Non-genuine parts can wreak havoc on mine sites. Cummins details how customers can spot a fake.
The risk of using counterfeit or non-genuine parts in a high horsepower (hp) diesel engine recently hit home at a mining operation in Western Australia.
It was revealed that a Cummins K50 – a 50-litre V16 renowned for its reliability and durability – failed at only 6000 hours powering an excavator. It would have been expected to clock up to 16,000 hours after midlife maintenance at 8000 hours.
Teardown of the 1800hp engine showed destruction inside one cylinder. The reason was obvious: counterfeit parts, including the cylinder liners, had been used by a third-party repairer to rebuild the K50.
The downfall of using an unauthorised Cummins repairer to cut costs was clear to the customer.
“At the end of the day you get what you pay for with quality products,” Cummins aftermarket business development manager – mining Kyle Miller said.
“If you want to take risks to save a few dollars, you are likely to incur greater losses in business impact through downtime or performance issues.”
The latest testing
A Cummins engineering team has carried out extensive testing of 106 non-genuine QSK engine parts from a recognised supplier.
These parts were put through the same rigorous test procedures Cummins uses to manufacture genuine Cummins parts. Many failed on visual inspection, some failed because the metal was too soft or brittle, and other parts also failed for different reasons.
Part categories tested were piston, piston pin, piston rings, cylinder liner, valves, bearings, thrust bearing, and exhaust manifold gasket.
Image: Cummins
Testing included multiple parts-per-component categories. Test results confirmed every part category failed in measurement or material inspection compared to Cummins standards.
One example of the difference is connecting rod bushings. For QSK45 and QSK60 engines, Cummins only sells bushings with the connecting rod to ensure quality, durability and a precise fit. Competitors sell the parts separately, ignoring Cummins engineering requirements.
“Cummins high horsepower genuine parts sourced from the extensive network of Cummins branches in Australia and New Zealand are the only parts approved and warranted by Cummins,” Miller said.
Miller pointed out that counterfeit parts are increasingly being sold as genuine Cummins parts worldwide.
Due to the magnitude of the problem in Australia, Cummins has engaged the Australian Border Force (ABF) to help identify and stop shipments of counterfeit parts entering the country.
Sophisticated reproductions of original parts have made it incredibly hard for even the trained eye to distinguish real from fake. These illegal imitations of engine components, oils and lubricants manufactured from inferior materials can lead to serious safety and product issues.
Even counterfeit labelling, packaging, barcodes and QR codes look like the original, with many consumers misled into thinking they are buying the genuine product.
Image: Cummins
To put the cost into perspective, counterfeit goods are estimated to be a $US500 billion-per-year global industry.
Cummins’ engagement with the ABF has involved training workshops being held for ABF personnel in Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Brisbane.
The intellectual property (IP) training saw over 300 ABF officers familiarise themselves with the Cummins brand, including engines, generators, Holset turbochargers, Stamford alternators and PGXL coolants.
Holograms
Cummins’ latest global initiative is the use of holograms to support anti-counterfeiting efforts. The development of holograms, the effects of which cannot be completely replicated or simulated by normal reprographics methods, has introduced a new level of brand protection.
To differentiate from counterfeit products, Cummins’ new labels feature a Cummins-specific hologram as well as a verification website. Customers can scan a QR code on the label to reach the site.
This feature appeared in the May 2025 issue of Australian Mining.