 | |  | | | Counterfeit MCBs being off-loaded in China, prior to destruction (courtesy Alun Christopher).
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F is for fake accessories
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| 25 Feb 2010
Counterfeiting electrical products is a serious, insidious and fast growing problem around the world. Every year, it is estimated that £30m worth or more of counterfeit electrical products reach the UK – and they can be very dangerous, as James Hunt reports.
Most people will have bought goods that were suspiciously cheap. Many will also have bought goods known to be fakes. However, counterfeit electrical products are different because they can kill.
Counterfeiting costs electrical equipment manufacturers worldwide an estimated £10 billion per year. Among those losing out are UK wiring accessory manufacturers. Fakes are being sold through dodgy outlets; even occasionally, from reputable electrical wholesalers. Increasing numbers of counterfeits are also being bought online.
Counterfeits are bad for everyone. A company’s reputation can be badly damaged and it can lose a lot of money. MK Electric’s MD, Mike Southgate, says that defending intellectual property is vitally important for both business and customers.
Much worse, though, are fires started, or electric shock injury or death resulting from counterfeit products that failed to protect. Some manufacturers are not keen to admit being faked, but it is certain that most have been.
Counterfeits include surge protectors, power strips, extension cords, batteries, lamps, electronic ballasts, smoke detectors, industrial control relays, conduit fittings, cables, and connectors. They also include wiring accessories such as plugs, socket outlets, plate switches, RCDs, MCBs, MCCBs and fuses.
Too good to be trueSays ABB’s Dave Rider, "Where something seems to be too good to be true, it usually is. Despite this, producers of counterfeits churn them out in their millions, finding eager buyers willing to take a gamble not just on their own safety but, more shockingly, that of their customers."
For example, potentially lethal 'circuit breakers' were merely pushbutton switches, and 600A 'fuses' used copper straps instead of fuse elements. Circuit protection devices must protect people and property; if they don’t work properly, fires or electrocution may well occur. In another example, counterfeit power strips caught fire under normal operating conditions. And the ultimate price to pay is death.
Schneider Electric has seen its Merlin Gerin C60, Compact NS and RCDs faked. Richard Walley, Schneider Electric marketing manager, comments, "Counterfeits can enter the market in various guises. They can be of such poor quality or, in the worst cases, have key components missing, that they can be lethal. We found a distributor selling an MCB that had no internal protection components – it would not have operated under overcurrent or short circuit conditions."
Electrical wholesalers are not exempt; if a company sells a counterfeit product that causes injury or damage, it is liable for prosecution – and no manufacturer will back it in court. The same can be true of electrical contractors who, perhaps unknowingly, install a counterfeit product that fails disastrously.
Types of counterfeitCounterfeit electrical products are illegally made in many countries, but China is a particular problem – it is thought that around 95% of counterfeit products that could potentially kill are made there.
There are three main types of below par products. These are:
• 'Grey' imports. These are not illegal, but rarely have the manufacturer's warranties.
• Legal or illegal copies that perform less well than the originals.
• Dangerous fakes that provide no electrical safety.
Fighting counterfeitingBEAMA Installation, which represents 18 brands from member companies, has been taking action against counterfeiters for some years, raising awareness and creating political will in countries involved. The organisation’s 'Electric Dragon' campaigns and intelligence networks have succeeded in seizing over 12m products and raiding around 200 factories.
Schneider Electric’s Richard Walley says, "Schneider Electric works with other manufacturers within BEAMA against counterfeiters by raising awareness and cutting off supply of these potentially lethal products. The call is for everyone, including wholesalers, contractors and electricians, to carefully check the origins of any purchased equipment, as they carry the legal responsibility if a counterfeit product fails."
Alun Christopher works on behalf of Electrium on BEAMA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group. In this role, he and others work with the ECA, SELECT and EDA to find the best ways of tackling counterfeiting. Previously International Sales Manager at Electrium, though no longer an employee, Alun has great knowledge of international markets, Crabtree circuit protection devices and wiring accessories, plus Volex wiring accessories.
He says that a number of these products have been counterfeited, pointing out that the latest fakes are difficult to tell from the real thing. Though less dangerous than they used to be, the latest counterfeits are still potentially unsafe, as they don’t meet relevant IEC and BS standards for safety and performance. "Therefore", Alun says, "Electrium is taking the fight against counterfeiting extremely seriously, so as to protect the quality, safety and integrity of its brands, and its customers."
The High Commercial Court in the Republic of Ireland has recently ruled in favour of MK Electric in a lawsuit against MPT (Electrical Wholesale) Ltd in Ireland for patent, trademark, and copyright infringement relating to MK’s Logic Plus wiring devices. The Court granted a permanent injunction against MPT from selling infringing electrical sockets and awarded MK Electric legal costs – good news for the trade as a whole.
For a free copy of BEAMA’s 'Counterfeit Kills - Protect Yourself' DVD/CD, call 020 7793 3013, email cac@beama.org.uk or go to www.counterfeit-kills.co.uk
How to spot a fake
• Non-compliant/fake product prices are often too good to be true – contractors should be very careful. Genuine electrical products cost more to cover essential development and proper manufacture. ABB’s 25kA MCBs, for example, comply with IEC/EN60898 / IEC/EN 60947-2 standards, as well as every leading global certification standard.
• Only buy from reputable electrical wholesalers – most non-compliant products are sold through specialty distributors or on the Internet. Even so, some counterfeits have appeared in reputable channels.
• Ask to see certificates of origin and compliance. Confirm third-party certification, then check the appropriate certification body’s website.
• Does the product look and feel like those offered by the manufacturer whose logo it carries? Look for varying colours, sizes and weights.
• Does supporting literature include warning labels or logos, or carry unusual spelling or grammatical errors?
If in doubt, it is always best to contact the manufacturer. | |
 | | Counterfeit wiring accessories being destroyed following a BEAMA 'Electric Dragon' raid.
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 | | | Sophisticated wiring accessories such as this multi-media wall plate are harder to counterfeit. | |
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