Don't Want Counterfeit Bearings? Know Your Supplier (Machine Design):

July 07, 2005

Augustine Sperrazza is CEO, Chairman of the Board, and founder of Pacamor Kubar Bearings (PKB). Mr. Sperrazza is a staunch defender of American manufacturers. Penton Media invited Mr. Sperrazza to author a piece for its Machine Design publication describing the risks of counterfeit bearings in the American market. Here is an introduction to that article:

During recent years, many users have experienced disastrous field failures and/or costly assembly hold ups due to substituted or misrepresented parts. For any company that has suffered as a result of field failures or production delays, a detailed analysis of examples are unnecessary; for any company that hasn't yet experienced these problems, the consequences are easily imagined. Ultimately, the users experience the costly consequences and contact whomever they believe manufactured the bearing for either resolution and/or restitution.

Almost always, the cause is a substituted part that the supplier represented as either the exact part produced by the approved manufacturer or an equivalent. Most distributors are honest, responsible, and are conscientious about providing the best to service the end user. Occasionally, there are honest errors made by inexperienced customer service personnel and/or miscommunication between customer and supplier.

Sometimes, unfortunately, these costly failures are the result of blatant misrepresentation by unscrupulous dealers. Additionally, counterfeit product has been increasingly entering the market place — sometimes known and sometimes without knowledge. In order to avoid costly potential problems due to either field failures or production delays — know your supplier: the manufacturer, the manufacturer's authorized distributor or a reputable distributor.

Read the entire article as published in Machine Design

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Don't Want Counterfeit Bearings? Know Your Supplier (Machine Design):