3D-Printed Part Geometry Encoding for Anti-Counterfeit Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in efficiently and accurately creating industrial asset items, such as nozzles for jet engines or wind turbine parts, while preventing unauthorized copying or alteration, ensuring compliance with predetermined requirements, and avoiding counterfeit items, especially when dealing with multiple additive manufacturing platforms.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a signature identifier encoder platform to encode unique identifiers into the geometry of industrial asset items, using a secure distributed ledger like blockchain for transaction records, and authenticating items through sensors, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of printed parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additive manufacturing platforms are used to create industrial asset items, then productivity and manufacturing flexibility are improved, but the risk of unauthorized copying and counterfeiting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system embeds unique identifiers and digital signatures into the item geometry during the additive manufacturing process itself, before the item leaves the manufacturing platform. This preliminary encoding ensures authenticity is built-in from the start, preventing later counterfeiting while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces digital signatures and unique identifiers as intermediary elements that mediate between the manufacturing process and the final item. These digital markers serve as trusted intermediaries that verify authenticity without interfering with the manufacturing efficiency
2Adaptability or versatility
If digital files defining item geometry are transmitted to multiple additive manufacturing platforms, then manufacturing versatility and customer options are improved, but the risk of information leakage and unauthorized reproduction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different security measures to different parts of the digital file transmission process. Unique identifiers and digital signatures are embedded in specific regions of the item geometry, while access controls and encryption are applied to specific portions of the digital file, providing targeted protection without compromising overall versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the digital file by embedding unique identifiers and modifying geometry parameters to include authentication data. This parameter transformation allows the same base design to be securely transmitted to multiple platforms while preventing unauthorized copying through encoded authentication markers
3Reliability
If unique identifiers are encoded into item geometry, then item authentication and anti-counterfeiting are improved, but manufacturing complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the authentication encoding process with the existing additive manufacturing workflow. The unique identifiers and digital signatures are embedded during the normal printing process rather than as a separate post-processing step, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining strong authentication capabilities
Data Source
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AI summary
A lossless protection procedure may be applied to control distribution of a print geometry of an industrial asset item 190. For example, an item definition data store 110 may contain electronic records defining a geometry of the industrial asset item 190. A signature identifier encoder platform 150 may determine a unique signature identifier associated with the industrial asset item 190 and modify the geometry of the industrial asset item 190 to encode therein information about the unique signature identifier. In some cases, for example, this may be done by adjusting a scanning pattern of a fill region (e.g., stripe, checkerboard, etc.) or a support structure of the industrial asset item 190. An authentication platform may then receive, from a sensor (e.g., an X-ray), a measured characteristic parameter of an item to be authenticated and determine a signature identifier of the item (which can be used to authenticate the item).