34 October 2018
W O R K S H O P
SOLUTION TO
COUNTERFEIT
BEARINGS
POSING SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS
Schaeffler’s OriginCheck provides
clarification on the authenticity of
bearings. Counterfeit bearings can put
valuable machinery and plant at risk
because unlike Schaeffler genuine product, they
aren’t put through rigorous quality testing to
ensure compliance with all safety standards.
Global bearings leader Schaeffler says counterfeit
products are placing vital machinery, plant and
operations at risk in Australia and New Zealand,
as they do not have the same quality assurance
and back-up in the field as the genuine Schaeffler
branded product.
Schaeffler genuine bearings – which are crucial
to machinery and plant with rotating or moving
parts in industries such as bulk handling, mining,
resources, manufacturing, materials handling,
food and beverage, oil and gas, power generation,
primary industries, rail and wind – comply with
all relevant safety and quality Standards and
are comprehensively backed in the field by
Schaeffler’s own staff and network of distributors.
“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,” says Martin Grosvenor
industrial projects and services manager,
Schaeffler Australia.
“Globally, product counterfeiting is on the
increase. Not just in consumer goods such as
music, film, home electronics and designer
clothing, but also in industrial, safety-critical
products such as bearings and seals,” he says.
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
costs resulting from this amounts to A$2.25 billion
worldwide (US 1.7 billion).
“The Internet has opened up more opportunities
(and risks) to buy bearings manufactured in India,
the Far East and Africa but sold through noncredibility
with their customers if the product
turns out to be counterfeit and things inevitably
start to go wrong. These could, for example, be
critical bearings on high value machinery in a
manufacturing plant. The buyer therefore needs
to take into account the cost of any production
downtime if the bearing fails early.
“In addition to lost sales and significant loss of
image through inferior-quality goods that may
affect future business, there have been enormous
costs arising from the investigation, seizure and
professional disposal of counterfeit bearings.
The disposal requires tight security, as only fully
destroying the counterfeits will eliminate the
danger for the consumer.
“But the damage affects not only those
companies that produce brand-name goods
and invest heavily in research, development and
quality assurance. It also affects those companies
that install these components. Rolling bearings
are used in virtually every piece of rotating plant
and safety-critical machinery and vehicles, from
machine tools, wind turbines and X-ray apparatus,
through to automotive, aircraft and rail vehicles.”
In 2013, Schaeffler destroyed 26 tonnes of
counterfeit bearings with a value of more than
A$1.5 million (EUR 1 million). The bearings were
certified traders across the world, including a
growing number of European outlets.”
Genuine Schaeffler bearings are designed
and engineered for optimum reliability and
performance. They undergo rigorous quality
testing and meet or exceed all quality and safety
standards.
“So how do purchasers of bearings know that
the products they are buying are genuine and
will perform as the product datasheet states?
Most don’t have to worry because they purchase
these products either direct from the bearings
manufacturer or via a certified distributor. This
method guarantees that any technical problems
can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
"SCHAEFFLER DESTROYED 26
TONNES OF COUNTERFEIT
BEARINGS WITH A VALUE OF
MORE THAN A$1.5 MILLION"
“So, why do companies continue to purchase
counterfeit bearings? Cost is almost certainly the
overriding factor here. However, although the offer
price for the bearings may initially look attractive,
buyers must ask themselves what the potential
hidden costs are in terms of product liability and
The OriginCheck app is available free of charge for iOS and Android
operating systems in German and English: www.schaeffler.de/apps
/apps