RIVERSIDE, CA, March 4, 2024
Customers Beware!
Bourns, Inc. has witnessed an increase in the availability of counterfeit and cloned Bourns® trimming potentiometers worldwide. Purchasers of counterfeit or cloned trimmers should be aware of the following risks:
- Counterfeit and clone manufacturers may not abide by RoHS legislation or provide compliant product;
- Counterfeit manufacturers do not abide by national and international laws protecting registered trademarks;
- Counterfeit and clone manufacturers likely will not be willing to provide material data sheets or disclose third party material declarations; and
- Counterfeit and clone manufacturers likely will not have reliable information on newly required tin whisker testing results.
Purchasers of counterfeit or cloned trimmers probably are not aware whether the material used in counterfeit or cloned trimmers complies with applicable safety standards. Any use of non-compliant material should be of significant concern to purchasers of counterfeit or cloned trimmers. For example, we have posted below a video of flammability testing of a genuine Bourns® trimmer and a counterfeit trimmer. This video clearly shows that the housing material in the counterfeit trimmer does not comply with UL-94V0 requirements for flammability resistance thus creating a potentially unsafe condition.
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Trimmer Flammability Testing
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Fake
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Genuine Bourns® Product
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For our customers' protection, Bourns recommends that all customers purchase Bourns® products only from authorized Bourns distributors to ensure delivery of genuine products. Authorized Bourns Distributor links are located on the Bourns website at Sales Locations.
Please feel free to contact technical support for more information.