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The Holography Times
The Holography Times
An endeavour to safeguard products and people April 2010 | Volume 4 | Issue 10
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High tech HOLOGRAMS can uproot tobacco counterfeiting
www.homai.org The Holography
Times is a quarterly newsletter published by Hologram Manufacturers Association of India (HoMAI). 1
The Holography Times
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Editorial
obacco counterfeiting and tax evasion are problems that have existed for legitimate manufacturers, government agencies and its users since long. Whenever a tobacco product is counterfeited, it poses serious risks to its users. Governments suffer as counterfeit products escape taxation. This is because such goods are either smuggled or come with forged documents. Manufacturers suffer due to lost revenues and hampered brand image. Workers suffer as counterfeit products directly affect employment leading to fewer jobs in the legitimate manufacturing sector. Consumers suffer because they are duped into buying an inferior copy of the legitimate product, which may present serious and unforeseen health risks. Moreover, even societies suffer as counterfeiting, to an extent, is proven to support organized crime.
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So, the real question that arises is 1. What are tobacco manufacturers doing to protect them from saving their products and profits? 2. What are governments doing to fight this problem? The answer may be a hologram, which is used globally since the past 15 years as an important authentication device for government tax stamps. In this issue of THE HOLOGRAPHY TIMES, we feature views on how “HIGH TECH HOLOGRAM CAN UPROOT TOBACCO COUNTERFEITING”. Here we will give you a snapshot on the tobacco industry, the extent of tobacco counterfeiting both in India and globally, the challenges that governments and brands face in an era of globalization, and the solution in a Holographic tax stamp. We also aim to look at various holographic developments worldwide such as HOLOPRINTTM - the revolutionary machinery developed by Stensborg and Bobst VISIONFOIL. Besides this, there are features like newsbytes, company profile and industry updates to keep you informed. As always, we value your comments on this issue of The Holography Times. Please send them to info@homai.org. Best Wishes, Team HoMAI!
The Holography Times
In this issue News Bytes
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High tech hologram can uproot tobacco counterfeiting
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Holostik security solutions for the tobacco market
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UV assisted casting of microstructures for high-volume production of diffractive optical elements on foil
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Industry Updates
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Editorial Board Neha Gupta, Editor in Chief C S Jeena, Editor The Holography Times is published by
HOLOGRAM MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (HoMAI) 21-Ground Floor, Devika Tower 6, Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110019, INDIA Telefax: +91-11-4161 7369, Email: cjhomai@gmail.com Web: www.homai.org Designed and Printed by EYEDEA Advertising E-439/9, SDV, Charmwood Village, Faridabad, Haryana (INDIA) E-mail: eyedeaadvertising@gmail.com on behalf of HoMAI Disclaimer: The data used here are from various published and electronically available primary and secondary sources. Despite due diligence the source data may contain occasional errors. In such instances, HoMAI would not be responsible for such errors.
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News Bytes
BOBST visionfoil provides ultraprecise hologram application The newly launched visionfoil is dedicated to hologram industry
B
OBST GROUP, the leading supplier of equipment and services for the folding carton, corrugated board and flexible materials industries has recently launched a version of its VISIONFOIL press, dedicated to security hologram application. As more and more industries look for solutions to protect the authenticity of their products, holographic materials offer an ideal solution, helping its brand owners make a clear difference between originals and forgeries, deterring counterfeiters. However, reproducing holograms, and placing them accurately on the product, require specialized equipment. Until 2010, the reference machine for flat-to-flat hologram application on paper, labels, or board has been the BOBST SP 76-BM foil master. Now BOBST has introduced the VISIONFOIL 104 H to deliver hologram application of utmost accuracy.
“The VISIONFOIL 104 H is ideal for banknote printers applying holograms and/ or metal stripes; software packaging manufacturers applying seals to CD/ DVD cases; ticket printers producing concert, event and sporting event tickets, tobacco industry suppliers and other industries trying to protect their products.” The VISIONFOIL 104 H uses BOBST’s patented, high precision registration cameras to bring each hologram on the sheet into perfect register, be they 2D, 2-D/2-D, 3-D, 2-D/3-D, or multiplexed. The same cameras process diffraction foils, skipping the unusable shim line areas. All current sizes of holograms can be
processed using the VISIONFOIL 104 H. The smooth foil path created by the specially designed internal foil unwind module, enables high precision foil handling and better productivity. The cameras are auto-setting, reducing makeready time. Up to six independently driven advance shafts, increase flexibility and cut down on foil waste. The platen entry easily handles light materials which make up the majority of security print jobs. Alongside its hologram application capabilities, the VISIONFOIL 104 H is highly flexible, being able to apply conventional as well as holographic foil. The press shares with the rest of the VISIONFOIL 104 range a maximum running speed of 7,500 sheets per hour, along with the ability to run paper and labels down to 80 gsm, carton board to 2000 gsm, and corrugated sheets up to 4 mm in thickness. The maximum sheet size the VISIONFOIL 104 H can handle is 1040x740 mm. The VISIONFOIL 104 H is ideal for banknote printers applying holograms and/or metal stripes; software packaging manufacturers applying seals to CD/DVD cases; ticket printers producing concert, event and sporting event tickets, tobacco industry suppliers and other industries trying to protect their products. ■ Contact, Marco Lideo at marco.lideo@bobstgroup.com or visit www.bobst.com
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News Bytes
JERSEY’S new holographic bank note Another bank note joining the hologram club for security
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he Treasury of States of Jersey has unveiled its new note series to be issued in April 2010. Printed by De La Rue with imprint, the 10-, 20-, and 50pound notes have been redesigned to reflect various aspects of the island’s culture, history and architecture.
Increased security measures have been taken by the treasury to prevent forgeries, including a new hologram, all denominations having windowed security threads, map of Jersey as a registration device, and watermark of a Jersey cow, electrotype denomination, Cornerstones and 100% cotton paper. The hologram only features on notes of higher denomination. All feature a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the front. For the first time Jèrriais, the island’s native Norman French, appears on the note in addition to English and French. ■ Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
KAMA launched hologram stamping system
K
AMA- manufacturer of print finishing machines and developer and manufacturer of the ProCut 53, the world’s first A3 flatbed die cutter, is now introducing a hologram stamping system designed specifically for this machine. With its ability to stamp holograms onto the product being processed, the new design allows the machine to be used for high quality labeling of print products and packaging. This application opens up an attractive market because in addition to their decorative effect, holograms are also in great demand as a visible safety marker for copy and brand protection. The new system for the ProCut 53 works with two separate foil feeders. In contrast to the continuous hot foils, holograms have to be positioned with absolute precision when they are stamped. Hologram foils use markers on the carrier foil to achieve this. The hologram stamping system of the ProCut 53 has four individually controllable heating
zones. Holograms can be applied within a working area of 510 mm x 360 mm. In addition to hologram foils the KAMA module is also capable of processing all kinds of hot foils. The ProCut 53 has an output of up to 3500 sheets per hour when stamping holograms, up to 5,000 sheets per hour for hot foil stamping and up to 6,000 sheets per hour for die cutting and creasing. The broad spectrum of applications make the A3 die cutter of interest for digital printing and digital packaging production where heavier paper and finishing is in increasing demand. Kama chief executive Marcus Tralau said: “Two out of three of our ProCut 74 diecutters are now being ordered with hot foil or hologram-stamping systems.” ■ Source: http://www.proprint.com.au/News
BP acquisition adds to Filtrona’s label expertise
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iltrona PLC a division of Payne international, market leading speciality plastic and fibre products supplier, has acquired BP Labels Limited and BP Secure Solutions Limited, representing a significant expansion in the label capability of the Coated and Security Products (“CSP”) division. BP, based in Cardiff, United Kingdom, is a manufacturer of high quality, creative and secure self adhesive labels for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, cosmetic and food & drink markets, providing it as an authentication solution. The business will complement with Coated and Security Products, sharing a focus on providing consumer products companies with value added packaging and security solutions through maximizing the use of technologies, systems and production capabilities. Tony Edwards, Divisional Managing Director of Coated and Security products said, “The acquisition is consistent with our vision to be the premier provider of creative and secure packaging, identity and security solutions to our customers and markets of choice. We believe we can deliver significant benefits from utilising our existing global commercial and operational footprint to access new markets for BP’s products as well as from offering our existing packaging and security products and technologies to BP’s current customers.” ■
Source: www.payne-security.com
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News Bytes
Lebanon’s report on healthcare and medical market The new report praises hologram technology in finding the fakes
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he findings of the Lebanon’s report are that patented medicines contribute 74.8% of the prescription drug market and 67% of the total pharmaceutical sector. Although generic drugs continue to feature as a small proportion of all pharmaceutical spending, their proportion of the prescription market will rise from 25.2% in 2009 to 30.3% by 2014.
Pharmacists (OOP) in Lebanon has stated that drug packaging can easily be forged and that new hologram or high-tech identification tags are to be added to medicine labels to make fakes easier to detect. Public enlightenment campaigns have also been underlined as one of the strategies that will deter further purchases and lower demand for these drugs.
Pharmaceutical industry representatives in Lebanon have announced that drug packaging needs to be redesigned to enable easy confirmation of product authenticity. The move is part of an effort to address the counterfeit medicines that are on the rise. The Order of
The association is also suggesting that testing laboratories should also be established to ensure that seizures or closures of suspected illegal outlets can be supported with evidence. Imports could also be tested for bioequivalence in this manner, alleviating the reliance
on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- or European Medicines Agency (EMEA)-derived medicines to ensure product safety. ■ Source: www.companiesandmarkets.com
SCRIBA nanotecnologie’s for anticounterfeiting
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criba Nanotecnologie a spin off company of the Italian National Research Council producing new technologies for anti-counterfeiting have developed NU-CODE technology- a complete system that uses ultra-miniaturized digital tags for: identification, traceability, anticounterfeit, security and quality control. Nu-CODE is based on a technology that allows permanent recording of digital data, on specially modified holograms (EN-TAG labels). EN-TAG is costefficient permanent data storage and a security hologram at the same time. Digital data recorded on the EN-TAG™ can be easily read either by commercial digital cameras or custom designed cameras.The anti-counterfeit features of the hologram substrate adds to the endless capability of encrypting digital keys making the Nu-CODE system a very powerful, viable and versatile anticounterfeit solution.
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EN-TAGTM micro label which can be integrated into any security hologram.
NU-CODE can be easily integrated in the printing process of most types of holograms and offers security and anti-counterfeiting capabilities at very affordable prices. NU-CODE™ is the proper tool to implement the
RESPONSIBLE PACKAGING criteria for all products. ■ For more information contact Serena Lanza at slanza@scriba-nanotec.com or visit www.scriba-nanotec.com
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The Holography Times
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The Holography Times
Cover Story
High tech hologram can uproot tobacco counterfeiting llicit tobacco trade and tobacco tax evasion are problems that costs governments and manufacturers dearly in terms of lost revenue and damage to brand reputation. Further, the high tax policies on tobacco products make them a lucrative target for counterfeiters. In this article, we will find out how hologram, an anti-counterfeiting technology, could prove to be an important tool in tackling this problem.
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An addictive industry It was in 1600 when tobacco was introduced in India by the Portuguese. It became a valuable commodity of barter trade, being used by the Portuguese for purchasing Indian textiles. In 1776 with the independence of American Colonies, the British East India Company began growing tobacco in India as a cash crop, both for domestic consumption and foreign trade. As domestic consumption of cigarettes rose, the Imperial Tobacco Company (ITC, now Indian Tobacco Company) commenced production. Also, in the late nineteenth century, the beedi1 industry began to grow in India. Even though tobacco chewing was practiced for many centuries, commercial production and marketing have been up scaled recently, with the introduction of the gutkha2.
Christopher Columbus saw people using tobacco in the Americas in 1492.
This industry remains an addictive one since it contributes in a unique manner to several important facets of Indian economy, covering revenue, export, employment, and GDP growth. The Indian tobacco industry mainly covers manufacturing of cigarette, beedi, cigar and cheroot, hookah, snuff and other chewing tobacco like zarda , gutkha and other pan-masala.
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5.5 trillion cigarettes get smoked per year
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One out of three cigarettes is smoked in China
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The total sales from cigarettes is US $ 5570 billion
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Every year $600 bn counterfeited & smuggled cigarettes cross national borders
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In India, smuggled cigarettes are estimated at Rs 1700 crore in value.
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Hungary was the first country to use holograms on their tax stamps
Tobacco market in India
cent as cigarettes. Thus, beedis, snuff and chewing tobacco (such as gutka, khaini and zarda) form the bulk 86 per cent of India’s total tobacco production.
Presently, India is the second largest producer of tobacco in the world after China. Of the total amount of tobacco produced in the country, around 48 per cent is in the form of chewing tobacco, 38 per cent as beedis, and only 14 per
The global roadblocks- illicit tobacco trade and tax evasion
Fig1: Tobacco Consumption in India
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Some quick facts:
i) Illicit tobacco trade – smuggling and counterfeiting Illicit trade in tobacco products is a global problem. The illicit trade, through smuggling and counterfeiting, creates serious health problems, robs Governments of tax revenues and threatens public safety and security. Moreover, the damage caused by counterfeiting to a company’s brand reputation, loss of sales and market capitalisation can be incalculable. A report commissioned by Framework Convention Alliance, said this billion dollar counterfeiting business was estimated at 10.7 per cent of worldwide sales.
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The Holography Times
Cover Story Table 1: The 10 biggest market for illicit trade in 20073 Ranking Country Illicit trade (bns of cigarettes) 1
China
214
2
Russian Federation
76
3
United States
62
4
EU
58
5
Brazil
38
6
Philippines
19
7
India
18
8
Indonesia
14
9
Pakistan
13
10
Turkey
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Table 3: Cigarette prices in selected markets5 (value in US $) Market
Total illicit cigarette market (% of consumption)
11.60%
9.80%
12.10%
Total illicit cigarette market (cigarettes per year)
657 bn
124 bn
533 bn
$40.5 bn
$17.6 bn
$22.9 bn
Estimated deaths in 2030
8.3 mn
1.5 mn
6.8 mn
If this illicit trade were eliminated immediate gain in revenue
$31.3 bn
$13 bn
$18.3 bn
Lives saved in 2030 and annually thereafter
164,000
32,000
132,000
(ii) Tobacco tax evasion Tobacco taxes are a major source of revenue and have been a significant contributor to the economies of over 150 countries. For example In countries like India and Pakistan the unorganised beedi and gutkha industry which represent bigger share of tobacco consumed are big sources of revenue loss to government. Governments lose money when cigarettes are smuggled from lower tax to higher tax states. Most of the world’s leading cigarette brands are duplicated because they generate big profits for counterfeiters. The smugglers smuggle into a country where they can make the highest profit, and this should be a country where tax is a high proportion of the
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Average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes
Table 2: Revenue generated and lives saved with elimination of global illicit trade4 Current situation Global High Low and income middle countries income countries
Total revenue lost to governments
price. The losses in revenue as a result of illicit tobacco trade are enormous, but vary widely among countries. Taxes (excise duties and Value Added Tax), for instance, on a pack of Marlboro vary between $US 0.85 in China to $US 8 in the United Kingdom (see Table 3).
Russia Federation
0.68
India
0.78
China
0.84
Brazil
1.58
USA
4.10
Canada
6.34
United Kingdom
8.24
When tax revenues are stolen, they don’t go to their intended sources of funding tax relief programs, healthcare and infrastructure. In some cases, these stolen revenues have been shown to fund criminal and terrorist activities. As a result, governments lose millions of dollars in tax revenue and the security of their citizens is threatened.
Loss to Indian industry In India, the demand for low cost copies of premium brands, access to high quality reprographic technology that has made it easy and affordable to copy brand packaging, industrial globalisation, extended supply chains, lax regional law enforcement and criminal penalties are the main reasons for explosion in counterfeiting. As per Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) –responsible for keeping a watch on the illegal entry of foreign-made cigarettes into the Indian market), the margin in cigarettes is more nowadays and smugglers are now flooding the Indian market with foreign-made cigarettes as well as their fake. ■ India smuggled cigarettes were estimated to account for more than 14 percent of total cigarette consumption in India. ■ It is estimated that nearly 4 billion filter cigarettes are made annually and sold by unscrupulous manufacturers without paying of excise duty. ■ The 2007 ERC6 report noted that non-duty paid sales remains a major problem in India. ■ Further, the unorganized beedi and gutka industry have become a big source of revenue loss to government in India. ■ The inferior quality and inedible betel nuts being smuggled into the country, bypassing the excise duties,
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Cover Story
trade and entry taxes, from Nepal and north-eastern states are not only taking a toll on people’s health but also ruining the revenue targets of the government. The revenue department is estimated to incur a loss of over Rs 3,000 crore US$ every year due to this. Kanpur alone accounts for a revenue shortfall of Rs 900 crore owing to large consumption of such betel nuts in over 40 pan masala and gutkha production units. According to an official of the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the volume of trade in gutkha industry should fetch around Rs 3,500 crore as revenue but the recovery has failed to move beyond Rs 800 crore. The department had recently seized large quantities of betel nuts being illegally smuggled into the country from the Nepal border. A large number of smaller gutkha manufacturers spread across the city procure this smuggled supari from the network and sell the manufactured products in the market, without considering the ill-effects of low quality inputs. Due to the illicit nature of procurement, the finished products and the raw material purchases for this processing are not shown on the company records, thereby hitting the revenue targets of the government Source: www.business-standard.com
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DRI had recently issued guidelines for the manufacturers to show their monthly statements of raw material purchase and figures for gutkha production but the effect seems to be trifling According to industry players, Rs 200,000 worth betel nuts produce around Rs 2 crore worth of gutka. So, an estimated 100 tonnes of betel nuts (worth Rs 40 lakh) being traded into the city everyday produces gutka worth over Rs 4 crore everyday while this production is never on the record. Further the increased excise duty on tobacco industry in the Union Budget for 2010-11 may encourages evasion and inter-state / international smuggling (See Table 4).
Table 4: Basic excise duty on tobacco in India Commodity Excise Duty Increased Excise F.Y. Duty F.Y. 2009-2010 2010-11 Branded
42%
50%
Tobacco refuse
42%
50%
Chewing tobacco
50%
60%
Zarda, Scented tobacco and Snuff
50%
60%
Pan Masala
8%
10%
Branded Hookah or gudaku
8%
10%
unmanufactured tobacco
Source: Union Budget 2010-2011
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Solution - Hologram Globally, steps have been taken to fight this problem. One answer could be for India to adopt hologram or holograpic tax stamps. Tax stamps serve two purposes. One is to provide a record of payment of tax that is tracking of cigarette/ tobacco packs throughout their distribution would enable tax authorities to ensure proper tax collection.
Fig.2: A Hungarian tax stamp for cigarettes. Using since, 1995 Hungary was one of the first countries to use hologram on its tax stamps.
The other is to provide evidence that the stamp, and hence the product to which it is affixed, is genuine. Although it is a 15-year old application, holographic government tax stamps prove to be an important device for authentication and revenue collection purposes. Today, tax stamps make up a significant share of the security print market. It is part of the largest subsector of the security print market, placing tax stamps ahead of banknotes in terms of printed documents globally.
Fig 3: Latvia’s cigarette tax stamps are applied as self-adhesive holographic labels
In the current global markets, to fight the problem of tobacco counterfeiting, holographic tax stamps are widely used for authentication worldwide. Holograms are security devices that have effects which cannot be exactly replicated by normal reprographics methods. Expensive and high-tech hologram printers print holograms directly on cigarette packets. As per Reconnaissance international, UK globally, an estimated 124 billion tax stamps are issued annually for cigarettes out of which 60 billion features a hologram. As of 2007, 68 countries were using tax stamps for cigarettes, of these 20 used hologram on their cigarette stamps which is 29% of the total.
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The Holography Times
Cover Story For example In Asia also, a Chinese tobacco company uses a flexo press printer that incorporates a hot foil hologram unit to print holograms. These are printed on the flip-tops of boxes and on the outer boxes of the cigarette packets, so consumers can easily check if products are genuine. Further, Bangladesh has started using tax stamps six years back, and since the introduction the government’s collection from this industry increased consistently. After the introduction of tax stamps and band rolls six years back, the Bangladesh government’s collected approximately Taka 45 billion (US $ 650 million) in VAT and supplementary duty during fiscal 2007-2008. As per Ukraine’s EADPS consortium, which is endorsed by INTERPOL, advances in hologram technology can help government in safe guarding loss of revenue worth $ 50 billion (US). In India, holograms are used by tobacco manufacturers to combat counterfieting. It is used in various forms for example: i. Holographic tagger foil for tin boxes ii. Holographic security thread for tobacco packs iii. Holographic pouch iv. Security Hologram
Recommendations Undoubtedly, hologram have become widely accepted as an effective authentication device. Today, they present a great opportunity for governments to act decisively & boost excise revenue from growing tobacco sales, and for manufacturers to protect their brand and use the technology as an integral part of their strategy. The Secretary General of the World Customs Organizations has singled out praise for the Ukrainian systems of protecting goods with tax stamps with holographic security elements. Also, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have both declared the introduction of anti-counterfeiting measures such as forgery-proof tax stamps as essential to combating tobacco smuggling. Thus, Indian Excise Department too should use security holograms to check the theft and pilferage of Central Excise Duty on various excisable tobacco products like Cigarette and Pan Masala. The Hologram should have central excise Logo, incorporating various holographic security features, lot number and serial number etc. Mandatory application of Holograms on tobacco products and the use of holographic technology will substantially increase the Excise Revenue and prove to be the best solution for protecting tax stamps against the indelible mark of the counterfeiter. ■
References: 1 Beedi-A beedi is a thin, South Asian cigarette made of 0.2-0.3 grams of tobacco flake wrapped in a tendu (or temburini; Diospyros melonoxylon) leaf and secured with colored thread at both ends. 2 Gutkha – Manufactured in India Gutkha is a preparation of crushed betel nut, tobacco, catechu, lime and sweet or savory flavorings. 3 Framework Convention Alliance, How big was the global illicit trade problem in 2006? Geneva, 2007, available at www.fctc.org/.../ fca-2007-cop-illicit-trade-how-big-in-2006-en.pdf
In year 2007-2008, Imperial Tobacco developed holographic cartons designed to celebrate Lambert & Butler position of 10 years as UK’s biggest FMCG brand. The hologram used by Imperial Tobacco received the “Best promotion award” given by International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).
4 A report on tobacco taxation by Bloomberg Philanthropies & Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 5
Euromonitor international
6 ERC group, World cigarettes/1, The 2007 Survey India, Suffolk, 2007
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Reconnaissance International
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British American Tobacco
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Euromonitor International Currency market insight, India, March 2005
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Godfrey Phillips India.
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ITC India
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www.taxstamforum.com
Lambert & Butler is a British cigarette brand.
The strategy is to increase the sale of products by using innovative packaging, giving unique look, increasing brand identity as well as to secure the product from counterfeiters.
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Company Profile
Holostik security solutions for the tobacco market
F
orgery and falsification affect almost every area of economic and social life today- Tobacco counterfeiting and trade in fake cigarettes being the latest alert that has been in the news. It is a huge business all over the world, operating as an underground economy. Both smokers and non-smokers alike know, smoking is bad for health, but fake cigarettes can be even more so. Holostik India, a pioneer in providing security solutions, views tobacco anticounterfeiting with significant priority. To counteract the duplication of tobacco products and packaging, there are many anti-counterfeit technology products that can be introduced, the most effective solution amongst them being the use of holograms. These are recognised worldwide as the premier optical security and authentication technology. Since 1991, Holostik India provides security solutions to various industries helping them combat counterfeiting. Today, it provides customised tailormade solutions to more than 5000 customers in the government, public and private sectors including some of the leading tobacco manufacturers in India. Today, Holostik’s security solutions are used to protect and authenticate varied products and packs in the tobacco industry. These solutions are available at varied levels of security- security solutions, semi high security solutions and high security solutions but, Holostik always incorporates certain security features in all of the above three categories so that it is impossible for counterfeiters to duplicate.
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Security Solutions for the tobacco industry:
■ Holographic industry
pouch
for
gutkha
Using holographic products is a reliable way to integrate brand protection security solutions onto tobacco packaging / products. This is because they are instantly recognizable to the naked eye, and uniquely resistant to counterfeiting. Holostik on the basis of demand and requirement, offers a wide range of products to address the challenges faced by the tobacco industry. From security labels to security holograms, high security paper label to holographic stripe, holographic pouch to holographic tagger foil; Holostik overt security, covert security and forensic technologies have been applied to a wide variety of products within the tobacco sector. These include ■ Holographic tagger foil for tin boxes
■ Holographic stripe
■ ■ ■ ■
Security seal for cigarette packs Re-sealable labels for loose tobacco Security labels for loose tobacco High security paper label with security hologram ■ Complete holographic solutions Holostik is a leading manufacturer with fully integrated and modern facilities and capabilities from master origination to finished products all under one roof. It offers services like design, origination, manufacturing and distribution to help steer clients from concept to product launch. It develops security solutions according to specific packaging shape and size requirements, whilst integrating the latest security technology. Holostik stands for authenticity. It has helped the government protect revenue, manufacturers protect brand image and has made the consumer more confident about buying a genuine product. ■ For more information contact at holostik@vsnl.com or visit www.holostik.com
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Technology
UV assisted casting of microstructures for high-volume production of diffractive optical elements on foil Lars R. Lindvold (lali@stensborg.dk) and Jan Stensborg, (jan@stensborg.dk) Stensborg A/S; Frederiksborgvej 399/Niels Bohr, DK 4000 Roskilde, Denmark (www.stensborg.com)
Abstract We present the first commercially available system for in-line printing of diffractive microstructures as a part of a conventional 4-colour printing machine for e.g. label printing. The purpose of these diffractive microstructures is either as decorative or product security. This article will focus on the challenges of transferring diffractive microstructures, by means of rotation micro-moulding and UV curable lacquers in a process known as HoloPrint™ at a speed of 60 m/min with high fidelity. The possible use of this technology as a generalised platform in industrial roll-to-roll (R2R) fabrication of microstructures will also be discussed.
Introduction Diffractive optical elements can be applied as an integral part of packaging materials, where they are used for decoration or as a security element or a combination of both. This is normally done by application of a label containing diffractive optical elements, that is holograms. The label is often manufactured by an embossing method. This requires the label to be applied to the packaging material in a process that is separate to the label fabrication. Often this is a multi-step procedure, taking place at different locations. From a printers perspective this solution is not very satisfactory. First of all, the many handling steps often involve transport of the material between multiple locations resulting in high costs of this type of label material. Furthermore, the mere fact that the diffractive elements have to be added to the printed material in an off –line process makes it difficult to integrate these structures in the graphics design, The result is the familiar silverlike patch with sparkling colour seen on bank notes and tickets. In order to change this paradigm, two Danish companies Stensborg A/S (hologram manufacturer) and Nilpeter
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A/S (manufacturer of label printing machines) formed a joint venture aimed at developing a printing process that would enable a printer to execute both conventional 4-colour printing and transfer of diffractive optical elements to a web in an in-line process. An additional feature of the printing process should be its ability to print in register . Implemented on a printing machine this would allow the printer to integrate diffractive optical elements at will in a graphics design. Such a process would represent a major shift in paradigm in the printing industry. The design of the system that we wish present in this article is largely inspired by conventional flexographic printing machines and an extension of a replication technique known as soft lithography. The concept of soft lithography based on replication of UV curable polymers using elastomer as micro moulds was originally pioneered by Whitesides et al and the IBM research group in Zurich (CH).
Fabrication of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) The fabrication of DOEs can be divided into three steps:
1. Master fabrication 2. Fabrication of replication tool 3. Mass production The most common diffractive DOEs are those based on a micro surface relief. This type has the advantage of being fairly easy to replicate and to massproduce due to its surface structure . The generic feature of all diffractive DOEs is a periodic microstructure like the one shown in Figure 1. Typically, this structure will have fringe spacing of 500-1500 nm and a relief depth of 50300 nm.
Fig.1. AFM scan of section of master grating in photo resist on glass. Depth is 300 nm and width is 1000 nm of the groove structure
The two most prevalent methods of master fabrication are either by the use of a high-resolution laser plotter Figure 2a, or by interference of two or more laser beams as shown in Figure 2b.
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Technology
2a. High-resolution laser plotter Fig. 3b. The glass master is placed in a Ni-sulphamate bath as a cathode together with a Ni anode. By passing a current through the bath, Ni is electrolytically deposited on the cathode in a layer with a thickness of a few 100 microns. After the process this Ni-replica is removed from the glass master.
The advantage of using UV curable polymers is that this type of polymers is commercially available with a variety of mechanical, thermal, optical and chemical properties as shown in table 1. Fig. 2b. Interferometrical recording.
The recording of the microstructure requires a photosensitive material, typically photo resist. This material will record the microstructure as a surface relief after exposure and subsequent development as shown in figure 1. The glass master is too fragile to be used in mass production and it is necessary to make a replica of it. Fortunately, the CD and DVD industry already has developed a method known as electroforming whereby replicas of microstructures can made commercially . The basics of this method, sometimes referred to as electroforming, are outlined in Figure 3 a and b. The Ni-replica can be used for mass fabrication either by injection moulding or embossing in suitable polymer materials like the mould material currently used in the HoloPrint™ process, as will be described later in this article.
The UV replication method
Table 1. Properties of UV curable polymers in the cured state. Property Range Mechanical
Hardness Shore D 30-85 Modulus of Elasticity (psi) 103-105 Tensile strength
Thermal
Degradation temp 140-400°C
Chemical
Water absorption down to 0.5% Chemical resistant good except chlorinated solvents
Optical
Refractive index 1.42-1.65 Transmission windows: 350-900 nm, 450-900 nm, 500-900 nm, 600-900 nm
The wide range of properties is facilitated by the difference in polymer and photoinitiator composition . Typically the commercially available UV resins are pure acrylates, or acrylated urethanes, epoxies or silicones. Furthermore, this type of polymers can be dyed to enhance the contrast of the hologram without sacrificing its UV curing property. In that case the UV curable polymer is referred to as UV curable ink.
Fig. 3a. A thin metal layer is deposited on the photo resist glass master in vacuum to render it electrically conductive.
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In terms of surface properties, UV curable polymers provide the user with a plethora of possibilities. One of the most common methods of surface modification is the so-called photografting . Using this procedure, surface properties like hydrophilicity and friction can be altered.
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Technology The wide range of properties is facilitated by the difference in polymer and photoinitiator composition . It is noteworthy that the photoinitiator not necessary has to be UV sensitive but can have its spectral sensitivity in the visible spectrum. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to describe the process as photo-curing rather than just UV-curing.
A polymer material was developed for the HoloPrint™ mould that could fulfil the following requirements: • • •
Highly UV transparent Good mechanical stability Perfect release properties with respect to the cured lacquer
The HoloPrint™ process In order to develop this method into a fully integrated mass production tool, we need to turn the batch process into a reciprocating process that is compatible with a flexographic process. The proof-of-principle set-up that has demonstrated this concept is shown in Figure 4. The process has been dubbed HoloPrint™ . Although the process strictly speaking is a micro-moulding process we decided to name it HoloPrint™ to make it more acceptable to the printing industry. Fig.5. Transmission curve of a HoloPrint™ mould material recorded using a CARY 50 spectrophotometer.
Fig.6. Details of printing roller with mounted wafers (maud)
Fig.4. HoloPrint™ principle. UV resin is applied to a substrate material and brought into contact with the mould. UV resin is cured in the line of focus and the micro surface relief is replicated onto the substrate.
The key feature of this technology is photo-curing of a liquid polymer in the contact point of a mould material placed around the cylinder and the web carrying the UV-curable lacquer. Technically speaking, this step is referred to as curing in the nib. The UV curable polymer is applied to the web by a conventional flexographic roller. The thickness of the layer typically ranges from 1 to 10 microns. The lower limit on the thickness is set by flatness of the foil and the mechanical tolerances of the roller. The upper limit is essentially set by the UV power available from the lamp and the viscosity of the UV resin. In the case of paper foil it is recommended that an overcoat of UV polymer be applied prior to the actual hologram coating.
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As it can be seen in figure 5, the new HoloPrint™ mould material turned out to possess good UV transparency. Further refinements in the optics and proper thermal management of the lamp-printing cylinder unit eventually lead to a printing speed of 60 m/min, the design target for the HoloPrint™ process.
HoloPrint Mark IV (HP 4) The HP 4 unit has been designed to match the functionality of a printing machine. This version was presented at the LabelExpo 2009 in Brussels and is shown in figure 7 and 8.
Fig.7. The HP4 machine as it appeared at the LabelExpo 2009 exhibition in Brussels.
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Technology Replication of digital data media Fig.10. 5μm x 5 μm AFM images shown in top-view pseudo 3D projection of the DVD Ni-master (left), the polymer mould (middle) and the UV lacquer replica (right). The image of the polymer mould has been inversed and mirrored in order to ease comparison. AFM scan courtesy of Dr. Anders Kühle Danish Institute for Fundamental Metrology (DFM).
Fig. 8. Close up of the flexo and HP4 units.
Fig.9. Close up of the printing.
Throughout the past 10 years optical data storage has increased its storage capacity dramatically. One of the media is the DVD. This medium is fabricated by cementing together two 600 micron thick DVDs made by injection moulding. The current trend points towards even higher storage capacities. This can only be accomplished by stacking even thinner layers. The fabrication of these discs with conventional injection moulding technology will become quite difficult as thickness decreases. We have tested the UV replication technology described in this article for this purpose. The result can be seen in figure 10. Holographic optical elements (HOEs) HOEs are essentially flat elements with optical properties determined by a microstructure. The proliferation of mobile phones has augmented the use of HOEs, as they frequently are use as focussing diffusers and colour filters in the LCD displays of these phones. A present, these components are mass-produced using the DuPont Omnidex photopolymer . We believe that the replication method described in this article could be a cost-effective alternative to DuPont photopolymer.
Applications The aim of this project was originally to be able to print microstructures in-line, and in register, with an ordinary multicolour flexographic printing machine. The main application for this application was inline printing of labels for product security . It is evident that the applications for this system extend far beyond this goal. We have identified a number of possible application areas for the HoloPrint™ system.
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Fig.10. 5μm x 5 μm AFM images shown in top-view pseudo 3D projection of the DVD Ni-master (left), the polymer mould (middle) and the UV lacquer replica (right). The image of the polymer mould has been inversed and mirrored in order to ease comparison. AFM scan courtesy of Dr. Anders Kühle Danish Institute for Fundamental Metrology (DFM).
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Technology Microstructures for control of cell growth An interesting application of microand nanostructures is the control of cell growth . This area of research is particularly relevant when it comes to growing artificial tissue. Usually this is done on a collagen coated Petri dish. We suggest that our method could prove to be of value, if the microstructure had to be transferred to a membrane. Optoelectronics in plastics One of the emerging technologies in display technology is polymer-based LEDs and flat-screen displays . Unlike conventional LEDs based on semiconductor processing, these components are based on screenprinting technology combined with conductive polymers like Orgacon from Afga . This format permits the display to be formed on a flexible substrate at very low cost. Combining this technology with HoloPrint™ would make it possible integrate light control function like polarisation control and focussing directly into the light emitting structure. In this way, novel designs for light emitting devices may be devised. Microfluidics One of newcomers to Life Science is the Lab-on-a-chip. The aim of this technique is to provide drug discovery and genetics with a tool for high throughput screening methods. The core technology in most of these systems is microfluidics. The technology makes it possible to microfabricate flow channels, mixers and reaction chambers on a chip . Recently, microfluidics has merged with optics and light emitting components into optofluidics . It would be interesting to see if HoloPrint™ combined with inkjet and laser direct write technologies could provide a platform for complete chemical analysis system to be integrated monolithically. So far, most of the work done in this area has used conventional chip fabrication and microinjection moulding technology. We believe that a novel concept for Lab-ona-chip would be Lab-on-a-foil. We claim that this could be a future application for the HoloPrint™ process.
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4.
M.Gale, “Replication techniques for diffractive optical elements”, Microelectronic Engineering, vol. 34, pp 321-339, 1997.
5.
Typically this kind of plotter has a resolution of 25000 dpi, which should be compared to an ordinary laser printer with 1200 dpi.
6.
Strictly speaking the electroforming process dates back to the days of the old vinyl records.
7.
C. Roffey, “Photogeneration of reactive species for UV curing”, Wiley 1997.
15.
I.R. Bellobono and E. Selli, “Photografting processes into polymers”, pp 115-148, in Photopolymerisation and photoimaging science and technology, ed. N.S. Allen, Elsevier Applied Science, 1989.
16.
C. Roffey, “Photogeneration of reactive species for UV curing”, Wiley 1997.
17.
Patent EP1150843 “Method And Device For Rotational Moulding Of Surface Relief Structures”, L.R.Lindvold, J.Stensborg and T.Rasmussen.
18.
R.L. van Renesse ed., Optical Documents Security, Artech House, 1998
19.
Process and technology innovation manager Steen Vesborg, Carlsberg Group, for his valuable suggestions pertaining UV lacquers, polymers and process integration. ■
B. Loiseaux, C. Joubert, A. Deboulbé, J.P. Huignard, B. Morbieu, F. Delauzun, T.J. Trout and W.J. Gambogi, “Phase volume holographic components for LCD applications, Proceedings of the Sixth International Display Workshops, pp 1025-1028, 1999.
20.
C.S. Chen, M. Mrksich, S. Huang, G.M. Whitesides and D.E. Ingber,”Geometric control of cell life and death”, Science, 276, pp 1425-1428, 1997.
References
21.
Printing in register is a term used in the printing and desktop publishing industry. It is the method of correlating colour separations.
For an extensive update on this area please consult the homepage of Cambridge Display Technology at www.cdtltd.co.uk
22.
S.Brittain, K. Paul, X-M Zhao and G. Whitesides, “Soft lithography and microfabrication”, Physics World, 11, no. 5, pp 31-36, 1998.
For more information please consult http://www.agfa.com/en/sp/solutions/ orgacon_electronic_materials/index. jsp
23.
M.J. Madou and G.J. Kellogg, “The LabCD: A centrifuge-based microfluidic platform for diagnosis”, Proceedings of the SPIE, 3259, pp 8093, 1998.
24.
An excellent review of the current stateof-the-art can be found a special issue of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, Vol. 4, No 1 & 2, 2008.
Conclusions It has been demonstrated that in-line fabrication of diffractive microstructures, in register with the printed graphics design, is possible on a conventional flexo label printing machine. We are convinced that this system can be utilised in general for industrial scale production a variety of micro- and even nano structures. A number of these applications may even find their way into smart packaging materials.
Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the following individuals for contributing to the project: Bent Hansen, Nilpeter A/S, for his patience, ingenuity and technical support during the factory tests of the system. Research Professor Dr. Niels B. Larsen, DTU Nano, for performing the AFM scans and his expert advice on PDMS. Christian Elbek, Chempilots A/S, is acknowledged for fruitful discussions on UV curable polymers other materials issues.
1.
2.
3.
B.Michel, A. Bernard, A. Bietsch, E. Delarmarche, M. Geissler, D. Juncker, H. Kind, J. -P. Renault, H. Rothuizen, H. Schmid, P. Schmidt-Winkel, R. Stutz and H. Wolf, ”Printing meets lithography: Soft approaches to highresolution patterning”, IBM J. Res. & Dev., 45, No. 5, pp 697-719, 2001.
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Industry Updates
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Upcoming Events Secure Documents 2010 28-30 April 2010, Rennaissance M Street Hotel, Washington, DC, USA An important event in the field of high security printing, encompassing the latest products, technologies, and application for the production and issue of currency, passports, e-ID, revenue stamps and other government issued financial or identification documents. For more details contact Tel: +1 202 3097296, Email: john.buss@pira-international.com; Web: www.securedocumentsconference.com
2nd Tax Stamp Forum 14-15 June, 2010, London, UK Theme: Effective Programmes to Maximise Revenue, Focus: Development and deployment of technologies and system that are resulting in an increase in government revenues and a decrease in contraband and counterfeit products. For more details contact Tel: +44 (0) 1932 785680, Fax: +44 (0) 1932 780790 Email: info@reconnaissance-intl.com; Web: www.taxstampforum.com
Abu Dhabi International Anti-Counterfeiting Conference & Exhibition 2010 10 - 12 Oct 2010, Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi International Anti-Counterfeiting Conference & Exhibition 2010 focuses on the displaying of counterfeit goods and identifying to the general public, trading companies and brand companies the difference between genuine goods and counterfeit goods. For more information visit http://www.zonegroupuae.ae
Holopack-Holoprint 2010 14-16 November 2010, Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia A must attend event for all holography community, the venue for the Annual General Meeting of International Hologram Manufacturers Association and a place where the best industry work was awarded with Annual Excellence Holography Awards. For more details contact Tel: +44 (0) 1932 785680, Fax: +44 (0) 1932 780790 Email: info@reconnaissance-intl.com, Web: www.holopackholoprint.info
9th Asian High Security Printer Conference 17-19 November 2010, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia For more details contact Tel: +44 (0) 1932 785 680, Fax: +44 (0) 1932 780 790 Email: info@cross-conferences.com; Web: www.cross-conferences.com
Pack Plus 2010 3-6 December 2010, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India A mega event that encompasses all the segments related to packaging, processing and supply chain. For more details contact Tel: +91 (11) 29812833, Fax: +91 (11) 41722130 Email: info@packplus.in; Web: www.packplus.in
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