News

Red card for counterfeiters

When the card is inserted into a cash machine, the reader scans the surface in detail. The laser strikes the film at an oblique angle, detecting the tiny metallic particles it contains.

Zoom image

When the card is inserted into a cash machine, the reader scans the surface in detail. The laser strikes the film at an oblique angle, detecting the tiny metallic particles it contains.

Bayer MaterialScience and Bayer Technology Services have jointly developed a process to make credit cards and identity cards counterfeit-proof. Unlike with conventional cards, an optical code is the crucial factor in verifying authenticity.

The base material for these cards is Makrofol® ID ProteXXion, a polycarbonate film from Bayer MaterialScience with ultra-thin metallic platelets embedded in its surface. The random distribution and arrangement of these platelets give each card a unique surface. Thanks to the ProteXXion® process from Bayer Technology Services, this uniqueness can be used to ascertain beyond doubt whether a card is genuine.

For verification purposes, a laser beam scans the card surface at an oblique angle, and sensors register the reflection pattern. Devices based on this technology can read the reflection pattern and compare it with patterns stored in a database. If this comparison does not yield a match, the card is a forgery. The metallic particles embedded in the overlay film make every card as unique as a fingerprint.