Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection: Protecting what Matters
In a world where counterfeiting and product piracy are becoming increasingly sophisticated, protecting brands and products is more important than ever. Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection offers innovative solutions that go far beyond conventional security features.
Product piracy is a global problem that affects companies and consumers alike. Counterfeit products not only cause financial damage, but can also pose a risk to the health and safety of consumers. Using state-of-the-art technologies, counterfeit products can now be manufactured that are virtually indistinguishable from original products. Increasing globalisation and the booming online trade are also favouring the spread of counterfeit products. Brand owners are therefore faced with the challenge of taking effective measures to protect their products and their brand image.
This is precisely why Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection was founded, as CEO Julian Schubert explains: "Banknotes are packed with a wide variety of security features for different applications. But they are not the only asset worth protecting. This thought laid the foundation for our company. How can we offer a high level of security for all products without having to change the visual design of the product? Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection offers solutions for precisely this and wants to make the step towards security for manufacturers as simple and efficient as possible."
Holistic security solutions: The key to success
Koenig & Bauer has a long tradition in security printing and looks back on over 100 years of experience. This experience is incorporated into the newly founded company Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection. In combination with the application of state-of-the-art technologies and an enormous innovative spirit, the team around CEO Julian Schubert thus creates holistic security solutions that are able to cope with the increasing complexity of the market and the demands placed on product safety.
The unique concept of Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection complements the conventional approach of protecting products through the most complex and secret features and processes possible. The innovative processes create additional, comprehensible protection secured by cryptographic principles.
Invisible security
Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection integrates state-of-the-art technologies such as Daktylo, Ovjera and Stegano to protect products and packaging from a wide variety of attacks. These solutions are not only counterfeit-proof, but also sustainable, as they do not require any additional materials.
Ovjera
Although products in a series appear identical on the outside, they still have subtle differences. These are barely visible to the naked eye, but the materials differ in terms of micro-patterns, material variance and production characteristics. This differentiation can be compared to the unique characteristics of human fingerprints or iris patterns (biometrics), where each object has an unmistakable individuality. Ovjera technology uses this uniqueness and captures it at the optical level. Similar to a biometric process, Ovjera can assign a precise identity to each object (objectometry). This identity can be retrieved at a later point in time and act as an invisible serial or key element for connected data.
Using Ovjera technology, products can be protected by photographing them at the end of the production chain – i.e. before packaging and shipping. The 'entropy essence' of the surfaces is stored in a database. End consumers can scan the surface of the product with their smartphones, which compares the scans with the information stored in the database. If the characteristic features of the scanned image match those in the database, the authenticity of the product is confirmed.
Ovjera does not rely on obvious deviations, but can be used on a variety of materials – from paper and cardboard to wood or metal surfaces.
Stegano
Stegano technology is used to discreetly integrate information into the printed representation of a product or packaging by incorporating a second layer of information. A supplementary "Stegano app" visually analyses the printed image and extracts the hidden information. This allows unique codes or data to be integrated into virtually any printed product. This information is invisible to the naked eye, but can be easily read using Stegano technology. In this way, products are marked securely and discreetly in order to authenticate or track them. This also opens up the possibility for customers and products to interact. By integrating Stegano technology into a brand app, you can create a single point of contact for your customer.
Daktylo
The way products are manufactured, the combination of machines or even the optical properties of the printing inks can be precisely identified with Daktylo. For example, the optical properties of this process are closely examined and compared with the printing characteristics, so that possible counterfeits can be clearly distinguished from the original.
For example, if a printing house works with special paper and finishes such as hot foil stamping, Daktylo takes advantage of these special properties. The technology precisely captures materials, printing processes and special components and can thus reliably determine during authentication whether the product was actually manufactured by this printing house or whether it is a counterfeit.
Advantages for brand owners and customers
- Protection against counterfeiting in the form of product protection and brand authentication
- Use of new business models – for example, by linking products with digital services such as guarantees or customer loyalty programmes
- Sustainable integration into production, as no additional materials or processes are required
- Increased efficiency, as additional process steps and costs are eliminated by integrating security features into the production process
- Higher security, because integrating security features directly into the manufacturing of the product minimises the risk of manipulation
- Seamless traceability of products throughout the entire supply chain
Diverse areas of application
Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection's solutions can be used across all industries and offer protection for a wide variety of products:
- Pharmaceutical industry: Preventing counterfeit medicines and protecting patients
- Electronics industry: Securing high-quality electronic products and combating plagiarism
- Fashion industry: Ensuring the authenticity of premium products
Security solutions and digital marketing
Koenig & Bauer Vision & Protection's security solutions can be seamlessly integrated into digital marketing campaigns. Customers can verify the authenticity of a product and at the same time gain access to additional information, such as product details, competitions or exclusive offers. This strengthens customer loyalty and promotes brand loyalty.