Abstract: Counterfeiting product is impacting supply chains and customers from basic products to some of the most complicated assemblies. This paper will review a novel approach to anti-counterfeiting that several large, multi-national companies have used in order to combine effective protective packaging with the ability to confirm authenticity of the product inside. Using a new plastic packaging technology, that has unique electrical properties and visual appearance, under low powered magnification, it has become possible to combine oil-free, contamination free, long-term corrosion and degradation protection with permanent ESD protection alongside anti-counterfeiting protection. The material has unique ESD properties that can be determined with a simple meter, as well as unique appearance. We will review strategies in rigid plastic, flexible packaging and printing. The flexibility to cover multiple structures and formats makes the technology easy to employ. Since it provides equivalent protection as foil structures, it also allows for the use of RFID and other tracking and tracing strategies that require the ability to get electronic signals through the packaging.

Bio: Keith Donaldson is the president of Engineered Materials, Inc. in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He holds a B.S. in chemistry and chemical engineering from Wayne State University and an M.S. in engineering management from Northwestern University. He holds five patents and has developed numerous products in several fields including electronics, medical, automotive, termite repellant and aerospace. Keith is a board member of Masters of Engineering Management at Northwestern University.