How to Buy Obsolete Parts Without Buying Counterfeits
Buy from the original manufacturer or its authorized distributors whenever you can. When a part is obsolete and you must go elsewhere, require traceability, inspection, and testing to the SAE counterfeit standards, follow the DFARS source rules if you hold DoD contracts, and report suspect parts through GIDEP.
Why obsolete buys carry the most risk
Counterfeit risk climbs when a part leaves production. Authorized channels run dry, demand moves to independent distributors and brokers, and the chain of custody back to the original manufacturer gets longer and harder to prove. That is exactly when programs with long service lives need a few more of a part nobody makes anymore.
A counterfeit can be a remarked part, a used part pulled from scrap and resold as new, a part that failed the manufacturer's testing, or a copy that was never made by the manufacturer at all. In electronics the damage may not show up until the part fails in test or in service. In mechanical hardware, a fastener or fitting made from the wrong material can carry the same risk.
The standards that matter, and who each one is for
SAE International publishes a family of counterfeit prevention standards. Each is aimed at a different part of the supply chain. Check the current revision of each before you cite it on a purchase order, since several have been revised over time.
| Standard | Covers | Written for |
|---|---|---|
| SAE AS5553 | Counterfeit electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) parts: avoidance, detection, mitigation, and disposition | Organizations that buy and integrate EEE parts or assemblies, including repair and overhaul shops |
| SAE AS6081 | Fraudulent and counterfeit electronic parts: avoidance, detection, mitigation, and disposition | Independent distributors and brokers of electronic parts |
| SAE AS6174 | Counterfeit materiel: assuring acquisition of authentic and conforming materiel | Organizations buying materiel of any type, beyond electronics |
| SAE AS6171 | Test methods for suspect or counterfeit EEE parts, with slash sheets for specific techniques | Test labs and organizations deciding how to test parts of unknown pedigree |
| IDEA-STD-1010 | Visual inspection and acceptability of electronic components bought on the open market | Distributors, manufacturers, and inspectors |
AS5553 is meant to sit on top of a quality management system such as AS9100 or ISO 9001, and its requirements are meant to flow down to anyone in the supply chain buying EEE parts. AS6174 applies the same thinking to materiel generally: buy from reliable sources, verify authenticity and conformance through certification, traceability, inspection, and testing, control suspect material, and report it.
DFARS 252.246-7007: the detection and avoidance system
DFARS 252.246-7007 requires DoD contractors that are subject to the Cost Accounting Standards to maintain a risk-based system to detect and avoid counterfeit electronic parts. The clause lists twelve areas the system must address:
- Training of personnel
- Inspection and testing of electronic parts
- Processes to stop counterfeit parts from spreading
- Tracking parts from the original manufacturer to government acceptance
- Use of suppliers
- Reporting and quarantining counterfeit and suspect counterfeit parts
- Methods to identify suspect counterfeit parts
- Design, operation, and maintenance of the system
- Flowdown to subcontractors
- Keeping informed of counterfeiting trends
- Screening GIDEP reports and other credible sources
- Control of obsolete electronic parts
The substance of the clause flows down to subcontracts for electronic parts or assemblies containing them, including commercial products. So a smaller supplier that is not itself covered by the Cost Accounting Standards may still receive these requirements from its customer.
DFARS 252.246-7008: where you may buy electronic parts
DFARS 252.246-7008 sets a preference order for sources of electronic parts on DoD work.
- First choice: parts in production or in stock from the original manufacturer, its authorized suppliers, or suppliers that buy only from those sources.
- Second choice: for parts no longer in production or in stock from those sources, contractor-approved suppliers. The contractor must use established counterfeit prevention industry standards to approve them and takes responsibility for authenticity.
- Last resort: other sources. The contractor must promptly notify the contracting officer in writing, is responsible for inspection, testing, and authentication under applicable industry standards, and must make that documentation available to the government on request.
When the buyer is not the original manufacturer or an authorized supplier, it needs risk-based processes to trace parts from the original manufacturer to government acceptance. If traceability cannot be established, the parts must be inspected, tested, and authenticated. The clause also flows down to subcontracts for electronic parts and assemblies containing them, except where the subcontractor is the original manufacturer.
GIDEP and the 60-day reporting rule
GIDEP, the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program, is a DoD-run information exchange where government agencies and industry share reports on nonconforming and suspect counterfeit items, along with product change and obsolescence notices and other engineering data. Screening GIDEP is one of the twelve areas in DFARS 252.246-7007.
FAR 52.246-26, Reporting Nonconforming Items, requires a contractor to report counterfeit or suspect counterfeit items, and common items with major or critical nonconformances, to GIDEP within 60 days of becoming aware of or suspecting the problem. For counterfeit or suspect counterfeit items, it also requires written notice to the contracting officer in the same window and holding the items until disposition instructions arrive. Check your contracts to see whether the clause applies to you and which subcontracts it flows to.
A practical process for buying obsolete parts
- Check authorized sources first. Confirm with the original manufacturer whether the part is still available from it or its franchised distributors, including last-time-buy stock or authorized aftermarket manufacturers.
- Check GIDEP and your own records for alerts on the part number, the manufacturer, or the supplier.
- Qualify the independent source. Ask whether it complies with AS6081 or a similar standard, how it inspects and tests, and whether it will provide traceability documents.
- Require documentation. Original manufacturer and distributor certificates of conformance where they exist, a chain of custody, lot or date codes, and photos of parts and packaging.
- Inspect and test based on risk. External visual inspection, X-ray, X-ray fluorescence, decapsulation, and electrical testing are common methods; AS6171 describes these techniques.
- Quarantine anything suspect and keep it out of circulation instead of sending it back where it could be resold.
- Report through GIDEP and to your contracting officer as your contracts require.
Red flags in an obsolete parts quote
- A price far below other quotes for a part that is genuinely scarce
- Large quantities of a long-obsolete part with no explanation of where they came from
- No traceability documents, or certificates that cannot be tied to the lot
- Date codes or lot codes that do not match the manufacturer's records or each other
- Reluctance to allow third-party testing before payment
- Packaging or labels that differ from known authentic examples
None of these proves a part is counterfeit. Each is a reason to slow down, test, and document before the part goes into hardware.
Mechanical parts and raw material too
Counterfeit risk is not only an electronics problem. Fasteners, fittings, bearings, and raw material can be misrepresented through false certifications or substituted grades. AS6174 covers materiel of any type. For metal, require mill test reports tied to heat lots, and for hardware, certificates from the manufacturer or an authorized distributor. Buying certified surplus material is a good option when the paperwork traces back cleanly; see our obsolete aerospace parts service for how we handle both.
Source obsolete parts with the paperwork built in
Use the obsolete parts request form with the part number, manufacturer, quantity, and the counterfeit prevention clauses on your contract. A person replies within 1 business day. We flow your traceability, inspection, and test requirements to the sources we work with, check the documents before anything ships, and send a certificate of conformance with every order, plus other certs when your request requires them. We do not promise that every obsolete part can be found. If your request involves controlled data, see our confidentiality and export control page first. The aerospace RFQ checklist covers the rest of what to include.
Questions
What is the difference between AS5553, AS6081, and AS6174?
They target different buyers. AS5553 is for organizations that buy and integrate electrical, electronic, and electromechanical parts, including repair and overhaul shops. AS6081 is for independent distributors and brokers of electronic parts. AS6174 applies the same counterfeit prevention approach to materiel of any type, not only electronics. All three are SAE standards, and each has been revised, so check the current revision before citing one in a contract.
Does DFARS 252.246-7007 apply to small suppliers?
The clause itself applies to DoD contractors subject to the Cost Accounting Standards. However, its substance must flow down to subcontracts for electronic parts or assemblies containing them, including commercial products. So a small shop that is not CAS-covered may still have to meet these requirements because its customer passes them down. Read your purchase order quality clauses to see what has been flowed to you.
Can I buy obsolete electronic parts from a broker for a DoD contract?
Sometimes, under conditions. DFARS 252.246-7008 prefers the original manufacturer and its authorized suppliers, then contractor-approved suppliers selected using established industry standards. Other sources are a last resort and require prompt written notice to the contracting officer, plus inspection, testing, and authentication under industry standards, with the documentation available to the government. Traceability back to the original manufacturer is expected wherever it can be established.
How fast must suspect counterfeit parts be reported?
Under FAR 52.246-26, a contractor must report counterfeit or suspect counterfeit items to GIDEP within 60 days of becoming aware of or suspecting the problem, and give written notice to the contracting officer in the same period. It must also hold the items until it receives disposition instructions. The clause has exceptions and flowdown rules, so check whether it is in your contracts.
What paperwork should come with an obsolete part?
Ask for the original manufacturer certificate of conformance and distributor certificates where they exist, a documented chain of custody, lot and date code information, and photos of the parts and packaging. For parts from independent sources, add inspection and test reports based on the risk, such as visual inspection, X-ray, and electrical test results. Missing traceability is a reason to test more, not to skip testing.
What is GIDEP and who can use it?
GIDEP, the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program, is a Department of Defense program where government agencies and industry participants in the United States and Canada share reports on nonconforming and suspect counterfeit items, product change and obsolescence notices, and engineering data. Contractors use it both to screen for problems and to report them. Applications and current participation terms are on gidep.org.
Related
Sources
- Cornell Law (eCFR text), DFARS 252.246-7007 Contractor Counterfeit Electronic Part Detection and Avoidance System
- Acquisition.gov, DFARS 252.246-7008 Sources of Electronic Parts
- Acquisition.gov, FAR 52.246-26 Reporting Nonconforming Items
- GIDEP, Government-Industry Data Exchange Program
- SAE International, AS5553 Counterfeit EEE Parts; Avoidance, Detection, Mitigation, and Disposition
- SAE International, AS6081 Counterfeit Electronic Parts, Distributors
- SAE International, AS6174 Counterfeit Materiel; Assuring Acquisition of Authentic and Conforming Materiel
- SAE International, AS6171 Test Methods Standard for Suspect/Counterfeit EEE Parts
- Defense Logistics Agency, SAE update on counterfeit standards (2017 briefing)
- CALCE, University of Maryland: IDEA-STD-1010 acceptability of electronic components distributed in the open market
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