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The new anti-counterfeiting technology for thermoplastics delivers major advantages for the packaging industry when it comes to risk mitigation, supply chain security, and corporate governance.
Brand owners and suppliers of plastics packaging continue to face counterfeiting issues on a regular basis. Counterfeiting is a multi-billion-dollar threat to consumers and businesses worldwide and compromises brand value and poses serious safety risks, according to Plastics Color. “MiBatch was developed as an extremely cost-effective anti-counterfeiting measure enabling manufacturers and retailers to protect brand identity and ensure supply chain integrity,” explained Tim Workman, vice president of business development for Plastics Color.
MiBatch technology uses covert chemical or visual markers called taggants that promote anti-counterfeiting by providing a unique fingerprint to the packaging or product. Because the taggant provides a unique “marker,” they can protect the OEM or brand owner from costly recalls, repairs, and even litigation by providing proof of the product’s authenticity. Tagging the product and the plastic packaging offers double security.
“Since MiBatch is an anti-counterfeiting taggant that is placed in the material itself – whether in the plastic packaging or the plastic product – authentication can be done at every level of the supply chain,” said Workman.
These markers are created through spray pyrolysis during the manufacturing process. This patented process produces spherical particles over a wide range of compositions so that there is homogeneous composition control. This is considered a proactive approach to security and risk management. The unique taggants in MiBatch are compatible with a wide variety of resins to impart an extremely high level of security and verification.
MiBatch taggants are easy to authenticate but very difficult for criminals to detect and replicate, according to Plastics Color. They function consistently under wide-ranging environmental conditions without affecting product performance, and each customer’s unique taggant “signature” can be consistently produced at any volume.
Taggants are added to plastic masterbatches during the compounding process. Plastics Color custom formulates these markers for each client. XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and laser detection equipment (handheld or inline) is employed to “read” the embedded taggant signature and verify authenticity of the polymer, product, or component. The detection systems are tuned to look for specific elements and combinations for the unique taggant.
If an OEM is having issues with supply chain security, MiBatch is an effective solution that provides authentication tools for each step of the process. OEMs are able to work with their specific security gaps and take a proactive approach to hindering counterfeiting issues from within; whether from production facilities, packaging facilities, or via the shipping process.
