What Is Counterfeits AS6081?
Before discussing or talking about this standard and normative, we need to mention some elements and facts that are involved with it. The Aerospace industry has several elements and aspects that need to be dealt with in order to guarantee the safety and high-quality components and products for the businesses or entities in need of them.
However, other companies and businesses related to the industry also need to manage most of the normative you should be familiar with by now, including AS6081. Now, the main focus on this standard goes to the supply chain in the industry where you will find—nowadays—a large number of fraudulent electronic parts or components.
This not only causes problems during the fabrication of a final product where the parts are needed but also brings issues to the company providing the components. Not because it is the one introducing the fraudulent parts but rather the filtration when supplying businesses in need of them.
Due to the increase of the number in counterfeit parts and the difficulty to handle this issue, the AS6081 was created to have an efficient and effective response to the filtration.
Mainly, to reduce the number of parts in the supply chain but if possible, to eliminate them. Therefore, a basic and simpler definition of what this standard is all about would be:
AS6081 is a normative or standard that establishes all the requirements companies in the Aerospace industry and highly involved in the supply chain need to meet to continue with the fabrication and supply of components or parts. Companies need to obtain such standards nowadays due to the warranty and security it gives customers, either if they are large companies or small businesses that are interested in buying the parts.
After all, they are the most affected ones in this fraudulent issue since the parts they acquire will go to their final products or be used during their production processes. Or, in another scenario, will be distributed to other companies and clients that could only bring more problems to the main company: you.
How does it work?
This standard is based on the other two: AS9100 and AS9120, which you should be familiar with and even certified on since they are mandatory for any Aerospace company. AS6081 works around the management system of your company in order to turn it into something more robust and guarantee safety during the trading or selling-buying process with the customers.
Its implementation isn’t any different from other ISOs or standards. Therefore, there is no need to make special preparations and worry about obtaining the certification or getting certified. The requirements established in the document are completely directed to your management system and will work as a complement for your AS9100 and AS9120 standards.
Which, if you haven’t implemented yet, can be integrated while following AS6081 as well. When you have several standards that aim for the same elements or aspects in your business—with variations due to their final objective and requirements—, you can implement them simultaneously. And this even makes the process easier and more enjoyable for the company that is implementing it—yours.
Does every Aerospace company need to implement it?
Only those that are directly related to or involved with the supply chain. If you are dedicated to fabricating or manufacturing components and parts, you are obligated to meet these requirements. Some companies have missed it or got confused about its implementation with other standards—like the ones we mentioned before and are related to it.
Therefore, they thought and some still consider that it isn’t regulatory nor they are obligated to implement it, which might be true in specific cases or some exceptions. However, since the counterfeits components and the number of them in the supply chain are increasing every day, it is most likely to be a requirement for your company from now if it wasn’t before.
Now, if your Aerospace company is aiming for another route or area of expertise, there is no need to get certified in Counterfeits AS6081 unless you are a supplier. But if you are here interested in its implementation, that is because you have—somehow—determine that your company needs it.
If this is the case, you need to make sure to find a validated company or organization that can provide you with the certification. This company should also be able to provide:
At ISO Pros, we have a complete service and our duty is to do two main things: support you to meet the requirements and provide you with the certification once all of them have been met. Before accessing a company for your certification, it is always a good idea to be familiar with the requirements in the document or the general and basic information. And we are not referring to the information we just provided you.
Reading the standard and having a good idea of the changes you have to make is a good step to start planning how you are going to make them happen and with them, how you will meet every requirement.
The ISO standards—including Counterfeits AS6081—can be found on the official website or several sites on the Internet with some research. Most of them are not free to read but aren’t expensive either.
If you don’t know where to start or want to know some of the main requirements, here’s a list with some of them:
If understanding or reading through the standard takes you more time than you expected, don’t feel worried about it. Understanding and implementing a standard, both of them take time.
This isn’t something you will be able to achieve in a couple of days, but it won’t take long until you get certified and get recognition with it.