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optical fingerprint safely integrated into metal injection moulded products.

Metal injection moulding (MIM) has diverse manufacturing applications, from industrial products to luxury consumer goods. In many cases, identification is a challenge, for example for anti-counterfeiting, quality control or recycling purposes. In cooperation with German company Tailorlux , we have developed an innovative solution for this. This relies on the integration of their unique optical fingerprint technology into our high-quality MIM raw material.

HIGHLIGHTS

marking of injection-moulded parts
safe and reliable
invisible and non-removable
various applications for identification

growing market.

Adding an optical fingerprint to products is taking off in many markets, from luxury goods to industrial components or textile products. The aim may be to prevent counterfeiting, facilitate quality control or enable identification for recycling. Products that lend themselves to optical fingerprinting include luxury watches, buckles of expensive bags, links of high-end bracelets and decorative logos for exclusive handbags. But identification can also be useful for critical industrial parts that are often replicated, such as bearings and gears.

hidden marking.

Tailorlux offers an authentication and traceability solution with invisible markers that are ‘linked’ to the product. Products are marked with a customisable and invisible optical fingerprint based on inorganic ceramic pigments which emit an optical fingerprint under a Tailorlux scanner. This enables the detection, verification and traceability of a product. In many cases, the optical fingerprint is applied to a surface via a coating or spray. The goal is that this does not require any further production steps.

homogeneous distribution.

To make the most of the advantages of optical fingerprinting, we started a collaboration with Tailorlux. We have developed a new production process for invisibly marked metal products. For this, we add Tailorlux’ inorganic marking pigment to our MIM raw material. This allows us to produce invisibly marked metal products in an efficient process, without the need for an additional post-production step for marking. Moreover, the pigment is homogeneously distributed in the cast metal product, so the marking cannot be removed and is not lost through wear and tear.

maintaining favourable product properties.

Thanks to the high sensitivity of the Tailorlux scanners and the strong fluorescence signal of the pigment, only a small amount of marking material is needed for a measurable response. We can therefore reliably cast, deburr and sinter the resulting raw material according to standard procedures in our certified process. The favourable product properties, such as high tensile strength, hardness and corrosion resistance, are maintained during the process.

Erik Dietrich

+31 (0)88 - 115 20 20

"higher added value from MIM".

Thanks to our cooperation with Tailorlux, we safely add extra value to metal products we injection mould. In doing so, we offer our customers new opportunities for counterfeit prevention, quality control and traceability. We want to advise companies on invisible marking of injection-moulded products and encourage them to explore applications for existing and new products.