We will see the trend of increased counterfeiting of components using 3D printing. Gartner projects that counterfeit trademarked goods in 2018 to be at the 100 billion dollar per year mark, and that could be a conservative estimate. The hardware needed is easily acquired and is priced at only $500 for a basic printer system — the materials for making counterfeit items are readily available, making it possible for counterfeiters to get started at a minimal investment.

So what can companies do to address this? There are some measures that can be taken, trademarking and patents being key tools:

Trademark is the term that identifies one’s brand — an example of trademark infringement would be using a brand name on a counterfeit item. Manufacturers can use differentiating technology to ensure components are highly visible. Quantum dots for instance — tiny nanocrystals made from semiconductor material — can be embedded into the authentic item, distinguishing real components from counterfeit.

The patent is the actual functionality of an item or a process — an example of patent infringement would be the manufacturing of a component or use of a process that is exclusive to that company. Patenting the right parts and processes quickly will be key, both to beat the competition and to stop the counterfeiters.

While 3D printing is rightly being welcomed in civil aviation, it will also require key changes in ERP systems to control every element of the manufacturing, maintenance and support chain processes to manage the possibility of counterfeit parts entering the support chain. ERP solutions, such as IFS Applications, can support configuration management to manage the security and compliance risks in an industry as heavily regulated as aerospace, where safety is paramount.

Companies must take a close look at what tools and technologies are needed to better manage the supply chain — increasing control and also monitoring counterfeiting risks to take the right actions to stop them in time.

By: DocMemory
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