World Micro unveils electronics authentication service

US electronic components distributor World Micro has launched a service that allows customers to test suspect parts for authenticity, becoming one of only a handful of US companies that can offer this type of testing.

The company says it has launched the Parts Authentication Screening Service (PASS) at a time when "the emphasis on fighting counterfeit electronics is at an all-time high". The primary tests and services offered through PASS include X-ray, X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), decapsulation, heated solvent testing, visual inspection, and solderability testing.

"Many electronic distributors do not have adequate facilities and equipment to conduct their own screening," said World Micro in a statement.

The launch of the service comes as 2011 broke all records for counterfeit electronics cases, according to data from IHS. There were 1,363 cases around the world last year, with each incident potentially involving thousands of individual components.