Researchers Used 3D Printing To Embed Hidden Magnetic Tags Within Manufactured Hardware To Detect Counterfeit Parts

In the manufacturing industry and military sectors, making sure that manufactured items and components are not illegally replicated by counterfeited goods is a top priority.

Futurity reports that a team of researchers found a way for embedding hidden magnetic tags that contain authentication information into the manufactured hardware during the fabrication process. The innovative approach replaces physical tags, like barcodes and quick response (QR) codes, to act as permanent and unique identifiers to detect counterfeit items more quickly.

3D Printing Magnetic Tags for Manufacturing Hardware

A proposed solution might have far-reaching effects and ramifications in sectors ranging from improving biomedical implants to safeguarding national security assets.

Texas A&M University researchers have discovered a method for embedding a concealed magnetic tag containing authentication information into produced electronics during the component creation process.

The team's study, titled "Embedding Hidden Information in Additively Manufactured Metals via Magnetic Property Grading for Traceability," was recently published in the journal Additive Manufacturing.

The US is investing billions of dollars in manufacturing and without such a method readily available, it could be nearly impossible to differentiate authentic hardware from its counterfeit copy.

Professor Ibrahim Karaman said that the issue is that it was very easy for others to copy and fabricate parts and components more cheaply but at a lower quality. Sometimes, counterfeit hardware even has the same brand name, so it is challenging to identify which one is the authentic product.

On the other hand, the embedded magnetic tag will give authorities to distinguish the real one from the fake product, ensuring that they could protect the defense and manufacturing industries.

The team used metal additive manufacturing techniques to embed the magnetic tags into metal parts without compromising the performance of longevity. They utilized 3D printing to embed these tags into the nonmagnetic steel hardware. Other applications of this method also include traceability, quality control, and many more depending on the industry.

Only Magnetic Sensors Can Read the Hidden Tags

Although there are various ways for imprinting information, they all need specialized and expensive equipment, which creates a barrier to real-world adoption. According to Science Daily, the magnetic tags can be read using a magnetic sensor device, such as a smartphone, once embedded into a magnetic item to scan the correct location of the tag.

Salas Mula said that different approaches have been used to locally change the properties of the metals during the manufacturing process to codify information within the hardware. However, this is the first time that magnetic properties of the material are used to introduce information within a nonmagnetic part, especially using 3D printing on metals.

The team constructed a proprietary three-axis magnetic sensor capable of mapping the surface and disclosing the places where the inserted magnetic tag was accessible in order to map the magnetic reading of the part.

While the approach is safer than a physical tag or code on the outside of an object, the team is currently trying to increase the method's security complexity. The next steps will involve developing a more secure method of reading the information, like using a physical dual-authentication system in which the user needs to apply a specific treatment or stimulus to unlock the magnetic tag.

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