Methods for identifying the authenticity of imported mechanical parts

High-quality accessories are the foundation for ensuring the normal operation of mechanical equipment. Due to the need for mechanical maintenance and the drive of profit, a wide variety of imported parts for construction machinery and automobiles have emerged in the market, but their quality varies greatly. At present, the imported mechanical parts in the market mainly fall into two categories: "imported" and "domestically produced". Imported parts include genuine components from the original equipment manufacturers (Oems), high-quality components from professional supporting factories, parts produced in countries other than the Oems (such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc.) for the models they are assigned to, as well as accessories from regions like Hong Kong and Taiwan. "Domestically produced" parts refer to components produced by regular factories and assigned to imported machinery, usually marked with the production label of this factory. There are still some unregulated factories or even private workshops that imitate imported mechanical parts and sell them as genuine imported parts with packaging printed with genuine imported components or from professional factories. In fact, they are shoddy products. There are also parts imported from Asian countries and regions such as South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan that are not from Japanese or American complete machine factories, and are packaged with exquisite genuine parts. These are collectively referred to as counterfeits. Although they can be used, they are far inferior to the quality requirements of genuine parts from the original factories, especially the imitation parts produced by non-standard manufacturers. In terms of material, craftsmanship, function and other aspects, they cannot meet the quality requirements of genuine parts and products from professional factories. This has an impact on the normal use and maintenance of mechanical vehicles. Therefore, for business and user units, it is very necessary to identify imported mechanical parts.

Imported mechanical parts can be identified from multiple aspects, mainly from packaging, internal quality, product price and supply channels.

1. Identify from the outer packaging

Identification based on packaging is an important procedure for verifying the authenticity of imported accessories. The packaging and production of genuine components and accessories from foreign professional supporting factories are exquisite. The colors, patterns and styles all follow certain rules, and it is generally very difficult to replicate them exactly. The packaging of counterfeits is relatively rough and easier to identify. However, some imitators rely on modern advanced printing technology to make the packaging of parts very realistic. Without careful identification, it is also very difficult to distinguish them. Imported mechanical parts usually have outer packaging and inner packaging. The outer packaging includes packaging boxes and packaging boxes. The inner packaging is usually labeled wrapping paper and plastic or paper bags. The outer packaging boxes (boxes) of GENUINE imported accessories are all affixed with the uniform label of the manufacturer, clear printing, excellent paper quality, and printed with the "Genuine Parts 9" mark, along with the part number, name, quantity, manufacturer and country. However, the labels of counterfeits are not printed finely, and the colors are either light or heavy, making it difficult to match the packaging of genuine products. The colors of the part numbers and manufacturer marks printed by computer are either light or heavy. With careful identification, one can distinguish the authenticity. Judging from the packaging boxes (boxes), imported packaging boxes (boxes) are firm in texture and have clear patterns. Generally, the labels of the manufacturer and GENUINE PARTS are printed on the packaging boxes. For example, KOMATSU Company prints Komatsu and genuine parts on the entire packaging box. MITSUBISHI printed "Mitsubishi" and "GENUINE PARTS" on the entire packaging box. Although the counterfeit packaging also printed these labels, the colors were not correct and the patterns were not clear. Some foreign companies, to prevent counterfeiting, have anti-counterfeiting marks on their packaging labels, which can be paid attention to when identifying. The inner packaging is generally made of wrapping paper, paper bags or plastic bags, with genuine components and company logos printed on the packaging. The patterns, colors and designs of the wrapping paper are hard to be the same as those of the counterfeits.

When identifying the packaging of imported parts, it should also be noted that both construction machinery and automobile manufacturers have their own professional supporting factories and parts suppliers. When importing parts from manufacturers, the packaging boxes have both the marks of the complete machine manufacturer and those of the supporting manufacturers. For example, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, its piston rings are supplied by RIKEN CORPORATION of Japan, and the RIK mark is printed on the outer packaging box. However, the individual piston ring box inside is packaged in a flower box with the MITSUBISHI logo, which is marked as Mitsubishi. The piston ring manual indicates both Mitsubishi Motor Industries, Ltd. and Riken Corporation. Therefore, do not mistakenly believe that if the inside and outside are inconsistent, it is not a genuine part.

Second, identify based on product quality

Distinguishing imported mechanical parts from product quality is the most crucial step in identifying the authenticity of genuine components. Driven by profit, some dealers assemble genuine imported parts into complete machines and then sell them in the market with genuine parts packaging and non-genuine parts. Therefore, it is necessary to inspect the intrinsic quality of the products in order to confirm the authenticity of the imported accessories. The identification of product quality mainly involves observation, inspection and testing.

(1) Check from the appearance. Check whether the processing on the surface of its products is fine and whether the color is normal. If there are samples of genuine components, a comparison check can be conducted. Generally, the surface of counterfeits is relatively rough and the product color is not correct.

(2) Check the labels on the product. Genuine imported parts are all printed with brand marks, part numbers and specific codes, etc. Some products are also engraved with the manufacturer and the country of production. For example, on the piston of the Mitsubishi diesel engine of Japan, the part number, group number marks A, B, C and UP↑ direction marks are engraved on its top; The inner side of the piston skirt is cast with the model and Mitsubishi logos, as well as the IZUMI logo of the supporting factory. The characters are clear and easy to recognize. Counterfeits are either poorly cast or have unclear handwriting, making it very difficult to achieve the effect of genuine products.

(3) Measure the dimensions of the product through dedicated work to see if they meet the requirements. Some manufacturers even provide customers with measuring tools specifically to prevent counterfeiting.

(4) Conduct performance tests on the products. Some parts cannot be identified as genuine or fake just by appearance inspection and need to be tested with special instruments. For instance, fuel injectors and plugs should be placed on test benches for performance tests to measure their fuel injection pressure, fuel injection volume, fuel injection Angle, etc. (5) Conduct physical and chemical performance tests on the products. This situation is generally adopted when there is doubt about the intrinsic quality of the product or problems occur during use, and it is a method used to seek compensation from the manufacturer.

Third, distinguish based on product prices

The same accessories can vary greatly among genuine parts, professional factory parts, domestic parts and counterfeits. Genuine parts are the most expensive, followed by professional factories, while domestic parts and counterfeits are the cheapest. The price of genuine parts can generally exceed that of counterfeit ones by one or two times, and in some cases, even more. The parts from foreign professional supporting factories are slightly cheaper than the genuine parts from complete machine factories. Accessories imported in bulk on a regular basis shall be subject to the agreed price negotiated with foreign merchants, while accessories purchased sporadically on a regular basis shall be subject to the unified catalogue price set by foreign merchants each year. Sometimes foreign merchants also offer regular preferential prices for handling spare parts. The quotations for these accessories (in Japanese yen or US dollars) are calculated based on the import exchange rate at that time, plus tariffs, miscellaneous charges, etc., and then converted into the unit price of the accessories. This is the common price known to industry insiders. Accessories with a price lower than the regular price can be judged as non-genuine parts or parts from professional factories. It should be noted that tax reduction in the import process and price hikes by intermediate distributors can also cause prices to deviate from the regular specification prices.

Four. Analyze based on the supply channels

At present, there are many channels for purchasing goods, but they can be roughly divided into two aspects. One is to import directly from abroad, and the other is to buy from distributors. The parts imported directly from foreign complete machine factories and component supporting factories are all of guaranteed quality. If the accessories are purchased from dealers or re-exported from Hong Kong and Macao, they should be identified according to the above methods. In addition, all mechanical parts directly imported from abroad are accompanied by purchase contracts, bills of lading, waybills, packing lists and invoices. If you purchase accessories from an imported company, you can ask them to show the above-mentioned procedures; otherwise, it can be determined that they are not genuine imported products.

In conclusion, when identifying imported mechanical parts, there are various methods. Do not use a single method. Adopt different identification methods based on different types of parts and apply them comprehensively. You will surely be able to distinguish the authenticity of imported parts.