Sun Chemical, of Fort Lee, NJ, USA, the world’s largest manufacturer of printing inks and organic pigments, has formed Sun Chemical Security, a new global business unit that will provide a range of products used to print packages, documents and currency that incorporate security measures. The unit also will market forensic security systems to ensure authenticity of the products themselves. John Luppino, general manager, will head the division.
Luppino says that Sun Chemical divides the security market into three distinct segments:
• “On product” brand protection: a set of inks that can be used to print invisible codes for tracking and tracing. Other technologies include customized taggants for machine-readable verification, and an array of overt printable solutions. This range of technologies can be used in concert to provide a layered approach to product protection.
• Forensic: new technology that can provide rapid authentication of the actual product without the use of taggants or markers. This technology “fingerprints” raw materials, and can also be used to ensure quality and manufacturing source without adulterating the product.
• Currency: primarily intaglio inks, as well as varnish and overt features designed to prevent counterfeiting.
Sun Chemical has acquired several companies with related technologies or has forged alliances with others to provide security products. In October it acquired the brand protection assets of Veritec Group Inc., which provides technology and services to protect product integrity and brand security.
Sun has a strategic marketing alliance with InkSure Technologies. The two companies offer machine-readable, ink based brand and document authentication solutions under the SunSure brand name.
In 1999, Sun Chemical acquired Swale, a manufacturer of security inks and coatings in the UK, and completed the purchase of AIC, a security ink and pigment maker based in Nantes, France, in 2003.
In related security applications, Sun Chemical also develops conductive inks that are used in EAS tags and RFID systems. The company is working with QinetiQ, a European technology company, to bring QinetiQ’s