British researchers have found a way to add anti-counterfeiting markings to plastic products while they’re being molded. Is this the breakthrough authentication solution for DVD, CDs, computer discs and consumer plastic products?

There may be a new anti-piracy protection for plastic products. Researchers at the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick – a group founded to reinvigorate UK manufacturing through cutting edge research and effective knowledge transfer – have devised a high-tech way to add anti-counterfeit markings to plastic as it undergoes the molding process.

The secret lies in watermark technology. The watermark is created as an intrinsic part of the plastic product as it is being molded. The product cannot then be counterfeited because it requires very detailed technical knowledge and equipment to even try to replicate the watermark process. Best of all, the process could cost less than one percent of the total manufacturing cost.

The research group, led by Professor Gordon Smith, recognizes the enormous amount of interest in anti-counterfeiting technology for plastic products. According to Smith, “We at the University of Warwick are working on several processes to prevent plastic components [from] being copied and this ‘in mold’ process is the first of them to be developed for use.”

The commercial use of the technology is being explored. The researchers are working with one company that makes safety-critical products, and is being challenged by a counterfeit plastic-based version made to look exactly like the original. The new technique just may prevent further losses in revenue and reputation.

There is definitely potential – big potential – for a solution that can make a dent in the counterfeiting problems faced by DVDs and other discs in the entertainment and computing markets, as well as plastic containers used by consumer industries and perhaps even medical devices. Professor Smith and his group may be on the cusp of something big.