tesa Holospot®-Technology protects auto parts from forgery

Product piracy and grey market trade obviously are a profitable business. According to the US American “Federal Trade Commission“ the damage caused by product forgery in the automobile industry amounts to 12.0 billion US Dollars annually. Estimates indicate that in Europe up to ten percent of spare parts are faked. Apart from the financial losses the affected companies suffer from damages to their reputation. “Many motorists often are not aware that the use of substandard auto spare parts can put their personal safety at risk. We wish to protect consumers against fakes since normally they rely on the quality of genuine spare parts”, says Stefan Dötsch, Director Service & Parts with Siemens VDO Trading GmbH in Frankfurt am Main.

Globally acknowledged problem
Through world wide distribution net works as well as counterfeiters operating increasingly bolder and more professional the risk to come across faked products increases even at appointed dealers and garages. A problem that can result in legal consequences in case of an accident: Apart from the original manufacturer also wholesalers and retailers as well as garages are under the burden of proof. “The whole supply chain is involved in this problem and should take respective counter measures”, explains Stefan Dötsch.

Systematic method of resolution
With its scheme of original spare parts for the free parts market Siemens VDO proactively counteracts the threat for customers, brand image and sales. For that purpose the packaging of spare parts will in future be equipped with the fraud resistant tesa Holospot®. In a first step the described marking will be used with immediate effect for the product group of sensors for motor management. Moreover, this marking system is already in use for the most frequently imitated products of the fuel systems and engine regulation elements range of Siemens VDO. The multilayer label with the small data field allows saving of open and covert safety features which help to clearly distinguish originals from fakes. At the same time Siemens VDO has informed all partners involved in the process, distribution, wholesalers and retailers as well as garages of the identification details of the genuine products. In this way they can verify the authenticity of the products on site.

tesa scribos helps with distinct marking
tesa scribos GmbH of Heidelberg, an affiliate of tesa SE with headquarters in Hamburg, specialises in system solutions for product protection and identification. The tesa Holospot®-System developed by tesa scribos GmbH not only offers maximum security against forgery in several levels due to an item individual mark in a tiny area but, furthermore, the additional option of an efficient tracing of grey market merchandise – a combination that other methods so far employed cannot offer. Depending on the intended purpose fraud resistant marks visible to the naked eye can be used, or a micro script readable by magnifying glass, as well as digital holographic structures that only become visible through special reading devices. “tesa scribos is a system solutions provider possessing a large technology portfolio as well as extensive experience in design and implementation. The tesa Holospot®-System is already successfully in use elsewhere. That has convinced us“, says Stefan Dötsch.

100 percent success with Nivea-Products
The tesa Holospot®-System was already used with hair care products of the Nivea Hair Care brand in the Russian market. Investigations on site revealed a 30 percent share of faked products in 2004. Beginning with the second quarter manufacturer Beiersdorf had the products destined for the affected market equipped with the security labels of the tesa affiliate from Heidelberg. While the system was in use the appearance of fakes was constantly monitored by field investigations. After roughly one year not a single faked Nivea Hair Care product surfaced in the market place. Sales increased by 40 percent.

Additional information: www.tesa-scribos.com


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The tesa Holospot provides every item with an individual identity for verification of the product’s authenticity