Are you relying on unsafe counterfeit products?

Counterfeit bearings are creating a safety hazard for machinery, plant and operations, according to Schaeffler.

Counterfeit products are a frequent cause of personal injury and material damage to vehicles and industrial plants. According to a study published by the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), the annual economic and social cost resulting from this amounts to AU$2.25 billion worldwide.

In 2013, Schaeffler destroyed 26 tonnes of counterfeit bearings with a value of more than AU$1.5 million. A large proportion of the counterfeit products marked with the INA and FAG brand were seized in raids on bearing distributors across Europe, including Italy, Germany and the UK. The spindle bearings, spherical roller bearings, ball bearings and needle roller bearings scrapped during this operation were part of a much larger seizure of confiscated counterfeit products.

Schaeffler Australia performed a similar operation in Sydney in 2012, where it destroyed more than 9.5 tonnes of counterfeit INA and FAG branded product it had confiscated throughout the year.

“The best way for buyers to protect themselves and their customers from counterfeit bearings is purchasing only from a reliable source — such as direct from the manufacturer or through a certified distributor,” said Martin Grosvenor, Industrial Projects and Services Manager, Schaeffler Australia.

In order to help buyers check the authenticity of their products, manufacturers of bearings have introduced a variety of measures. Schaeffler has introduced the OriginCheck app, which provides end customers, distributors and authorities with an easy method of clarification when suspicion about a bearing arises.

Image courtesy of Schaeffler.