Further to my previous post regarding the TCT article posted by Laura Griffiths, I wanted to further explore the role which software provider Identify3D are playing in digital manufacturing security and what direction this sector is taking to maintain digital assets.

Their three stage ‘Protect, ‘Manage’ and ‘Enforce’ range of software, aims to capture, encrypt and license digital manufacturing data, from CAD/CAM data, licensing, commercial contracts & production information.

By securing this ‘digital thread’ which tracks a design, manufacturing and deployment, Identify3D can provide their customers with exact knowledge of how, where, when and by whom their parts were manufactured.

The company are expanding into a variety of sectors and already have SLM, Renishaw and EOS as partners.

I reached out to their Head of Business Development, Tim Rose, asking if he would be willing to answer a short questionnaire for my research purposes, which I’ve listed below;

– How did business start / what led to the company’s creation?

– Do you see a trend towards increased awareness of cyber-security and asset protection in the manufacturing sector, similar to those seen in IT, Finance, Utilities, Defence and similar sectors.

– Are manufacturing companies now actively seeking out services of companies like yours, or is it still on experts to convince them of this requirement?

– Do you believe there is any scope for updated and improved digital manufacturing file formats to aid with security?

– Where do you think the most innovative research into digital asset protection is currently being performed / Are there particular schools whose research you keep track of?

– One topic I’m hoping to explore further is the validation of files, checking if a 3D printed part matches the design intention and to check for any outside interference. Are there any particular tools or techniques that your staff would use for this sort of task?

– What are the biggest hurdles to the better protection of digital manufacturing property.

Finally, as most of my research and document access is based on European libraries, are there any ANSI standards that are particularly applicable for your business?