KEYnote 43 English - Spring/Summer 2022 | страница 6

Producer / Designer Prepress Printer

The entire process chain for additive manufacturing combined with protection and monetization tal IP , while also making it easy to distribute the necessary keys to handle it in the form of licenses – securely , around the world and around the clock , and fully integrated in existing process chains .

A concrete example can illustrate how this works . Imagine an automotive enterprise that is taking its B2B parts business into the digital realm . It already has a shop system in place where registered commercial clients can order parts . This system is integrated seamlessly with the company ’ s order management system to make the entire process as smooth and automated as possible . Today , the spare parts are physically delivered through a well-oiled , but complex logistics machine . But tomorrow , they will be sent as encrypted files , ready for download .

The buyer would receive a specific processing license to prepare the printing process . Another order-specific printing license then defines how many copies the customer can create of the object he has bought . The illustration captures this process in a nutshell .

CodeMeter technology provides the protection and license management link between each piece in the process . The 3D designs and print jobs are encrypted with standard technology that is available as libraries for many target platforms and programming languages , including support for embedded systems thanks to Wibu- Systems ’ long-standing experience in the industrial sphere . The makers of prepress software and 3D printing systems have finished libraries available to integrate IP protection in their additive manufacturing portfolio . Depending on the

conditions on the ground or the desired level of protection , the cryptographic keys can be stored on a physical CmDongle , a software container ( CmActLicense ), or in the CmCloud .

The encrypted 3D data can only be accessed if the right prepress license is available , and a printer can only create physical pieces if a printing license with sufficient print jobs is pre sent . Both license types include the necessary cryptographic keys ; in the case of the printing license , there is also a secure unit counter to keep track of how many copies of an object have actually been printed .

The popular CodeMeter License Central management system is available for managing and distributing both licenses . It can be readily integrated into existing e-commerce or order management systems with its set of webservice

interfaces . In the ideal case , the licenses would be delivered simply by online activation , but file transfer options are also possible for offline or otherwise separated workstations or printers .

Vision Meets Reality Does this sound like science fiction that will never work in the hard reality of industrial manufacturing ? Nothing could be further from the truth : Our automotive example is taken from real life . Working with a popular 3D printer maker and using the technology made by Wibu-Systems , the company is going live with this novel business model in 2022 . It is the first tentative step into the digital future of additive manufacturing . Confucius knew : Even the longest journey starts with a single step . And we are excited about what we will experience along the road .

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