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Counterfeit Avoidance Testing

Counterfeit Avoidance Testing

With an increasing volume of suspect/counterfeit (SC) electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) parts entering the aerospace supply chain, a universally recognized standard is critical to the market’s operations.

AS6171™ Test Methods Standard: General Requirements, published by SAE International, standardizes inspection and test procedures, workmanship criteria, and the minimum training and certification requirements for testing these parts. AS6171™ also requires that test laboratories be ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for the specific methodologies used to detect suspect and counterfeit parts. Laboratories offering this testing are required to attain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation through A2LA or another accreditation body that meets the requirements set forth in SAE document AS6810. Laboratories will be assessed to the international standard, AS6171 General Requirements and the specific technology methodologies (see Section 4 of AS 6171 for details) also published by SAE International.

This specialty program is covered under A2LA’s Electrical, Mechanical, Nondestructive and Acoustics and Vibration fields of testing.

Program Requirements

ISO/IEC 17025 Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories
AS6171 Test Methods Standard; General Requirements, Suspect/Counterfeit, Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Parts

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FAQs

4.1.4 - How often must laboratories identify risks to impartiality?

Answer

The standard does not state a frequency, nor mand…

4.1.4 - What must my laboratory do if we have not identified any risks to impartiality which need a mitigating action?

Answer

There are always risks to impartiality (see claus…

4.1.5 - If a risk to impartiality is identified but no records are in place yet to show mitigating action has been taken, is this a non-conformity?

Answer

The Standard does not include expectations on tim…

4.2.1 - How are we to tell if our agreement is "Legally Enforceable"?

Answer

‘Legally enforceable agreements” are records of u…

4.2.3 - What does "between the customer and the lab" mean in the context of this clause?

Answer

If the laboratory were to obtain information abou…

5.1 - What is meant by the term "Legally Responsible"?

Answer

The laboratory may be a public, governmental or p…

5.3 - What is the "Range of Activities" my lab performs? Does this mean my scope of accreditation?

Answer

The range of laboratory activities, as defined by…

5.3 - What if a testing lab has the capability and competence to perform a test and it is on their scope of accreditation, but they always outsource this work.

Answer

If a laboratory has or has access to all of the r…

5.3 - What if the CAB has not performed a test on their scope for an extended period, but the test remains on their Scope?

Answer

The reason for the statement, “which excludes ext…

5.5.a - Does the requirement for my lab to “define the organization and management structure…” mean that I have to keep this company outline under document control?

Answer

The Standard does not require a document for this…

5.5.b - Is my lab required to document these listed responsibilities and authorities in a job description?

Answer

The Standard does not require a job description a…

5.5.c - What does "consistent application" mean in the context of this clause?

Answer

"Consistent application" means that when a proc…

5.6 - Are records required for these specific authorizations?

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Under this clause, records are not required for s…

6.2.2 - Do these competence requirements have to be present in my laboratory’s job descriptions?

Answer

Job descriptions are not required in the Standar…

6.2.3 - Is a record required specifically calling out authorization to evaluate deviations?

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No, this clause in the Standard does not explicit…

6.2.4 - Is my lab required to keep a special record of communicating duties, responsibilities, and authorities to its personnel, or will their "job descriptions" function to meet this requirement?

Answer

No, the standard does not explicitly call out a r…

6.2.5 f - Does my laboratory have to define the frequency at which we review our personnel’s competence?

Answer

No, the Standard does not require "monitoring" to…

6.3.4 - Does this clause require our lab to keep a record of monitoring or checking facility controls?

Answer

No, the Standard does not require, in this clau…

6.4.7 - What evidence is required to demonstrate the calibration program has been reviewed and adjusted?

Answer

There is no requirement to document the review bu…

6.6.2 - Is there an expected time-period for re-evaluating our external service providers?

Answer

No, there is not an expected frequency or time-pe…

7.1.3 - My laboratory performs tests which historically do not require measurement uncertainty estimates (such as those called out under note 1 for clause 7.6.3).

Answer

My laboratory performs tests which historically d…

7.5.1 / 7.5.2 - Does the standard allow for laboratories to note a measurement result on an item such as a sticky note, transfer the data to a log book, and dispose of the sticky note?

Answer

The Standard is silent on the “transfer” of origi…

7.7.1 - If more than one QC activity is appropriate for a particular measurement my lab performs, must we perform both (or more than one) of those activities?

Answer

According to the words of the Standard, the monit…

7.7.2 - There are no commercially available proficiency testing programs offered for the tests on my scope of accreditation.

Answer

There are no commercially available proficiency t…

7.8.2.1 - Does the valid reason for not including topics in a final report mean reports could be extremely void of the typical information?

Answer

Yes. It is important to remember, however, clause…

7.9.2 - Does the description of our complaint handling process need to be made "publicly available"?

Answer

No, the Standard does not require the “complaint …

8.2.1 - Is there a record of acknowledgment needed for this clause?

Answer

No, this clause does not require a record of ackn…

8.3.2 - Am I required to keep records showing that I have periodically reviewed my controlled documents?

Answer

No, the laboratory is not required to record that…

8.5.2 - Are records of planned and implemented actions to address risks and/or opportunities required by the standard?

Answer

Yes, the records might appear in any number of ar…

8.8.1 - I am a new laboratory getting ready to apply for accreditation. Do I have to perform a complete internal audit of my management system and testing activities before I can become accredited?

Answer

No, A2LA does not require that a complete interna…

8.8.2 - Is my laboratory required to define a time frame within which we will perform a complete internal audit?

Answer

No, the standard does not require a defined time …

8.9.1 - I am a new testing laboratory getting ready to apply for accreditation. Do I have to perform a management review before I can become accredited?

Answer

No, A2LA does not require that a complete managem…

8.9.2 - Is my laboratory required to define a time frame within which we will review all the required input topics after our initial accreditation?

Answer

No. The content of each management review should …

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