Steel Defense: SMX's Digital Marking Tackles Counterfeits And Boosts Sustainability

In the rapidly evolving world of electric components and parts, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of materials is more critical than ever. The rise of counterfeits poses a significant threat to the safety, reliability, and efficiency of electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure. The global market for these goods is immense, with the electric vehicle industry alone projected to reach $802.81 billion by 2027. Counterfeiting is estimated to account for up to 10% of this market, costing businesses billions in revenue and damaging brand reputations. As manufacturers seek to protect their products and uphold stringent standards, a groundbreaking solution has emerged: digitally marking steel components to safeguard their integrity and traceability throughout the entire production process. The innovative approach of SMX (Security Matters) and how its technology revolutionizes the steel manufacturing industry ensures the protection of electric components and parts.

The primary challenge faced by the manufacturing industry is to mark the steel without affecting its mechanical and material properties during the entire manufacturing process, from melting to the finished product, including recycling. This challenge is particularly critical for industries that rely on high-quality steel, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure, where the integrity and reliability of components are paramount. 

 “The SMX offering delivers tangible data-driven results relating to supply chain transparency and product authenticity to the aviation industry across key materials from origin, through manufacturing, production, assembly, and throughout the material lifecycle," says the company.

At a manufacturing facility in Europe, steel was marked for brand identification, ethical sourcing, and for recycle and reuse (green steel) purposes. The objective was to embed a unique marking technology within the steel slabs at the melting stage, ensuring the markers could withstand all subsequent manufacturing processes, from casting and rolling to annealing and galvanization. 

“We look to support our customers’ transition to circularity by giving selected and strategic materials and products a direct connection to supply chain, production, maintenance, and end-of-life (recycled and reuse) data. We give materials a memory of their journey inside the operations in a real-time manner, allowing dynamic decision-making and insight all year round,” the company explained.

SMX introduced its pioneering marking technology at the melting stage of steel production. This innovative approach allowed the marks to survive through the entire manufacturing process, providing a robust solution for tracking and authenticating steel products. The technology’s success was demonstrated in several key areas, starting with durability and traceability. SMX’s marking system was successfully detected throughout the steel production process, from melting to galvanization. This demonstrated the durability and traceability of the technology, ensuring that the marks remained intact and readable at every stage. 

“Our technology creates a physical link between strategic materials and our customers’ value chain operations in a real-time manner 24 x 7 x 365,” emphasized senior management.

Moreover, the unique technology provided a non-destructive way of tracing, identifying, authenticating, and validating the marked steel. During blind testing, 100% of all samples were read successfully, confirming the system’s reliability and accuracy. Maintaining material properties was another critical success criterion, and SMX’s technology achieved this. All mechanical and material properties, including tensile strength, microstructure, hardness, grain size, and adherence, remained intact. 

“SMX creates value by delivering trusted data and insight into the quality, status, location, and lifecycle of strategic materials and products across the aviation sector,” says the company.

The primary objectives and success criteria for the implementation of SMX’s marking technology were clear: to embed the marking technology within the steel slab during the melting stage at an authorized facility to authenticate the steel’s origin; to ensure the detection of the marking system within the steel after each stage of the manufacturing process, from casting to galvanization; to guarantee the durability of the marking system through each stage of the manufacturing process while maintaining the steel’s properties; and to demonstrate that the marking system does not affect the material or mechanical properties of the final product.

SMX successfully implemented its marking system across several batches of steel slabs at the melting stage. The marked steel was distinguishable from unmarked steel, providing clear authentication of the steel’s origin. The system’s durability was proven as it was detected throughout the entire production process, from melting and casting to hot and cold rolling, annealing, and finally galvanization. 

“We provide a single technology platform that can integrate with third-party systems combined with our marking technology to validate, authenticate, and report across complex aviation supply chain operations. We deliver insight and both quantitative and qualitative data to our customers,” explained one executive.

The marking technology provided a non-destructive method of tracing and authenticating the steel, with blind testing confirming the reliability and accuracy of the system. Importantly, the marking system did not affect the steel’s mechanical and material properties, ensuring that the final product met all required standards.

The successful implementation of SMX’s marking technology represents a significant advancement for the steel manufacturing industry. By enabling complete traceability and authenticity, manufacturers can now provide accurate data on the origination and recycled content of their steel products. This enhances the ability to demonstrate ethical sourcing and sustainability practices, which is particularly important in the production of green steel for electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure.

“SMX offering delivers tangible data-driven results relating to supply chain transparency and product authenticity to the aviation industry across key materials from origin, through manufacturing, production, assembly, and throughout the material lifecycle,” noted company representatives. This technology not only supports the transition to a circular economy but also provides real-time insights that enable dynamic decision-making. 

All of SMX’s staff I spoke with summarized the impact by stating, “We look to support our customers’ transition to circularity by giving selected and strategic materials and products a direct connection to supply chain, production, maintenance, end-of-life (recycled and reuse) data. We bring to life the material inside their operations in a real-time manner, allowing dynamic decision-making and insight all year round.”

As the demand for high-quality, reliable steel continues to grow, particularly in the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors, the ability to trace and authenticate materials becomes increasingly important. SMX’s innovative technology provides a robust solution, paving the way for a future where the integrity and sustainability of steel products are assured. This advancement not only enhances the quality and reliability of electric components and parts but also reinforces the industry’s commitment to a greener, more sustainable future.

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This post was authored by an external contributor and does not represent Benzinga’s opinions and has not been edited for content. This contains sponsored content and is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.