficult to detect. We will also show you which techniques counterfeiters use to conceal their manipulations.

Biography: