Micro color code

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The micro color code is a microscopic security feature invisible to the naked eye, which is used to protect products against product piracy and to authenticate a product as an original.

Technical specifications

The basis of the micro color codes are microscopically small and resistant melamine alkyd polymers in a size range of between five and 45 micrometers . In its pure form, the micro color code has the consistency of a very fine powder. In this state, it is added to various transmission media. Animals and plants can also be identified with micro color codes. Micro color codes are thermally and chemically resistant. They can withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius in the long term and up to 305 degrees Celsius in the short term; for a fraction of a second they withstand heat build-up above 2,500 degrees Celsius. The micro color codes are insensitive to organic solvents and chemicals such as acids , alkalis and thinners. Concentrated hot acids such as nitric sulfuric acid and potassium hydroxide are excluded . Micro color codes are produced using the so-called "sandwich method". The codes consist of four to eleven different layers of color, which are displayed as normal, ultraviolet or infrared colors and which can be equipped with magnetic properties. The combination of the different colors, their arrangement and the thickness of the layers result in an individual product code. In total, over 4.35 billion different micro color codes can be created; when combining two codes with eleven layers each, the number of possible color codes is practically unlimited.

Manufacturing

Up to 40 work steps are required on machines with a size of more than 27 meters, which were specially developed to produce the micro color codes. The size of the machines required for production is a practically insurmountable hurdle for counterfeiters. Changes in the production process also prevent a later analysis of the base material. The exact production process is a closely guarded secret of the manufacturer. The patents also only give a fragmentary insight into the production process.

application

Micro color codes are either applied directly to the product or mixed with other products. Among other things, the codes can be mixed with clear lacquers, adhesives, resins , pastes , dissolved polymers , liquids, powders and granulates or incorporated into polyester threads. The codes are applied in offset printing , gravure printing , letterpress printing , flexographic printing , screen printing and pad printing , processed with a brush, in the spraying process and in coating units, or transferred using heat transfer. It can also be applied using a dispenser. The micro color codes can be applied to almost all solid materials such as metal, plastic, paper, glass, aluminum and textiles. The color codes are added directly to bulk goods and liquids. This applies, for example, to the introduction of product security in animal feed, concrete, hazardous waste or explosives.

Possible uses

In the pharmaceutical industry , for example, primary and secondary packaging can be marked with micro color codes. This includes folding boxes , tubes , blisters , closures and package inserts . In mechanical and plant engineering, the color codes provide proof of identity for individual machine parts such as units, compressors , ball bearings , spare parts and precision tools. For the automotive and aircraft industries, securing supplier products such as counterfeit-prone brake pads and filters is particularly important. Security labels or polyester threads encoded with micro color codes are used in the textile industry and by manufacturers of sporting goods. Another area of ​​application is the securing of documents. Documents, certificates, securities, contracts, plans and transport papers are forgery-proof. Furthermore, conventional product security systems such as seals , labels or holograms can also be secured using micro-color codes. The traceability of products is also ensured by micro color codes. A combination of track & trace features (e.g. barcode , data matrix code or RFID ) and micro color codes covers the entire logistics with regard to traceability and protection against forgery.

identification

Micro color codes are invisible to the naked eye. They can be identified with a simple rod microscope or with an automatic reader. Databases provide information about the identity and delivery routes of a product. The identification of an additionally applied micro color code guarantees the originality of the traceability feature and the product.

Legal certainty

In the case of a guarantee claim or a product liability claim , it is usually difficult, lengthy and costly to prove a forgery in court. Products marked with a micro color code can be identified as originals directly on site. Every customs office , every inspection body in a company can immediately determine the authenticity of products. Counterfeits without labeling are immediately exposed as such. Legal proceedings can thus be completed quickly. The micro color codes have been forgery-proof for over ten years. The micro-color codes are recognized internationally as evidence in court and can therefore be used globally to defend industrial property rights and to defend against unjustified claims for damages or product liability claims.

swell

  • Ralf Magagnoli: Red card for product pirates . In: Globalmanagement 06/2008, pp. 17–22, online (PDF; 333 kB) .
  • Hans Joachim Fuchs: pirates, forgers and copiers. Strategies and instruments for the protection of intellectual property in the People's Republic of China . Gabler Verlag et al., Wiesbaden 2006, ISBN 3-8349-9107-4 , doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-8349-9107-2 .
  • Sparkly protected . In: Verpackungs-Rundschau 09/2008, ISSN  0341-7131 , pp. 68-71.
  • Put an end to the plagiarism. The smallest color markings will help to identify counterfeits in the future . In: Krafthand 13-14 / 2008, ISSN  0023-4435 , pp. 40-41.
  • Susanne Silva: Small amount, big effect . In: Die neue Polizei 01/2007, ISSN  0720-7794 , pp. 71-72.

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