A division of the Japanese electronics giant Sony, Sony Disc and Digital Solutions (SDAD) has announced today that it has developed a method to serialise mass production Lippmann (or reflection) holograms and has started delivering samples to key product manufacturers. The company also plans to operate an authentication server for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and track-and-trace' services using the individually assigned code on the holograms

Sony has been involved with Japanese hologram producer Dai Nippon Printing’s (DNP) development of mass production Lippmann holograms, through its Sony PCL content creation facility in Japan (see HN Vol 21 No 7). DNP had worked with Nippon Paint to develop a specialist, relatively thin, holographic photopolymer, and Sony PCL provided computer graphic resources for the origination of animated holographic stereograms for this material. Also, the company has been successfully using photopolymer Lippmann holograms to protect its rechargeable batteries in counterfeit-prone countries such as Brazil. These labels result from a collaboration between DNP (material and manufacturing) and Sony’s own origination facilities; they are black-backed stereograms whose security relies on the fact that the image disappears when the label is inverted.

Sony a Hologram Producer?

This new development suggests that the Sony/DNP relationship has moved to a new phase, with SDAD expecting to launch a new business whereby it will not only originate but also mass produce the holograms. The basic image will be produced as a holographic stereogram, then during the mass production stage a unique serial number will be added as a hologram. Other methods of serialising mass-produced holograms have typically involved laser blazing or inkjet printing on to the hologram, but Sony SDAD has, to quote its release, ‘successfully developed mass production equipment with the optical recording capability to record an individual identification code into Lippmann holograms during mass production.’

Based on this technology, SDAD is able to mass produce unique Lippmann holograms that display smooth three-dimensional motion pictures horizontally and numerical codes vertically. Sony’s stated intention is ‘to build a world class hologram manufacturing and sales business (in) a collaboration between Sad’s advanced mastering and manufacturing facilities and Sony DADC which operates a global supply chain for the Entertainment and Information industries.’

Sony SDAC and DADC have accumulated years of experience in laser-based origination and manufacturing of optical discs and this has now been extended to holography. The company has filed numerous patents on holographic materials, origination, writing and replication systems, for Lippmann holograms and holographic data storage media, so it has clearly been investing significantly in R&D. The company has not revealed information on the technique it has developed for the serialisation of Lippmann holograms, but reading some of these patents suggests that it might be using a novel method that involves recording dots - or pits - in the underlying photopolymer material. This method is revealed in Japanese Patent Application JP2005 357485, which has also been filed in the US and published under number US 2010/0067074 A1 - Holographic Recording Medium, Holographic Writing System and Holographic Reading System (see box).

For more information: http://www.sonydad.com/inc/press/

GPW 8 May 2010