Digital identity for 3D-printed products

Based in Modena and international hub for CNC machining, Windform techno-polymer and metal additive manufacturing, CRP Group launches CRP UniqTrust for giving each Windform component its own digital identity, able to tell its origin, conformity and production history to those authorized to access it.

“For over fifty-five years, we have been manufacturing components for those who cannot afford margins of error. CRP UniqTrust is the natural evolution of this culture: it is no longer enough for a part to be expertly made – it must be able to prove its own identity and conformity at any point in its life cycle,” said Franco Cevolini, CEO and CTO of CRP Group.

Operationally, the link between the physical object and its digital identity relies on a non-clonable element, placed in the packaging and associated with the part during the manufacturing process at CRP Technology, the CRP Group’s company that provides the Windform SLS 3D printing service. For verification, an authorized operator simply holds the enabled device close to the packaging, and confirmation is immediate.

The digital identity gathers, in a single record, the information that accompanies the component throughout the supply chain – certificate of authenticity, order references, part code, material used – which can be enriched on request with customized technical documentation. Digital access to this information, reserved for authorized operators, could replace the circulation of paper certificates and datasheets, keeping information consistent and always retrievable. The system also flags read requests that are inconsistent with the intended recipient company, safeguarding the integrity of the supply chain.

Integrating product digital identity, direct field verification and supply chain traceability into a single system is an approach that today sets CRP Group apart in the advanced composites additive manufacturing sector, and anticipates the direction set at European level by the Digital Product Passport, which is set to progressively extend to the manufacturing industry.

CRP UniqTrust was developed in collaboration with Contatto Divino, a division of Pengo Idee Onlife, specializing in the design of phygital solutions that connect high-value physical products to the digital ecosystem, with advanced expertise in anti-counterfeiting systems and supply chain protection through digital chip technology and customized AI Agents.