There has even been a meteoric rise in the production of shanzhai goods in China, which is contributing to the problem. This is making the situation even worse. It is not unheard of for counterfeiters to sell a product in some areas where the original manufacturer of the brand that they are attempting to imitate does not even make the product that the counterfeiters are selling. The iPad mini is an excellent illustration of this, as it was manufactured by counterfeiters an entire year before Apple even had one. What some people may consider to be something that occurs elsewhere is becoming an increasing problem in Europe as a result of the ease with which international trade has become more accessible and the more acceptable cost of shipping items from all over the world. This is due to the fact that the cost of shipping items from all over the world has become more affordable. In the end, businesses are having their brand, reputation, and revenue stolen from them, according to Mark James, who is a member of the anti-counterfeiting team at PwC. As a result of their widespread application across a variety of industries, bearings present an excellent opportunity for counterfeiters. Counterfeiters are well aware that they can significantly raise the perceived value of their product and, as a result, the price that they charge for it if they imitate the trademark of a major manufacturer. Purchasers now have more opportunities (as well as risks) to buy bearings from sources that are not officially authorized as a result of the proliferation of the internet. This presents both opportunities and risks. Risky business When a consumer uses a product that is not authentic, they put themselves in significant danger. Authentic bearings should always be purchased, with safety being the primary and most important consideration in this regard. Even though the people who make counterfeit bearings are skilled copy-cat manufacturers, they are only marginally capable of reproducing the sophisticated metal technologies, lubrication, and finishes that are used in genuine bearings. When a bearing fails to function properly, the consequences can be extremely severe. In a pumping station, severe flooding could cost the lives of people and ruin ecosystems; or in the utilities sector, outages can create hazardous environments and cost the economy. Both of these scenarios would have a negative impact on the economy. Both of these potential outcomes would have devastating effects. A defective bearing has the potential to wreak havoc on a transportation system's rail network, motorways, or even, in the worst case scenario, bring a passenger plane crashing to the ground from the sky. When the user verifies that the ntn bearing is authentic, they are provided with three significant guarantees, which are as follows: Safety: as we've seen, counterfeit bearings put people's and products' lives in danger, in addition to their own, by compromising their ability to function in a safe manner. This puts the bearings themselves in danger as well.
Availability: the use of counterfeit bearings can result in breakdowns, which can lead to a loss of production as well as a reduction in profitability.
- Reliability: Fake bearings do not have the expected quality level, so they are more likely to fail
- This will lower the quality of your equipment and reduce the amount of time it will serve you
- Fake bearings are not as reliable as real bearings
- They will require more frequent maintenance in the form of repairs or replacements, which will result in a significant increase in the associated costs, expenses, and amount of work
Because of the financial impact that counterfeits have on premium bearing manufacturers, investments that would normally go toward innovation are instead spent on countermeasures to combat counterfeiters. These investments are made up of funds that would otherwise go toward innovation. In addition, counterfeiters sell obsolete technology, which leads to decreased efficiencies and reliability in the products they sell. This, in turn, tarnishes the reputation of the brand that the manufacturer has created, which, in turn, hurts the business of the counterfeiter. The purchaser of a counterfeit good runs the risk of incurring additional penalties in addition to those that have already been incurred by the vendor of the counterfeit good. Each and every machine that leaves the workshop will have quality built into it to ensure that the repair center continues to uphold its trustworthy reputation as a center for providing services. When a fake ntn bearing is used, not only does the company run the risk of having its reputation damaged, but it also runs the risk of being accused of being cheap because it uses products that are of a lower quality. In the absolute worst case, it could result in claims being made for damages or injuries brought on by the bearing's failure to function properly. Therefore, the ability to identify a fake snr bearings is one that is extremely useful to acquire. Identifying a Fake or a Forgery In July of 2018, NTN, which is an associate member of the AEMT, received a bearing from a member who questioned the authenticity of the bearing. The member was concerned that the was counterfeit. Sending the bearing directly to NTN, which can be found at 11 Wellington Cres, Fradley Park, Lichfield WS13 8RZ, is the appropriate course of action. This is the procedure that is used on a regular basis. Following its receipt, the bearing was put through a thorough investigation by the team, which uncovered four key indicators suggesting that it was a fake: Incorrect packaging also featured a reproduction of an older NTN logo, which was another warning sign. The had its identity markings etched onto it, but those markings did not comply with the NTN method. As a result of the raceways not being particularly well finished, the bearing was going to have a subpar performance and a limited lifespan in service. The retainer for the cage did not have a very professional finish to it. Here are three ways to determine whether or not a product is genuine: Always check to see that the product you intend to purchase originates from authorized sources that obtained it directly from the manufacturer. Ensure that you receive an invoice that contains all of the pertinent legal information in its entirety. Tracability will be improved in the event that there is a dispute thanks to the inclusion of this information. Be wary of prices that are significantly lower than the current value of the market and there is an unusually high supply of because they appear to be too good to be true. There has been an increase in the use of more sophisticated pricing that is just slightly lower than the current market value, but with a margin that is sufficiently large to arouse suspicion. This type of pricing strategy has been used more frequently in recent years. This particular bearing was saved so that it could be used as an illustration during the presentation. In most situations, the ntn bearing is discarded because it is no longer useful. During the meeting of the AEMT that took place in September, members were asked to determine the difference between a fake bearing and an authentic after being shown both types of bearings. That was not at all an easy task! Others fell for the con and believed it was the genuine article, while those who did get it right were in the minority. Employees at AEMT service centers should have a well-trained eye and should be able to recognize a counterfeit bearing fairly easily because of the daily work they do with bearings. This is because they work with bearings on a daily basis. However, it is abundantly clear that the copies are of such a high quality that even the most experienced of us can be duped by them. This is because the copies are of such a high quality. In its capacity as an active member of the World Bearings Association (WBA), an organization that represents the industry, NTN is committed to the fight against counterfeiters. Since its founding in 2006, the World Brands Association (WBA) has been assisting local law enforcement agencies in their investigations into and prosecutions of counterfeiters by supplying them with information and identification of counterfeit goods. This is done in order to facilitate the search for and capture of counterfeiters. They collaborate in order to advance the legitimate interests that are shared by all participants in the global bearing industry, and they have committed themselves to a number of actions, including the ones that are listed below: First, we need to make people aware of the dangers before we can educate industrial manufacturers, distributors, and professional associations about them. Training of employees working for customs, distributors, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is currently being carried out in order to teach them how to recognize counterfeit bearings. Continuous innovation with the objective of developing products that are superior to existing options and difficult for competitors to replicate. awarding certifications to businesses in order to verify their standing as reliable market suppliers, the certifications are granted. putting an end to the illegal activity of counterfeiting by using identification markings that are particularly complex. In 2017, NTN introduced a brand new anti-counterfeit label as well as an accompanying mobile application, giving customers a total of three ways to determine whether or not an NTN bearing is authentic. The following are some examples of these methods: On the blue band of the label, it is possible to make out white micro-characters that are a repetition of the name NTN if you use a magnifying glass. Alternatively, you can simply use your eyes. These characters, when found on genuine NTN bearings, should have distinct outlines and be able to be differentiated from one another without much effort. Within the blue circles that are located on the portion of the label that has a white background, there are random placements of blue micro-characters that are so small that they cannot be seen by the naked eye. This portion of the label can be found in the exact middle of the product. These letters have a unique outline, and you can identify genuine NTN products by looking for them there. The hologram is located along one side of the label, and it resembles a series of diagonally placed strips that have the letters NTN running continuously along each strip. On the label is where you can find this hologram. If the label is rotated through ninety degrees, the color of these letters will change from black to white and back again, demonstrating that the item in question is a genuine NTN product. In addition, NTN has developed a mobile application known as AuthentiBear, which lets users scan a QR code to determine whether or not the bearings they are purchasing are genuine NTN bearings. This app is available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Downloading the app can be done from either the App Store or Google Play, depending on which platform you use.