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FAQ's for SANDS-SECURE® Security Products
What is security glitter?Security glitter - This material is a novel approach to brand protection in that we have placed the Anti-Counterfeiting Measure (ACM) in a surprising place: right on each tiny flake of glitter. Whether it is used in packaging, labeling, or the product itself, glitter draws the eye. The thousands of reflective surfaces that “twinkle” as our position changes provide an energy that cannot be ignored on the market floor. When compared side by side to an item without glitter, the results are unmistakable. Back to top How are counterfeit goods discovered and how can companies/individuals report counterfeiting?If you have information about counterfeiting activities or suspicious products, please contact the U.S. Customs hotline at 1-800-ITS-FAKE (1-800-487-3253). Back to top What are IR to Visible Fluorescent Compounds?IR-Visible Pigments – These are Inorganic Pigments that fluoresce a specific color when excited by a 940nm - 980nm laser source. These pigments can be tuned to fluoresce at a specific detection wavelength.
Back to top What are NIR dyes?Near Infrared Dyes – Infrared Dyes that are nearly invisible to the naked eye but can be detected by infrared technology.
Back to top What are photochromics?Photochromic Dyes – Organic Dyes that change from colorless to colored under UV or natural light. These dyes respond to natural solar radiation or artificial 365nm Black Light. When UV radiation is applied, the dye becomes excited and the molecular structure is changed allowing a color to appear. When the stimulus (sunlight/UV) is removed, the dye will return to its natural state of rest. Photochromic molecules are not reactive in their crystalline state and need to be dissolved in a solvent or polymer to function.
Back to top What are security fibers and beads?Security fibers and beads – Small synthetic fibers and plastic spheres that have been treated to fluoresce a variety of colors under UV light.
Back to top What are thermochromics?Thermochromic Pigments – Pigments that change from colored to colorless at a pre-determined temperature. These special effect pigments allow for a visual response to changes in temperature. The pigments are composed of micro capsules that change color reversibly. When the temperature is raised to a specified temperature the pigment goes from colored to colorless. The pigment returns to the original color as it cools down. The particle size of the thermochromic pigment for all products is <6 microns (97%). The color and temperature are selected by the user.
Back to top What are UV to Visible Fluorescent Compounds?UV Visible Pigments – Organic Pigments that fluoresce a specific color when excited with a UV light. Back to top What are color shift pigments?Color Shift Pigments – Inorganic and Organic pigments will shift colors or “flop” when viewed at different angles. Sands' Color Shift Pigments are thin (5 micron) highly-transparent platelets of a purely organic polymer network with helical, liquid crystalline structure. This helical structure causes each platelet to behave like a small, selective mirror. Light falling on the platelets is split into two components: most is transmitted and the other small fraction is reflected. The wavelength of reflected light changes continuously giving the phenomenon of color transition.
Back to top What are holograms?Holograms - Holography is the technique of creating three-dimensional images, using photo-sensitive film exposed to a laser beam that when adequate illumination occurs an integral image of an object is projected in three dimensions.
Back to top What is Microtaggant Technology?Microtaggant® Technology – Proprietary Color Coded Layered Particles that are barely visible to the human eye and decoded with the aid of a microscope. H.W. Sands offers Microtaggant® Technology from Microtrace. The Microtaggant Identification Particle is a microscopic multi-layer, traceable, anti-counterfeit technology. Each code is made up of multiple colored layers which form a unique numeric code sequence. Multiple nano/taggant technologies may be incorporated in the Microtaggants providing multiple levels of security. The particles are detected and read using inexpensive, handled devices in the field. Pattern recognition can be utilized to create a unique "fingerprint" on each individual item that cannot be duplicated.
Back to top What is PTEC?Polarized Image Technology – Custom Images embedded in a clear film that can be laminated to a variety of surfaces. The images are only visible when viewed through a polarized lens. Otherwise they remain “invisible”. Back to top What applications are your PTEC security solutions good for?H.W. Sands Corp. offers EXCELLENT and SIMPLE turn-key solutions for protecting authentic products and documents from any kind of counterfeiting or forgery. From government Tax-Stamps to ID cards, from liquors and cigars to expensive hand bags - we can authenticate any product or document with PTEC security solutions. Our labels and films are tamper evident by their nature. Yet, if requested, we add powerful tamper evident attributes to our solutions and thus make sure that our customers can make sure that their products are not tampered with. Back to top What is the advantage of our PTEC security offering over other security solutions?Our first and largest advantage is our proprietary technology. As our PTEC latent imaging security technology is a unique technology, known only to us, it is nearly impossible to be imitated. Our second largest advantage is the fact that our "verification device" is a very low cost, reliable and easy to use polarized lens that can be distributed in large numbers to company inspectors, customers or distribution channel partners. We offer competitive pricing and many other advantages that are more application dependant. Back to top What are some equivalent PTEC technologies that exist today?There are other Latent Image printing technologies. The greatest disadvantage of these technologies is that they are widely known (i.e. available to counterfeiters). Furthermore, with the other technologies the validation instruments are expensive and complicated. Our technology is accessible to us only and we offer a simple, low cost authentication device that easy to use and needs no maintenance. Back to top What are some competitive PTEC products?The most commonly used competitive product is the Hologram. Back to top What are the advantages of PTEC security measure over holograms?Holograms are impressive to look at and seem to be an attractive "professional" authentication solution. Yet, since hologram making equipment is found all over the world and used for many years, potential products or document counterfeiters can produce holograms by themselves (many even operate from a garage operation). Moreover, authentication with holograms requires judgment whether the hologram is authentic or not. The authentication is therefore very subjective and requires experience and expertise in finding minor differences or details that might have been unnoticed by the counterfeiting party. Back to top How does the PTEC security solution compare to the industry standard?We believe that our solution is far superior to the industry standard - the hologram along with various color shift security technologies. Back to top How easy it will be to imitate the PTEC security solution?Duplicating the PTEC security technology will be a major technological development task that will take many years and millions of R&D Dollars to accomplish. Leading-industry organizations have conducted experiments to duplicate us with no success. Back to top What makes it so difficult to reproduce PTEC technology?Mainly the complexity of the chemistry involved in treating the polymers used and the many parameters involved in the process. Back to top Can the PTEC products be integrated with other security technologies?Yes. Currently we integrate our labels with Holograms, tamper evident strips, track and trace technologies and with a Crystal Dome (CRYSTALIT). The PTEC latent image can be a single, powerful anti counterfeiting measure or be a part of larger security system. For example, one of our clients wanted us to help them prevent counterfeiting, product tampering and provide a latent track and trace means so the customer can quietly investigate sources of inventory deviations. We supplied a tamper evident container closure film to answer his first two needs. The track and trace measure was supplied by a third party, embedded secretly into the product label, and enabled the customer to find the weak point in their supply chain. Back to top What is the PTEC Authentication Method?It is very simple. All you need a piece of standard polarized lens (it looks like a transparent, darkish plastic filter). Once you put the polarized lens against the label you should see the embedded hidden image. The image is authentic if, and only if, it can be seen via the polarized lens. Back to top Can this PTEC solution be used as a stand alone solution?Yes PTEC labels and films are nearly impossible to forge and, if needed, tamper evident. Using PTEC labels as a stand alone solution is a powerful anti-counterfeiting measure that usually does not requires any additional 3rd party solutions. Back to top Where can I get the PTEC technology-product/information/samples?You can contact us at H.W. Sands Corp. at +1-561-743-8090 or send an e-mail to jeffreystrahl@aol.com Back to top Can you make PTEC labels with different sizes and shapes?Yes, we can make PTEC security labels with any shape and size, as long the width does not exceed 180mm (7"). Back to top What forms does your PTEC product come in?The PTEC product comes in film or label form or as CRYSTALIT (label coated with a Crystal Dome). If your solution requires placing the PTEC latent image on plastic or paper sheets, printed or clear, we can supply this service also. Back to top Is your PTEC security solution technology expensive?The PTEC security solution is very cost effective compared to other authentication technologies. In most cases our labels will not cost more than the competition while offering much better security. Back to top How do you price your PTEC products?The price of our PTEC security labels varies, where the major influencing attributes are the size and shape of labels and the total order quantity. For a detailed quotation please contact us for an exact quote. Back to top Where can I find the standard PTEC polarized lenses?The polarized lenses can be supplied by H.W. Sands Corp. Back to top
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