Automechanika 2008: No chance for dangerous fakes - ATE introduces new brand and product protection system
In future, ATE branded products for the aftermarket from the international automobile supplier Continental will be absolutely identifiable as ATE original replacement parts for vehicle repair and maintenance purposes. The tesa Holospot® and TecIdentify security components that the company is introducing will ensure two stages of protection for all ATE products.
Frankfurt, September 16, 2008
A seemingly tiny thing can have serious consequences. If a workshop installs a lower quality counterfeit in the belief that they are installing an original ATE brake pad, the accident risk increases considerably. In particular with safety-relevant components, a lack in quality can lead to a total fallout. To ensure that workshops and retailers know that they are using original ATE replacement parts, and passing these on to the end customers, there is now a two stage security concept which enables the unique identification of the products. The TecIdentify security code acts as a new aftermarket industry standard, giving products on the open replacement part market a world-wide unique and piece-individual identification number. The tesa Holospot® security technology protects this code from being reproduced or imitated.
Christoph Stegemann, Head of product management for brakes, explains the new technology: "TecIdentify is a self-contained security system which generates piece-individual and heavily encrypted sequences of numbers. This means that all product packaging receives an individual security code which contains, among other things, the barcode and the series number, and is also represented as a 2D barcode. Thus the code can be checked using an ordinary 2D barcode scanner or over the Internet by entering it via the keyboard. This makes it an especially efficient system when it comes to tracing goods within the logistics chain."
The properties of the tesa Holospots® from tesa scribos® also guarantee optimum counterfeiting and copy protection. The last 4 numbers of the TecIdentify can be verified with the naked eye in the shimmering Holospot lithogram. Additional features can be checked with the aid of a simple magnifying glass. In addition to these visible features, the tesa Holospot® also contains hidden information. To read the saved hidden data in an uncomplicated manner, ATE uses a new generation of laser magnifying glasses. The tesa Holospot® has been combined with the product label in such a way that it cannot be manipulated and has been integrated perfectly into the design of the packaging. It is not possible to make any changes or attempt to create a copy, as the technology for this is only available at tesa scribos®. This increases the protective effect and the scope of use of the security labeling.
The validity of the TecIdentify security code can be checked on the Internet under www.ate.de. The authenticity of the security label and thus, the authenticity of the product, can however also be easily verified without Internet access by using the tesa Holospot® features.
What is important is that this new security concept incurs no additional costs for ATE customers. The new security features will help to prevent the risks caused by the use of lower quality copies in place of high quality ATE original replacement parts. And this will considerably reduce the not inconsiderable economic damages caused by product piracy and counterfeiting. According to Stegemann,"The combined use of tesa Holospot® and TecIdentify will allow ATE to put paid to low quality counterfeit products in which no development work has been invested and which have usually not been subjected to the appropriate testing and approval procedures, to the benefit of the end customer.
With targeted annual sales of more than €26.4 billion for 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Today, the corporation employs approximately 150,000 at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.
Supplying both OEMs and the aftermarket worldwide, the Interior Division of Continental AG develops and produces electronic systems which allow the information in a vehicle to be controlled and communicated according to the requirements of the driver and the driving situation. The Division achieves annual sales of more then € 6 billion (based on 2006 figures) with a workforce of more than 33,000 at present. The range of products includes instruments clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car entry systems, tire information systems, climate control systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, telematics solutions as well as cockpit modules and systems. The Interior Division develops vehicle electronics enabling car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication, Internet access and the seamless integration of mobile devices (car-to-device). The focus on systems integration offers customers less complexity and ensures efficient and cost-effective solutions for the management of information in passenger cars as well as commercial and special vehicles.
With the Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket (CV / AM) business unit, Continental caters to the specific requirements of those sectors. Covering the brands Continental, VDO, and ATE, the business unit offers electronic products, systems, and services. Its spectrum of products for commercial and special vehicles includes tachographs, control systems for drive and onboard electronics, components for human-machine-interface such as instrumentation, panels and cockpit solutions, onboard toll units, and telematics units for public transit. Its offerings for the independent parts trade and non-affiliated workshops range from fuel systems and components for windshield and headlight cleaning systems to replacement parts for brakes and diagnostic instruments. CV / AM is also responsible for supplying replacement parts after a series is discontinued by the vehicle manufacturer. A global network of marketing and service companies completes the unit’s range.
