AS6081 and the Distributor's Counterfeit Defense
Most counterfeit-avoidance standards were written for the companies that build the hardware. AS6081 is the one written for the distributors that supply it — which makes it the standard that matters most when you're buying from the open market.
Counterfeit avoidance isn't one company's job — it's a chain of them. The integrator that builds the board, the distributor that supplies the parts, and the intelligence networks that flag bad lots all have a role. The standards split along those same lines, and knowing which one governs your supplier tells you a lot about how seriously they take the problem.
What AS6081 Is
SAE AS6081 — "Fraudulent/Counterfeit Electronic Parts: Avoidance, Detection, Mitigation, and Disposition — Distributors" — is published by SAE International specifically for distributors that buy and sell parts outside the franchise channel. Its companion, AS5553, sets requirements for the organizations that integrate parts into finished systems. AS6081 governs the layer where counterfeits most often try to enter the supply chain: the open market.
What It Requires
AS6081 describes a documented counterfeit-avoidance system rather than a single test. The core elements:
- Supplier risk assessment — evaluating and ranking where parts come from, so open-market sources are vetted, not assumed
- Inspection and test — a defined authentication sequence, scaled to the assessed risk of the part
- Quarantine and control of suspect parts — keeping anything questionable out of sellable stock
- Reporting — escalating confirmed counterfeits to the wider ecosystem, such as ERAI and GIDEP
- Traceability and documentation — records that travel with the part
How It Fits With Everything Else
Think of it as a stack. AS5553 sits with the integrator; AS6081 sits with the distributor; ERAI and GIDEP feed suspect-part intelligence into both; and an ISO 9001 quality system underpins the whole thing. No single layer is sufficient alone — a distributor can cite ISO 9001 and still have a weak counterfeit process, which is exactly the gap AS6081 is meant to close.
What It Means When You Buy
For a buyer, AS6081 is a practical yardstick. A distributor whose counterfeit controls align with it has a documented, auditable answer to "how do you keep fakes out" — supplier assessment, layered inspection, quarantine, and reporting — instead of a verbal reassurance. It's a fair question to ask directly: does your process map to AS6081?
RH Electronics' counterfeit controls align with AS6081 practices, backed by ISO 9001:2015 certification, ERAI membership since 1998, GIDEP participation, in-house inspection, and escalation to accredited independent labs. See our quality process or submit a requirement.