Hologram Industry News

Indian hologram Industry has reached new heights during conference HOLOPACK-HOLOPRINT held in Toronto, November 19-20, 2008 . As the President of HoMAI & CMD of Holostik India Ltd Mr. U K Gupta received the Brian Mogahan Award 2008 for business innovation. He is the first Indian national to be bestowed with such a prestigious international honor. According to the IHMA, the Indian hologram industry owes much to his vision and energy and probably wouldn’t exist in its current vigorous form without his contribution.

Two other HoMAI members are elected on IHMA board. Mr. G S Dhillon, MD of Alpha Lasertek India Ltd was re-appointed in the position of IHMA Asia Director. Mr. Manoj Kochar, Director of Holoflex, Kolkatta was also appointed as the IHMA Asia Deputy Director. The Indian Supplier of Hologram industry also makes a strong presence during at HOLOPACK-HOLOPRINT, as Giriraj Foils & Rasik Products successfully exhibit at HOLOPACK-HOLOPRINT 2008. Mr. Rasik Khandelwal, Director of Rasik Products Pvt Ltd also present a paper on High Resolution Indexing film during the conference.

For more news, visit at www.ihma.org

Canada:. Description Bayer MaterialScience AG, Bayer MaterialScience LLC and Canadian-based Ultimate Holographic Reproductions Inc. (UHR) announced today that they have entered into a joint development agreement. The goal of this agreement is to advance the broad commercialization of high-quality, true-color holographic images. Bayer MaterialScience is supplying color-sensitive photopolymers that are ideal for the mass replication of the true-color master holograms produced by Ultimate Holographic Reproductions. Full-color holograms have potential uses in a broad spectrum of applications, for example in the advertising industry, the packaging and entertainment sectors, product design and the manufacture of a whole range of high-quality print products.

The new photopolymer film that Bayer MaterialScience plans to launch commercially in 2010 has several advantages over other holographic materials. For example, it is easy to process and environmentally robust. It can also be exposed by laser light in one or more colors. “The three-dimensional images that are created by UHR have high contrast, excellent color and superb image quality. What’s more, with our material, there is no need for wet chemical or heat treatment to develop the holograms after they have been exposed. ” said Jurbergs at his presentation during “Holo-pack•Holo-print” in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto, Canada, November 20, 2008; Technical excellence and innovative applications were the overarching themes of this year’s International Hologram Manufacturers Association’s (IHMA) Excellence in Holography Awards, which were presented at the conference dinner of the annual holography conference Holopack•Holo-print® in Toronto on Wednesday November 19.

The Brian Monaghan Award for Business Achievement was made to Umendra Kumar (Ukay) Gupta, the founder and CEO of Holostik India, the country’s first, largest and most diverse hologram producer. He is also one of the founders of the Hologram Manufacturers’ Association of India (HoMAI), serving as its first and current President. According to the IHMA, the Indian hologram industry owes much to his vision and energy and probably wouldn’t exist in its current vigorous form without his contribution.

The ‘Best New Holographic Product Award’ went to Liechtenstein’s U-NICA Global Security Solutions for its intraGRAM™ injection mould-embedded hologram.

Hologram Industries picked up the ‘Best New Holographic Technique Award’ for HOLO ID®, a new technique for reproducing an individual’s photo or other unique images as a photopolymer hologram on ID cards.

The ‘Best Industrial Award’ went to Sitech (Spatial Imaging Technology) for its new Fastrack™ system. A development of its Lightgate computerised origination system, , Fastrack enables dot matrix holograms to be mastered in a fraction of the time previously required, making it practical to originate very large masters and bringing the production of digital holograms in line with the fast-turnaround requirements of the print industry.

German hot stamping specialist Leonhard Kurz, together with design and origination partners OVD Kinegram, scooped the ‘Best Authentication and Security Award’ for their innovative Kinegram recolor® feature. This has been developed for use as a laminate in conjunction with a window or aperture in the banknote substrate, and provides fundamentally different, and unexpected, effects depending on whether the note is viewed from the front or reverse of the note.

A promotional hologram used by Imperial Tobacco to distinguish its Lambert & Butler brand from others won the ‘Best Promotion Award’. API Holographics and its sister company API Laminates created the new eye-catching hologram, featuring a ‘starburst’ visual effect, to ensure the Lambert & Butler brand stands out at the point-of-sale.

A holographic packaging concept developed by US firm Vacumet Corporation to ensure boxes of Hasbro’s Trivial Pursuit 25th Anniversary Edition stood out on retailers’ shelves in the crowded toys and games market was also highly commended.

A creative and production team from Toppan Printing, Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Chemical Co Ltd walked off with the ‘Best Packaging Award’ for their innovative RFID Crystagram label. This is the world’s first combination of hologram and contactless integrated-circuit (IC) chip, and uses the aluminium of the metallised hologram as the antenna for the RFID. One facet of the hologram is that it can be demetallised, providing an intricate, customised design without any detriment to the antenna function. In addition, the Crystagram can have covert image elements, so creating a product authentication feature which combines overt, covert and traceability functions.

Organised by the IHMA, the 16th annual Excellence in Holography Awards - sponsored by industry newsletter Holography News® - recognise outstanding industry success and achievement.

The awards go to those organisations that have introduced the most innovative or commercially viable hologram product or technique over the year.

Delegates from the worldwide holography community attended this year’s presentations at the Holopack•Holo-print® conference. A display of products from the winners and runners-up was also on show at the conference, signalling the breadth and depth of the technology’s applications and commercial span.

Presenting the awards, IHMA chairman Philip Hudson said: “We have seen a record level of entries for this year’s awards.

“Innovation and quality were again to the fore and congratulations to the winners for their outstanding contribution to the holographic industry over the past year.

“They have demonstrated the highest technical expertise to design and deliver extremely effective, eye-catching and cost effective holographic solutions.”

The winners and companies that were highly commended each received as their award a handsome desk trophy in holographic glass, designed, produced and sponsored by Canadian-based creative holographic specialists Hspace.

The full list of this year’s awards and commendations for outstanding projects follows. For additional information on the projects and photos, please visit the website for the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (www.ihma.org).

LIST OF AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS

BRIAN MONAGHAN AWARD FOR BUSINESS INNOVATION
Award: Umendra Kumar Gupta, Holostik India

SECURITY/AUTHENTICATION
Award: Leonard Kurz and OVD Kinegram for the Kinegram recolor® feature for currency
Commended: Optaglio and SFDI Czech Republic for the Czech Republic Road Tax Stamp 2009

PACKAGING
Award: Toppan Printing, Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Chemical Co Ltd for the RFID Crystagram
Commended: Holography Industry JSC and the Smolensk Gemological Certification Center for their Certified Diamond Blister Pack ,

PROMOTION/ILLUSTRATION
Award: API Holographics, API Laminates and Imperial Tobacco for Lambert & Butler cigarette packs
Commended: Vacumet Corporation and Hasbro for the 25th anniversary edition of Trivial Pursuit

INDUSTRIAL
Award: Sitech for the Fastrack dot matrix origination system

NEW HOLOGRAPHIC PRODUCT
Award: U-NICA Global Security Solutions for the injection-moulded IntroGram
Commended: Optaglio for OVDot holographic microparticles

NEW HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE
Award: Hologram Industries and Hologram Industries Research for HoloID

About IHMA: The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) - www.ihma.org - is made up of 90 of the world’s leading hologram companies. IHMA members are the leading producers and converters of holograms for banknote security, anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, packaging, graphics and other commercial applications around the world. IHMA member companies actively cooperate to maintain the highest professional, security and quality standards.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will release the terms of reference (TOR) for the final bidding of the USD 54 Million (PHP 2.5-billion) electronic passport (e-passport) project, which is expected to be implemented by the third quarter of 2008.

The TOR, which serves as the basis for the second bidding process, will be given to short bidders within this month. Majority of the bidders are European companies. DFA expects the final bidding to be finished this November and the contract to be awarded to the winning bidder by December 2007. DFA and BSP officials have already checked the readiness of the four Europebased private firms to implement the e-passport project.

Among these firms are Alma Viva, the supplier of Italian passports; GND Company; FCO Company of Belgium; and Bundesdruckerei, a supplier of passports to the German government since 1987.

The actual implementation of the project will take place within six to nine months after the awarding of the contract.

The DFA will start issuing e-passports to all regular applicants, particularly to first-time holders of a Philippine passport. It is also set to launch the pilot testing issuance of the new passport, which has distinct security features, in Hong Kong on Sept. 22-23.

The implementation of the electronic passport project as a “major landmark” after the Philippine government launched two years ahead of the April 1, 2010 deadline imposed by the International Civil Aviation Office (ICAO) to upgrade the passport system among all its member-countries.

The DFA forged an interim agreement with French company Hologram Industries (HI) that “provides the necessary hardware, software, technical training, and support for the issuance of these passports at no cost to the Philippine government.

Project Status/Update Pipeline
Project Location PHILIPPINES
Expected Completion Date Sep 2008
Project Value USD 54000000 ( 54 Million ) ( Currency Converter )
Project Sector Information Technology (IT)

Contacts
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (DFA)
2330 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City Philippines 1300
PHILIPPINES
Tel : 63-834-3000, 834-4000
Website : http://www.dfa.gov.ph/

For latest news on hologram, subscribe HoMAI Press Monitor and Tender Alert. For more information, please contact at +91-9818281116 or email us at info@homai.org.

Description A Japanese importer of alcoholic beverages and a cosmetics manufacturer are reviewing Toppan Printing Co. RFID Crystagram label, which combines 2.4 GHz passive RFID tag and a unique holographic image.

The beverage importer is looking to use the Crystagram label to help prevent its products from being counterfeited or diverted into illegal channels and would also like to offer its customers a guarantee that the products are authentic. The label is designed to be attractive and provide both visual authentication for customers, and the electronic trail that RFID provides. The company is still estimating the total cost required for the implementation.

Holograms and optical devices are often used on labels of high-value items to prevent these forgeries. With the Crystagram, Toppan Printing is providing a label that combines a hologram with a tiny Hitachi RFID chip known as the µ-chip (pronounced mu-chip). The µ-chip, which transmits at 2.45 GHz and complies with ISO 18000-6C standard, is 0.15 millimeters in length and width, and 7.5 micrometers thick. Hitachi Chemical has integrated the µ-chip into a hologram. An aluminum layer on the hologram acts as the RFID antenna, giving the resulting RFID tag a read range of about 20 millimeters. Each chip carries a unique ID number and has a memory capacity of 128 bits, enough for the 38-digit ID number.

Description Amarillo College received a College Cost and Reduction Act grant Oct. 1. For the next two years, AC will receive 50.2 percent of $1.6 million a year as the fiscal agent for New Mexico Tech. The grant was created and proposed to the Department of Education to help fund faculty development initiatives for physics, aerospace engineering and non-destructive testing and evaluations.

NMT, a consistently nationally acknowledged four-year science, technology, engineering and medical school in Socorro, N.M., pursued a cooperative arrangement with AC to work together to create the CCRA grant.

Negotiations between the Department of Education and representatives of NMT and AC finally led to the approved grant. “The money will allow us to do some cutting-edge things such as using Teleportec Hologram (3-D) video conferencing,” said Danita McAnally, dean of assessment and development.

Professionals from NMT and AC will train together and team-teach classes from a distance using the technology bought with the CCRA grant money.

According to Corbin Ball Associates’ informational Web site about the “Next Generation of Video Conferencing,” students would be able to see a simulated, full-size, three-dimensional, color, beating heart and use virtual scalpels to perform heart surgery with the look and the tactile feel as if he or she actually were performing the operation.

Similarly, STEM students at NMT will be able to visualize the three-dimensional materials that AC faculty work with.”We designed this grant to directly affect STEM students, and now the use of this futuristic new technology will aid in the comprehension of the students in those fields,” McAnally said.

“Not only will the content of the education be available for more students at a lower cost, but equipment to aid in the education will be bought and available to those students.”

Because of the region’s growing industry for STEM graduates, both NMT and AC see the need to create opportunities and “use the available technology to get back to learning and serving the needs of our students,” McAnally said.

“AC is receiving almost $1 million for equipment for non-destructive testing and evaluations alone,” she said.A desired effect of the cooperative CCRA arrangement is to improve the existing relationships between science and engineering faculty members at both NMT and AC and to “increase cost-effectiveness through resource sharing and collaboration,” according to the grant’s abstract budget created by the Department of Education. With the improved relationship, students will have an easier attainable opportunity to earn a two-year degree at AC, transfer and graduate with another degree from NMT.

CHENNAI, October 23, 2008: A major fake passport racket was busted in the city by the Chennai Suburban Police, in which a city-based travel agency is involved. Police smelt a rat after a resident of Ramanthanpuram district tried to board a flight to Toronto with a fake passport. He was caught by the immigration Officials. For more news…
fake-passport.pdf

State Election Commission will soon procure 80 lakh (approx 8 million) tamper-proof security holograms for electoral photo identity cards to ensure that there is no misuse of cards during the forth coming polls in the State.
As per officials “Tender have been floated and the process is in final phase for procuring such holograms. It would depict the Ashok Embelm at centre besides Satyamaive Jayate and Election Commission of India (ECI) on their round shape.
For more news download: security-hologram.pdf