RTP Company: The Global Leader in Specialty Compounding

Microtagging Technology Fights Counterfeiting

With the shift of manufacturing to countries outside of the U.S., counterfeiting of parts has become a serious problem. To ensure that parts are made with the materials or resins specified, RTP Company is offering a traceable, anti-counterfeit technology called microtagging.

Microtagging is the addition of minute particles called microtags to thermoplastic compounds, which provides a means of identification and authentication of genuine product to address issues of counterfeiting, warranty, and liability issues. "The microtag particle is essentially a unique numeric code sequence supplied in a microscopic multi-color layered format," says Stu Swain, color product manager for RTP Company. "A specific sequence is produced for each customer or application. The sequence is certified and registered on a database and will never be used again for any other purpose."

"In the case of microtags, a simple non-destructive test involving ultraviolet light and a 100X magnifying glass is all that is needed," says Swain, "for a customer to test the parts and find out if they contain the correct resin, compound, or alloy, or if they have been counterfeited." Depending upon the customers' needs, RTP Company can also add features such as fluorescent, magnetic, or other qualities during compounding that are detectable by scanners and electronic sensors.