Identify3D Partners with SLM Solutions for End-to-End Additive Manufacturing Security

A big concern for anyone in the 3D printing industry is intellectual property security. When you’re working with digital supply chains there are unique risks, but fortunately dedicated companies have arisen with the purpose of securing those supply chains and protecting that intellectual property. One of those companies is Identify3D, a San Francisco-based software provider for digital manufacturing security, quality and traceability. Identify3D won the formnext Startup Challenge last year, showing itself to be a promising company addressing multiple urgent needs in today’s industry.

Identify3D is now collaborating with SLM Solutions, a leading supplier of metal 3D printing technology. Identify3D will provide a solution for data protection along with contractual and manufacturing licensing from design to production on SLM Solutions’ laser melting machines. This solution will secure all data in the engineering phase, allowing SLM Solutions to secure digital IP, enforce production rules and provide traceability in the digital supply chain at the industry’s highest standard.

“We are very happy about our collaboration with SLM Solutions as the technological leader in metal-based additive manufacturing and the delivery of this proof of concept is a key step to enable decentralized manufacturing, one of the key element of Industry 4.0,” said Stephan Thomas, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Identify3D.

Identify3D will integrate its Identify3D Enforce security solution with SLM Solutions’ MCS machine control software, ensuring secure parts delivery to SLM 125, SLM 280, SLM 500, and SLM 800 3D printers with control over quantities to be produced over a defined period of time with selected parameters. 

“We are really looking forward to develop a long term collaboration with Identify3D since they can bring a key technology necessary to spread the benefits of our Industry 4.0 initiatives and solutions,” said Henner Schöneborn, member of the Management Board of SLM Solutions Group AG. “With the solutions of Identify3D we can offer our customers a secure way to manufacture from digital design according to very specific manufacturing requirements at machine level. This is much needed to accelerate the adoption of Additive Manufacturing for serial production of end parts.”

Concerns about digital security are one reason that many companies have been slow to adopt additive manufacturing to its fullest potential. This collaboration will provide that security, allowing for the acceleration of additive manufacturing technology across multiple industries.

Identify3D Enforce provides contoller, device and consumable authentication during production. The end-to-end solution enables the original secure design to be authenticated for production; variables such as user, type of machine, type of material and more can be used to control the production process, ensuring the highest quality to meet the original design specifications. Once the design has been 3D printed, a detailed analytics report is sent to the owner of the design to show what was 3D printed and where for a constant, secure feedback loop that can ensure quality in future iterations of the 3D printed parts.

The solution will be presented at Hannover Messe, taking place in Hannover from April 23rd to 27th, and RAPID + TCT, taking place in Fort Worth from April 23rd to 26th. Identify3D and SLM Solutions are currently in advanced talks about further integration of Identify3D’s solutions into SLM Solutions’ product portfolio.

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[Images provided by Identify3D]