Counterfeit mitigation

The substantial risks posed by counterfeit and fraudulent components cannot be overstated – especially for aerospace & defence, hi-rel and other advanced industry applications, and industry awareness of the scale of the problem has increased massively over recent years. Princeps takes this threat very seriously and places Quality at the centre of its entire operation, with solid systems and processes in place to support its Quality Management System. It has also invested heavily in kitting out its in-house test and inspection lab in recent years, supporting the deep expertise of its inspection and quality assurance team with technology, including high power microscopes, an XRF spectrometer and a decapsulation system. 

Princeps’ Counterfeit Avoidance Program has been awarded the elite AS6081 Certification by NQA-USA. AS6081 is the standard that sets out how distributors operating in the open market can mitigate these risks. Princeps were one of the first UK distributors to achieve AS6081 certification, when NQA approved our quality management system in 2016. Our process for the safe procurement of untraceable components for use in hi-rel industries makes use of the risk assessment model detailed in AS6171 and the SAE Counterfeit Defect Coverage Tool to identify risks associated, and generate a comprehensive, optimised test sequence. Use of the AS6171 Risk Model produces reliable, repeatable test plans with coverage to meet risks associated with use of the components in the end product.