Recently, FLYKING TECHNOLOGY, a global one-stop electronic components service provider, announced that it has been awarded the official AS6081 certification by NQA. This certification represents its adherence to industry-leading standards in electronic component supply chain management. It also signifies that the company not only effectively reduces the risk of counterfeit or fraudulent parts but also demonstrates its strong commitment to the quality and reliability of its products.

Alan Han, COO of FLYKING TECHNOLOGY, was recently interviewed by ESM China, where he discussed topics such as "What is the AS6081 standard?", "How to apply for the AS6081 certification?", and "What are the benefits of AS6081 certification?" as well as the advantages of obtaining this certification.

• Supply Chain Security Requirements from the U.S. Department of Defense

Developed by SAE International, AS6081 is a standard for electronics distributors that provides a set of high-level guidelines to help distributors establish effective processes and controls, preventing counterfeit electronic parts from entering the supply chain.

The origins of the AS6081 standard are tied to the growing number of counterfeit electronic components in the supply chain over the past decade. In 2009, NASA was criticized for counterfeit components found in satellites and spacecraft. In 2011, a report showed that more than half of U.S. electronic component distributors had encountered counterfeit products. Additionally, in 2012, an investigation by the Senate Armed Services Committee found that over one million counterfeit components were present in the U.S. Pentagon's supply chain, resulting in losses exceeding $250 billion annually.

In response to these issues, SAE published the AS6081-2012 standard in 2012, which was based on the requirements and experiences of the U.S. Department of Defense. The standard combines international standards and best practices to provide clear guidance on electronic component supply chain management. By August 2023, the AS6081-2012 standard was updated to version AS6081A-2023, an update that involved significant adjustments, creating a more comprehensive and specific standard.

Specifically, the SAE AS6081A-2023 standard establishes requirements and practices that distributors and purchasers should follow when purchasing electrical and electronic components on the open market. This reduces the risk of inadvertently purchasing, receiving, and selling counterfeit or refurbished components. These requirements and practices help businesses and supply chain managers identify and guard against counterfeit or imitation parts, ensuring that the products purchased are genuine and meet quality standards. The AS6081A-2023 standard includes requirements related to supplier management, sourcing, inspection, and testing/assessment designed for this purpose.

• Defining Counterfeit Parts

Counterfeit parts have been mentioned multiple times, but what exactly constitutes a “counterfeit” part? According to AS6081A-2023, a suspected counterfeit EEE (electronic, electromechanical, electrical equipment, or components) part is a component for which there is objective and credible evidence that it may be counterfeit. A counterfeit material or EEE part is an unauthorized reproduction, imitation, substitute, or modified material (i.e., military material and equipment) or EEE part that is incorrectly represented as a specific, authentic product from an authorized manufacturer. This misrepresentation may be intentional or unintentional.

In summary, AS6081 covers an exhaustive and rigorous set of standards related to the procurement of EEE parts, external supplier management, inspection, testing and evaluation, reporting, and material control. As a result, AS6081 is an industry standard for supply chain management, meaning that certified distributors possess superior supply chain risk management capabilities and can offer their customers higher quality and more reliable products.

• The Strict AS6081 Certification Process

Alan Han shared with ESM China that it took the company one year to successfully complete the AS6081 certification process. FLYKING TECHNOLOGY began working with the NQA certification agency six months prior and achieved the AS6081 certification for the first time in early October this year.

NQA (National Quality Assurance Company Limited) is a third-party certification body recognized by ANAB (American National Accreditation Board). The agency can issue ANAB-accredited management system certification certificates. These certificates cover a variety of management system certifications, including ISO 9001 (quality management system), ISO 14001 (environmental management system), and OHSAS18001 (occupational health and safety management system), as well as AS6081 certification.

Alan explained that companies applying for AS6081 certification need to follow a series of steps and preparations:

1. Understanding the AS6081Standard:Companies must understand the requirements of the AS6081 standard andtrain staff in procurement processes, supplier assessment, riskmanagement, and quality control to ensure that they grasp the importanceand specific terms of the certification.
2. Risk Assessment Team andInternal Inspectors: Companies need to establish specialized teams responsible for preparingand implementing the work, conducting risk assessments of the supplychain, and developing control measures. They should also update relevantpolicies and procedures according to AS6081 standards and assess andmanage existing suppliers.
3. Internal Audits: Companies must conductinternal audits to ensure process compliance and establish sound recordand document management systems.
4. Pre-Audit and Formal Audit: During the pre-audit andformal audit preparation, companies should communicate with thecertification body and make necessary improvements based on the pre-auditresults. Only after passing the formal audit will the company obtainAS6081 certification. However, companies must continue to review andimprove processes to maintain certification status and respond to marketchanges.

The entire process of preparing for certification can take months or even years. The key is to continually optimize processes and controls and maintain good cooperation with the certification body. After the initial certification, the frequency of subsequent audits depends on the certification body's requirements and the company's specific circumstances.

• Ongoing Audits and Compliance

AS6081 certification requires companies to conduct regular internal audits and undergo periodic external audits conducted by third-party certification bodies. Typically, the certification body will conduct the first surveillance audit within one to one-and-a-half years after the initial certification, followed by annual audits.

If there are high risks in supply chain management or significant issues identified in previous audits, more frequent audits may be required. Companies must comply with the audit cycles set by the certification body and ensure that standard requirements are met during each audit. Additionally, timely corrective and preventive actions must be taken for any identified problems

• Flyking Technology's Quality Inspection Laboratory

Transistor static parameter tester

“The most important feature of AS6081 certification is its comprehensive and systematic nature. It is a process-based certification for distributors, ensuring they have the proper systems in place to prevent the circulation of counterfeit and substandard electronic components,” Alan Han emphasized. He added that this certification focuses on management and process control, including establishing and maintaining a management system to prevent counterfeiting, evaluating and selecting suppliers, conducting risk assessments, performing incoming inspections, conducting regular supplier audits, maintaining record controls, handling nonconforming products, and employee training.

For independent distributors certified under AS6081, the inspection process is crucial. When a shipment of materials arrives, the first step is a receiving inspection to confirm that the goods are consistent with the purchase order and that the packaging is intact. Next, a detailed visual inspection is performed to check for abnormalities in appearance, markings, size, and damages. Simultaneously, record verification ensures that the component information matches the accompanying documentation. Authenticity verification may involve advanced techniques, such as X-ray and microscopic inspections.

Once the incoming material has passed the initial inspections, it moves into the functional testing phase. If non-conforming products are identified during the inspection, they are immediately isolated and addressed. The entire inspection process and its results are meticulously recorded for future audits and traceability. These tests require specialized equipment, and Flyking’s quality testing laboratory has the capability to comprehensively test incoming materials to ensure that the electronic components meet the required standards.

Decapsulation verification process.

The testing lab is equipped with a variety of precision testing equipment for the comprehensive evaluation of electronic components. The equipment list includes, but is not limited to: X-ray machines, decapsulation machines, acoustic microscopes, digital microscopes, signal generators, oscilloscopes, digital bridges, semiconductor parameter analyzers, XRF analyzers, high-temperature heat solvent chambers, and wetting-balance tester. These equipments are used in a wide range of applications, capable of inspecting components for remarking, surface permanency, key performance parameters, internal structure, wafer topography and marking, PIN solderability, and environmental compliance.

Demonstration by engineers from the quality testing lab of Flyking

According to the interview, the lab's testing team consists of personnel with professional knowledge and certified experience, dedicated to ensuring the accuracy and fairness of testing results. Flyking’s quality control process is carried out in strict accordance with industry standards and norms, with all goods meticulously inspected regardless of their source, date code, or packaging condition. The quality control process spans all stages of the product lifecycle, including pre-sales supplier evaluation and after-sales third-party laboratory verification, ensuring the stability and reliability of product quality.

• Summary

The AS6081 standard is aimed at distributors, while a similar standard for companies that design and manufacture EEE products is the AS5553 series. In fact, AS6081 can be considered a supplement to AS5553. The former helps distributors establish effective processes and controls to prevent counterfeit electronic parts from entering the supply chain, while the latter provides guidelines to prevent counterfeit components from being incorporated into companies that design and manufacture EEE products.

Manufacturers that follow the AS5553 standard can be confident that they are sourcing EEE parts from distributors certified under AS6081. At these levels, AS6081 certification highlights Flyking's professional competence and market advantages. It not only demonstrates the company's rigorous approach to supply chain management but also establishes a trustworthy brand image within the industry.

For Flyking, AS6081 certification is not just an achievement, but also a responsibility and commitment.