Rexroth got its start as an iron foundry in 1795. In the 20th century, Rexroth acquired Indramat as its electrical drive and control division, and in the 20th century it merged with Bosch Automationstechnik. The resulting company, Bosch Rexroth, has continued to excel. And Bosch has something new to offer: Origify.
Counterfeit goods are a serious global problem. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, counterfeiters cost the global economy $500 billion each year. It’s not just losses to big companies from miscreants making knock-offs. It can also include health and safety issues, human trafficking, and slave labor.
Consider just the example of toys. Knock-off toys have been found to contain lead, parasites, and toxins that are strictly controlled in the original products. Parents, seduced by low prices, buy these counterfeit items for their children without realizing the potential dangers. The harm these counterfeits do is more obvious than the problems with counterfeit clothing, cosmetics, packaged foods, sports gear, and other consumer goods, but there are harmful effects in every industry.
What can manufacturers do about counterfeits?
Brands use many different methods to try to reduce counterfeit reproductions of their products. Logos and trademarks can be copied, serial numbers and bar codes may interfere with the aesthetic of the product, and labels can be removed.
More recent efforts include invisible markings, sometimes just a micron wide, in places where they are not likely to be noticed by criminals. These can be useful for establishing authenticity for products in court cases. They are not that useful in daily life. A buyer can’t readily check these markings, and consumers certainly can’t.
Bosch has a new idea.
Origify
Origify identifies and records the surface of the product — essentially taking its fingerprint. The unique surface produces a record without affecting the integrity of the product or its design. Then it can be authenticated with a smartphone.
Inspectors, buyers, retailers, and even shoppers can confidently authenticate goods without special technology. Using a smart phone app, users can get results in seconds.
The manufacturer captures the product’s “fingerprint” with a Desk Camera device when manufacturing the product. The device registers the identifying mars and stores the information in the Bosch cloud.
The same Desk Camera can be used for verification for large-scale situations, but there is also a phone app. The user is guided by the app to capture the designated area of the product, and its authenticity is verified in seconds — unless it is not authentic. In that case, the user knows that the product being tested is counterfeit.
Innovative technology that works and makes life better is a hallmark of Bosch Rexroth. When you need service or support for Rexroth motion control systems, we should be your first call.