Spotting plagiarism and breaches of warrantee

In Germany industry, product piracy leads to billions of euros in losses each year. The mechanical engineering sector is particularly affected by the efforts of counterfeiters, whose strategies are increasingly deceitful. While they copy almost everything, components are most often faked, followed by whole machines or replacement parts. Textile and plastics machines are most often affected, as are compressors as well as printing and paper technologies. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK in Berlin aim to make idea theft more difficult with a new solution to prevent component assemblies from being copied or tampered with. Since the system functions equally well under extreme conditions, even the pumps and compressors employed by the natural gas industry – located  in ice and snow, in deserts, and in the tropics – can be protected against the use of fake components.

The plagiarism protection system comprises a newly developed seal that contains a labeling powder embedded in hardened enamel. This powder serves as proof of the component’s authenticity. Once they have been built in, the original components are fixed in place with the filled seal. This seal can be placed in a component with the appropriate tools, and this can also be done on site at the operator’s installation. When called upon to carry out maintenance or repairs, the service technician first ascertains the seal’s integrity and authenticity with a mobile device. To reach the protected component module, the technician must break the seal, which is replaced once his work is complete.

Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK | Pascalstraße 8-9 | 10587 Berlin | www.ipk.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Dr. Roberto Feitscher | Phone +49 30 39006-130 | roberto.feitscher@ipk.fraunhofer.de
Press: Steffen Pospischil | Phone +49 30 39006-140 | steffen.pospischil@ipk.fraunhofer.de


X-ray vision for the walls of buildings

Purchasing an older house can be full of surprises when it comes to electrical wiring and water pipes. The buyer does not know when the wiring and pipes were last maintained, and whether repair work has already been carried out. In most cases, buyers rely on previous owner’s good will and memory. The question of where exactly the pipes run also often leaves people guessing. In the future, an app will ensure that such information does not get lost. It will document all of the renovations, maintenance work, and repairs that have been done over the course of a buildings entire life cycle. The program with x-ray vision was developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD in Darmstadt in cooperation with their French colleagues from the Centre scientifique et technique du Bâtiment CSTB. To find out where pipes and cables run, for instance, all a buyer needs to do is grab their smart phone, turn on the integrated camera, and point it towards the wall. The smart phone uses Augmented Reality to show where the plumbing and electrical installations are located, simply by superimposing the information on the picture the camera has taken. And that’s not all the app is capable of: the technology is just as helpful when a building is being built. If architects use the app to archive 3D CAD data of a new building, they can always go back to the stored data to see where changes subsequently became necessary, which could be a useful reference for comparable projects later on. Customers in the facility management sector are currently testing the software, which is almost ready for market. Once these tests are completed, NewMedia Yuppies GmbH plans to turn the app into a product.

Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD | Fraunhoferstr. 5 | 64283 Darmstadt | www.igd.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Holger Graf | Phone +49 6151 155-471| holger.graf@igd.fraunhofer.de
Press: Dr. Konrad Baier | Phone +49 6151 155-146 | konrad.baier@igd.fraunhofer.de


Extracting subsea natural gas and storing CO2

The dilemma is well known: the world’s energy needs continue to rise, but we are slowly running out of energy sources. While an increasing number of wind and solar energy parks try to overcome the problem, finding unconventional sources of energy is another option. Gas hydrates are one of these sources. The ice-like compounds comprising gas and water can be found mainly beneath the sea floor. According to estimates, the amount of carbon stored within these compounds is larger than that within conventional deposits of natural gas, oil, and coal. Not only could subsea gas hydrates supply natural gas in the form of methane, they could also be used to store CO2. Under favorable conditions, artificially injected CO2 can turn into a solid structure that is stored safely under impermeable sedimentary layers.

Scientific experiments have already shown that the two gases can be exchanged in subsea sediments, but that this is an extremely time-consuming process. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen are currently conducting laboratory experiments and simulations to speed up the process. Their mathematical simulation model takes important variables into account, including temperature, pressure, and the distribution of the substances in question. The model can be used to determine production rates based on the properties of the deposit and the method of exploitation.

Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT | Osterfelder Straße 3 | 46047 Oberhausen | www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Dipl.-Ing. Georg Janicki | Phone +49 208 8598-1420 | georg.janicki@umsicht.fraunhofer.de
Press: Iris Kumpmann | Phone +49 208 8598-1200 | iris.kumpmann@umsicht.fraunhofer.de