Buying components from China is a very risky business. Anytime you source parts outside of franchised distribution, you risk receiving sub-standard parts from mainland China. ChipChecker assists you to purchase parts safely and directly from the China market.

The Dilemma

The majority of electronic products manufactured globally are made in China. The China market is awash in electronic components and you often find sources of parts there that can be found nowhere else.

The problem is how do you purchase the parts safely in a market notorious for fraud, counterfeit and other shady dealings?

Avoiding China Is Not An Option

Some companies take a 'no China parts' policy but this is futile. Parts may be sourced from anywhere in the world but still originate from the China market if they are not from a franchised distributor. The risk is always there that your supplier's supplier may have sourced them from China. You have no guarantee that somewhere back in the chain of supply the parts are not of mainland China origin.

The safest option in fact is to source from China yourself, using the services of ChipChecker.

Recycled and Counterfeit Parts

Every year, the U.S. alone dumps millions of tons of e-Waste - scrap electronic products. The majority is exported to mainland China, where recycling this waste is a large industry.

Plastics and metals are ground down and recycled. The components are removed, cleaned, repackaged and resold.

When you buy a taped reel of chips in China, it may be the original product. Often however, it is recycled parts, crudely removed from a scrap pcb, cleaned and repackaged.

Aside from being already used, the removal process usually involves heat and stress far in excess of the components' tolerances and never in an antistatic environment.

These recycled parts may look the real deal - but they are not.

Then you have straight out counterfeit. Integrated circuits use a variety of standard packages. Part numbers can be ground off of a ten cent part and replaced with a part number for a ten dollar part that comes in the same package.

By the time you put the parts into manufacturing and discover the problem the supplier is long gone.

Traditional Measures Don't Work

Most importing is done with the protection of a Letter of Credit. The L/C is paid against documents with no inspection required, so you have no safety there.

Some buyers insist on the supplier sending a photograph of the parts first. China fraudsters have excellent photo libraries and staff well trained in editing photos as required.

The only safeguard is to have a trained professional inspect the components you are buying BEFORE they are paid for. Nothing less will give you any margin of safety.

Effects on Business

Companies in the West have been bankrupted through the careless purchase of China parts. When a component fails in a manufactured product the manufacturer may need to issue a total recall. In addition they may be sued for consequential loss or other liability.

Yes, using ChipChecker adds a little to the cost of your parts.

So does insuring your business, having an airbag in your car, or maintenance in the aviation industry.