Beware the threat of counterfeit
Published: 12 July, 2010
Brammer, supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services, has reminded UK manufacturing companies of the threat posed by counterfeit engineering spares and the importance of only sourcing spares through authorised distributors.The timely advice follows a recent court order in France, which saw a distributor hit with swingeing fines after being found guilty of selling counterfeit SKF bearings.
This incident was the latest in a series of recent counterfeit bearing seizures by the authorities across Europe. Brammer is warning companies in all industry sectors to be cautious when sourcing bearings, and other engineering components, as the increasing rate of seizure indicates a growing threat from counterfeiters seeking to exploit these challenging economic times.
Jeremy Salisbury of Brammer commented: "The threat from counterfeit bearings seems to be increasing and given the problems these products can create in terms of unscheduled downtime, reduced performance, damage to machinery, invalidation of warranty and the risk to employee health and safety, it is simply not worth the risk of buying through an unauthorised source.
“All major manufacturers of bearings and other engineering spares recommend that customers source their products through their network of authorised distributors to ensure they are getting products supplied direct from the manufacturer, guaranteeing their authenticity, that they are to the latest specification and meaning they perform to the performance levels required.
“The potential impact on production uptime, equipment operational effectiveness and employee health and safety from using counterfeit products far outweighs any initial cost saving achieved through purchasing via an unauthorised source.”
Brammer is an authorised distributor of bearings for leading manufacturers including SKF, NSK, Timken, Schaeffler and Cooper.
For further information please visit: www.brammer.co.uk
