Painted or dyed: These plastic sheets developed by Merck show how various Securalic® security pigments can be used for different processes
© Peter Thomas
© Peter Thomas
Dangerous imitations
Demand for brand protection solutions that use printing or coloring is growing in response to the global boom in product piracy. According to estimates made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), almost ten percent of international trade is now affected by adulterated or imitation goods.
The damage caused by product piracy is enormous, and it impacts not only the business of the manufacturers and the trade, but also poses health risks for consumers. In this regard, counterfeit medication is just as dangerous as low-quality imitation spare parts for cars or planes. Over the medium term, imitation products can even damage a brand’s reputation and cause customers to lose their trust. These are all good reasons why innovative methods should be used to mark genuine items.
According to Clauter, Securalic® is therefore not just a brand with a variety of products and techniques, but also a philosophy, whose aim is to create new solutions so that it can always stay a step ahead of product imitators. This includes a smart combination of a wide variety of different protective measures for each specific product, in order to create a distinctive marking that is very difficult to imitate.
To show what he means, Clauter picks up a medicine package displaying a maple leaf printed in very bright, lustrous, pearly colors along with various shades of green, and the fictitious drug name “Esan.” Merck uses the packaging to demonstrate what Securalic® can do. The methods used range from a printed pattern of small maple leaves with a pearl-luster effect to a taggant for detection by the 20-milliwatt infrared laser pointer.
Not all the features are designed for the same target group. Whereas end consumers need markings they can see with the naked eye, customs officials and other experts look for less obvious proof of a product’s genuineness. Product protection specialists therefore differentiate the various markings by designating them as “overt,” “covert” or “forensic.” “Overt” features include watermarks, interferences, and color changing pigments. Covert security features include admixtures of taggants that can be detected with small aids such as IR laser pointers. And forensic features can only be detected with special laboratory equipment and are used to mark higher risk value products. With its Securalic® brand, Merck offers an overall concept for all these levels of product security.
But high-tech systems aren’t the only method that product protection specialists use to make life difficult for imitators. Other methods include having secure, well-documented logistics, explains Clauter. An example of such a logistics system is provided by Merck, which supplies Securalic® ecurity pigment solutions only to certified customers, such as manufacturers of printing inks. However, the protection provided by security pigments can be further improved by using clever tactics. Instead of printing or coloring products over a large area, for example, the security features can be specifically placed at certain spots. This is preferably done in such a way that the markings are inconspicuously integrated into the existing design, so that they are not immediately recognizable as security features.
Product protection for different target groups
Not all the features are designed for the same target group. Whereas end consumers need markings they can see with the naked eye, customs officials and other experts look for less obvious proof of a product’s genuineness. Product protection specialists therefore differentiate the various markings by designating them as “open,” “hidden,” or “forensic.” “Open” features include watermarks, interferences, and color changes created by special pigments. Hidden security features include admixtures of taggants that can be detected with small aids such as IR laser pointers. And forensic features can only be detected with special laboratory equipment and are used to mark particularly crucial products. With its Securalic® brand, Merck offers an overall concept for all these levels of product security.
But high-tech systems aren’t the only method that product protection specialists use to make life difficult for imitators. Other methods include having secure, well-documented logistics, explains Clauter. An example of such a logistics system is provided by Merck, which supplies Securalic® products as finished items only to certified customers, such as manufacturers of printing ink. However, the protection provided by security pigments can be further improved by using clever tactics. Instead of printing or coloring products over a large area, for example, the security features can be specifically placed at certain spots. This is preferably done in such a way that the markings are inconspicuously integrated into the existing design, so that they are not immediately recognizable as security features.
Demand for brand protection solutions that use printing or coloring is growing in response to the global boom in product piracy. According to estimates made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), almost ten percent of international trade is now affected by adulterated or imitation goods.
The damage caused by product piracy is enormous, and it impacts not only the business of the manufacturers and the trade, but also poses health risks for consumers. In this regard, counterfeit medication is just as dangerous as low-quality imitation spare parts for cars or planes. Over the medium term, imitation products can even damage a brand’s reputation and cause customers to lose their trust. These are all good reasons why innovative methods should be used to mark genuine items.
According to Clauter, Securalic® is therefore not just a brand with a variety of products and techniques, but also a philosophy, whose aim is to create new solutions so that it can always stay a step ahead of product imitators. This includes a smart combination of a wide variety of different protective measures for each specific product, in order to create a distinctive marking that is very difficult to imitate.
To show what he means, Clauter picks up a medicine package displaying a maple leaf printed in very bright, lustrous, pearly colors along with various shades of green, and the fictitious drug name “Esan.” Merck uses the packaging to demonstrate what Securalic® can do. The methods used range from a printed pattern of small maple leaves with a pearl-luster effect to a taggant for detection by the 20-milliwatt infrared laser pointer.
Product protection for different target groups
Not all the features are designed for the same target group. Whereas end consumers need markings they can see with the naked eye, customs officials and other experts look for less obvious proof of a product’s genuineness. Product protection specialists therefore differentiate the various markings by designating them as “overt,” “covert” or “forensic.” “Overt” features include watermarks, interferences, and color changing pigments. Covert security features include admixtures of taggants that can be detected with small aids such as IR laser pointers. And forensic features can only be detected with special laboratory equipment and are used to mark higher risk value products. With its Securalic® brand, Merck offers an overall concept for all these levels of product security.
But high-tech systems aren’t the only method that product protection specialists use to make life difficult for imitators. Other methods include having secure, well-documented logistics, explains Clauter. An example of such a logistics system is provided by Merck, which supplies Securalic® ecurity pigment solutions only to certified customers, such as manufacturers of printing inks. However, the protection provided by security pigments can be further improved by using clever tactics. Instead of printing or coloring products over a large area, for example, the security features can be specifically placed at certain spots. This is preferably done in such a way that the markings are inconspicuously integrated into the existing design, so that they are not immediately recognizable as security features.
Clauter compares the finished security concept for a specific product with a jigsaw puzzle consisting of many parts of the Securalic® toolbox. “The item is suspicious even if only one of the puzzle pieces is incorrect,” says Clauter. Due to its wide variety of possible applications, Securalic® security pigments will be used in many more areas in the future, predicts Clauter, who supports his claim by stating that “the demand for innovative product protection solutions is great and continues to grow.”
Value of the imitation products confiscated by the German customs authorities in 2009
© Merck
© Merck
Not all the features are designed for the same target group. Whereas end consumers need markings they can see with the naked eye, customs officials and other experts look for less obvious proof of a product’s genuineness. Product protection specialists therefore differentiate the various markings by designating them as “open,” “hidden,” or “forensic.” “Open” features include watermarks, interferences, and color changes created by special pigments. Hidden security features include admixtures of taggants that can be detected with small aids such as IR laser pointers. And forensic features can only be detected with special laboratory equipment and are used to mark particularly crucial products. With its Securalic® brand, Merck offers an overall concept for all these levels of product security.
But high-tech systems aren’t the only method that product protection specialists use to make life difficult for imitators. Other methods include having secure, well-documented logistics, explains Clauter. An example of such a logistics system is provided by Merck, which supplies Securalic® products as finished items only to certified customers, such as manufacturers of printing ink. However, the protection provided by security pigments can be further improved by using clever tactics. Instead of printing or coloring products over a large area, for example, the security features can be specifically placed at certain spots. This is preferably done in such a way that the markings are inconspicuously integrated into the existing design, so that they are not immediately recognizable as security features.
Clauter compares the finished security concept for a specific product with a jigsaw puzzle consisting of many parts of the Securalic® toolbox. “The item is suspicious even if only one of the puzzle pieces is incorrect,” says Clauter. Due to its wide variety of possible applications, Securalic® security pigments will be used in many more areas in the future, predicts Clauter, who supports his claim by stating that “the demand for innovative product protection solutions is great and continues to grow.”
