Printed parts can prove authenticity with 3D QR codes

The worldwide market for 3D-printed parts is a $5 billion business with a global supply chain involving the internet, email and the cloud – creating a number of opportunities for counterfeiting and intellectual property theft. Flawed parts printed from stolen design files could produce dire results. Experts predict that by 2021, 75% of new commercial and military aircraft will fly with 3D-printed engines, airframes and other components, and that the use of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), in the production of medical implants will grow by 20% per year over the next decade.