Toppan Printing, a solutions provider, announced a security solution for Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.’s aftermarket parts packaging labels. The solution combines Toppan’s anti-counterfeit holograms with its ID-NEX service, which facilitates authentication and traceability with QR Codes scanned with smartphones.

According to Toppan, the inferior quality of counterfeiting and grey market diversion in the construction and transportation machinery sectors can lead to significant damage and loss, with defects during operation potentially resulting in serious and life-threatening accidents. Hitachi Construction Machinery adopted Toppan’s ID-NEX authentication and traceability service to address these issues and ensure product management throughout the distribution process.

Toppan says its solution combats imitation goods and illicit distribution with a cloud-based service and smartphone authentication, reducing initial costs and lead-time by eliminating the need for development of individual applications and systems. S-White, a hologram with black and white parts that reverse when the viewing angle rotates through 90°, demetallization processes used for applications such as banknotes, high-security RFID tags and QR codes and bar codes for assigning unique IDs enable visual verification of authenticity and help prevent label counterfeiting. Thermal transfer onto labels for parts can also makes holograms difficult to remove or reuse.

“Construction machinery is an essential part of infrastructure and is used for long periods after purchase, sustained by repeated part replacement and maintenance to ensure stable operation,” says Kenji Iitsuka, general manager, parts planning department, spare parts division, life cycle support group at Hitachi Construction Machinery. “This means that providing aftermarket parts is a very important business for us. Using Toppan’s ID-NEX authentication and traceability service will enable our customers throughout the world to confirm the authenticity of the parts we supply and use them with greater reassurance and peace of mind. We also aim to leverage enhanced traceability and distribution efficiency for parts to further expand value chain business in the future.”

In addition to the construction and transportation machinery sectors, the company is expanding the use of ID-NEX and related security solutions in sectors such as vehicle parts, fast-moving consumer goods and cosmetics. The ID-NEX authentication and traceability service provides end-to-end management of product life cycles to support brand protection, digital warranties, campaign entries and more.

“Toppan’s DX Design Division launched in April last year and we are using digital transformation to enhance efficiency for routine work, maximize added value for products based on data analysis and provide solutions for both our customers and wider society,” says Masanobu Koyama, senior general manager of business development in the security business center of Toppan’s DX design division. “We are delighted that Hitachi Construction Machinery has chosen ID-NEX, a cloud-based ID authentication service that is central to our DX business and we are confident that we can provide high added-value for our customers’ products.”

For more information visit www.hitachicm.com and www.toppan.com/en.