Kevin Sink Articles
- Safeguarding the Supply Chain: TTI’s Role in Combating Counterfeit Electronic Components Jul 29, 2025 TTI IP&E VP Total Quality, Kevin Sink, explains how TTI is championing secure sourcing through authorized distribution, proactive lifecycle management, and cutting-edge technology.
- The Evolving Landscape of Counterfeit Part Mitigation Oct 14, 2024 A recap from this year’s Symposium on Counterfeit Parts and Materials: effects of the CHIPS Act and the need of the U.S. to secure technology for economic viability.
- As Lead Times Lengthen, Counterfeit and Fraud Risks Grow Jul 22, 2021 Counterfeiters and other bad actors are taking advantage of turbulent market conditions and supply constraints to try and prey on electronics manufacturers. Kevin Sink explains how some of these frauds are being perpetrated and how to avoid having your business compromised.
- The Defense Production Act and COVID-19 (Part 2) May 14, 2020 In Part 1, we discussed the Defense Production Act, its scope and how it has been historically implemented. We learned that the Department of Defense has used this Act to issue rated orders for almost every defense contract issued in the last 70 years while other federal departments have issued very few, if any, rated orders.
- The Defense Production Act and COVID-19 (Part 1) Apr 30, 2020 Recent discussion in the news about the president’s invocation of the Defense Production Act has spurred an influx of questions, interest and priority invocations – both legitimate and not. This article (Part 1) explains the salient aspects of the law in its amended form as it exists today.
- The Need to Stay Vigilant Jul 19, 2019 Those who have studied military strategy know that a battlefield isn’t a static map, but a constantly-evolving mix of dynamic elements. The same can be said for the electronic components industry’s battle against counterfeiters. This is not a conflict that will end anytime soon. In fact, the next major consumer technology trend or market instability is very likely to herald a fresh wave of counterfeit electronic components.
- When it Comes to Counterfeit Part Prevention, Semantics Matter Aug 02, 2016 The legislation put forth in the 2012 and 2013 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) has gradually solidified into law resulting in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) which is now considered the standard for counterfeit prevention. While these measures have reduced the risk of counterfeit parts flooding the supply chain, the specific terminology in the published DFAR regulations have caused confusion and misinterpretation because they lack some common industry terminology.
- DoD Publishes New Rules to Fight Counterfeit Parts Jul 24, 2014 On May 6, 2014, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) published final DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations System) rules1 to eliminate counterfeit parts from the supply chain by shifting the burden of protection onto contractors. The regulation broadly defines “electronic parts” and eliminates allowable costs for replacing counterfeits with authentic components. The outcry from the industry has been predictably loud.
- What is the State of the Industry Regarding Counterfeit Electronic Components? Feb 20, 2014 It has been a little over five years since a Newsweek article brought the issue of counterfeit electronics to the attention of a wider audience. Since then, industry organizations mobilized to produce standards and hold symposia to share advancement and best practices and to train supply chain members to avoid high risk suppliers and to detect counterfeit parts.