Schreiner ProSecure and partners develop protection system

After three years of research, Schreiner ProSecure, in collaboration with three institutes of the Technical University Munich and five other industrial companies, has realized a demonstration system for protection against product piracy. The protection system developed by the project partners enables fully automated authentication of original components. This reliably prevents fake components from being taken into operation and excludes harmful consequences for machines and equipment as well as for manufacturers and users.

More than 75 percent of the German machine manufacturers are affected by product piracy, according to a study by VDMA, the German Engineering Federation. Therefore, it was the aim of the ProAuthent research project to develop a protection system for marking and authenticating critical assembly components.

Under the system, machinery components exposed to the risk of counterfeiting are first marked as originals by means of various marking technologies. RFID tags, security labels with copy detection patterns and holographic security features are examples of suitable technologies. Using appropriate readers and testing equipment, the components are then fully automatically authenticated. All test results are stored in a database system. Machine files can also be created for long-term product protection tracking.

The modular design of the system makes it possible to perform checks at any desired point along the logistics chain. This means that manufacturers, distributors and end users can track the product across its entire lifecycle. In addition to assuring the proper use of tools, the system also serves to monitor the condition of the components and simplifies on-time ordering and delivery of spare parts. Furthermore, manufacturers can offer loyal and quality-conscious customers tailored maintenance agreements and extended warranty assurances.

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