Technological Developments Reaffirm Hologram Anti-counterfeiting Position

New technology continues to push the boundaries of holography as an effective ID anti-counterfeiting device. Here, Philip Hudson, chairman of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association, looks at one of the most significant—polycarbonate (PC) security laminates—and the benefits they provide.

In recent years we have seen polycarbonate-faced ID cards become increasingly widespread, aided by the use of smaller and lower cost laser engraving equipment. It is estimated that some 40 percent of passports worldwide and most national ID card programs now use PC.

The main attraction of hardwearing PC from a security perspective is that the layers that make up the card or data page are fused together during production, losing all laminar structure, and cannot be pried apart individually. This is a great benefit as any printing, personal data or security feature like a hologram contained within the depth of the card cannot be accessed using mechanical means by anyone trying to tamper with the document.

Holograms, recommended for passports by ICAO and mandatory in the European Union, have traditionally had metallized or high refractive index-coated acrylic bases. However, there are drawbacks: first, the brightness of the image can fade either during the heat and pressure of the lamination process or simply become dull over time. Second, the bond between the hologram and the polycarbonate is a weak point in the card and might result in a breakdown in the lamination of the layers.

But recently we have seen advancements in PC security laminates which could overcome both drawbacks.

The Holofuse from JDSU is a new PC film incorporating a clear holographic pattern into the surface without the use of adhesives. The technology, aimed at the identity document security market, is the first of its kind and will thwart counterfeiters as the holographic layer is integral and cannot be removed from the rest of the card.

The partially transparent and customized hologram within the polycarbonate film includes overt, covert and forensic security features.

The hologram is cast in to a coating which then fuses with the polycarbonate before being ready for lamination to the substrates used for ID and passport pages. It is also suitable for the laser engraving of the personal data—all of which avoids the need for a separate lamination step following the application of the variable data.

The cost-saving benefit together with improved anti-counterfeiting capability will appeal to manufacturers of documents like passports, identity cards and drivers’ licenses, where resistance to counterfeiting is vital. There is already considerable interest in Holofuse, particularly as optical features can be incorporated into the hologram at the time of origination and more security layers in the form of tagants and yes can be added if required.

Another interesting PC development comes from Optaglio with its OVmesh, a perforated metallic holographic patch which is embedded in the laminated PC card. OVmesh patches are metal and do not deteriorate under heat and pressure, retaining a high degree of brightness and clarity over a long period. A key feature is the pitch of the mesh can be tuned to provide variable transparency over the area of the hologram, so that part of the hologram can appear fully metallized for improved verification of the overt and covert security features. Other areas can be transparent over personal data such as the photograph.