Counterfeit Detection & Supply Chain Risks with Cofactr

OnTrack · 31 Oct 2024 · 14m · Episode 281

What this episode covers

Phillip Gulley, co-founder of Cofactr, explains how his company operates as a supply chain risk management platform that integrates procurement, logistics, and rigorous counterfeit inspection. He details Cofactr’s physical handling of components, including 100% X-ray and LCR testing, to catch sophisticated counterfeits like mixed reels containing empty casings. The conversation highlights Cofactr’s deep integration with Altium 365, which pushes supply chain risk data back into the design environment, and their use of AI on AWS GovCloud to manage vendor communications and resolve partial deliveries.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 11m

    That SCOOPshow - Season 6, Productronica 2021 - Zeev Efrat, CEO of Cybord.ai

    Zeev Efrat, CEO of Cybord.ai, explains how his startup uses AI to inspect every component on a PCB by analyzing images from SMT placement machines, providing real-time counterfeit detection and traceability. He details the company's partnerships with Siemens, ASM, and VTech to integrate this software into existing manufacturing workflows, allowing OEMs to safely source from the gray market during the supply chain crisis. Efrat highlights that the solution runs at line speed with minimal installation time, enabling manufacturers to maintain production continuity despite component shortages.

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 11m

    Cofactr CEO & Co-founder Matthew Haber on EMS@C-Level 2023

    Matthew Haber, CEO and co-founder of Cofactr, explains how his company automates procurement and kitting for electronics manufacturers to solve supply chain inefficiencies. He details how the platform ingests bills of materials, sources parts from over 700 distributors, and provides managed kitting services to reduce manual labor. Haber discusses the platform's pricing model, which integrates existing negotiated rates while offering access to broader broker networks for hard-to-find components. He also highlights the importance of traceability, anti-counterfeit inspection, and how OEMs are adapting to supply chain volatility through design flexibility.

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 12m

    BONUS - Cybord CTO & Founder Eyal Weiss talks traceability and AI at APEX 2023 - EMSNOW & SCOOP On Location

    Eyal Weiss, founder and CTO of Cybord, explains how the company uses AI to inspect electronic components at the component level, partnering with VTEC for hardware to capture images of reels before storage. He details how this 100% inspection capability, enabled by new IPC 1782-A standards, allows OEMs and EMS companies to trace individual components and identify defects like corrosion or counterfeits. Weiss highlights that analyzing 3.5 billion components reveals a statistical failure rate of 100 defects per million, alongside significant rates of mixed reels and counterfeits in the secondary market, providing actionable data to reduce scrap and rework rates.

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 10m

    Electronica 24: Cybord's New RTI or Real-Time Interceptor Future of Supply Chain Traceability

    Oshri Cohen, CEO of Cybord, unveils the Real-Time Interceptor (RTI) at Electronica 2024, an AI-driven tool that inspects electronic components in real-time on pick-and-place machines to reject bad parts before assembly. Cohen explains that while EMS companies value the efficiency and profitability gains, OEMs are the primary adopters because they bear the risk of field failures and brand damage. The platform also addresses critical supply chain needs, including country-of-origin compliance, cybersecurity, and managing inventory risks like expired date codes from the grey market.

  • EE Times Current · 57m

    High-Tech Scam Artists: Counterfeit ICs

    Professor Dominic Forte of the University of Florida and Barb Jorgensen of EPS News discuss the escalating crisis of counterfeit integrated circuits (ICs) driven by global supply chain disruptions. Forte details the four main types of counterfeits—recycled, remarked, defective, and cloned chips—and explains detection methods ranging from physical inspection to emerging anti-counterfeit sensors. Jorgensen contrasts authorized distributors with the gray market, emphasizing the critical role of traceability and blockchain in verifying part origins.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by OnTrack. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.