With companies moving towards Industry 4.0, the need for exceptional connectivity and security is greater than ever. This includes how supply chains are established and managed.

Right now the majority of supply chains are tangible and require physical interaction. As time has progressed, we are looking into digital supply chains to meet our modern needs.

With the GrabCAD Software Partner Program, companies can achieve greater connectivity with their machines on their factory floor. Partners looking to join the program can expect their technology to integrate seamlessly with Stratasys technology.

Identify3D is a member of the partner program. As leaders in protecting digital manufacturing data along with its overall management of said data, users can rest assured that anything related to the flow of data is secured and traceable. According to Identify3D’s website:

“Identify3D’s product suite encrypts, distributes, and traces the digital flow of parts, preventing counterfeits and ensuring that maliciously modified, substandard, or uncertified parts cannot enter the physical supply chain.”

More than Just Protection

“What really ties everything together is having the protection down to the machine level,” says Daniel Moore Director Of Product Development. “That’s where this partnership with Stratasys comes into play on the machine side. Having the integration enables us to protect that data from engineering all the way down to the machine where the physical part is made.”

For most, the core concern customers have is whether or not their respective IP is secure. Moving such valuable data across any supply chain can be extremely vulnerable. 

However, creating a secure digital supply chain does not just mean protection of data; there are a number of benefits that come with implementing such a system, such as: 

• Ensuring accurate repeatability of your parts can prevent wasted time and cost down the line because of things like manufacturing defects.
• Being able to easily trace where your data has been, where it is moving to next, and where the data is now can make authentication and documentation significantly easier. 

Identify3D is enabling more parts of a product life cycle to be automated and intuitively controlled which allows for overall greater efficiency and security.

“We’re not just providing security; there are plenty of business use-cases that our product solves.” Moore explains, “For instance, the traceability aspect — like what is the history of a part in its digital life. This has become very valuable for our customers.”

To learn more about Identify3D and their solutions to the digital supply chain, go to https://identify3d.com/

Moving forward

As Identify3D continues to develop their solutions, customers can expect to see even greater levels of connectivity and traceability by connecting to other technologies such as physical tracking and blockchain. Such companies like Identify3D want to break down the barriers between physical and digital workflows for greater insight and control over the lifecycle of a part or product. 

In time, we may see the digital supply chain become a normal and very safe way of doing business. Things like operator error, quality control issues, and digital IP theft are addressed by their software and such problems could be a relic of the past.

Identify3D will also be joining other software partners in May to talk their solutions and how to add value to your smart factory and industry 4.0. Reserve your spot for the webinar: GrabCAD SDK: Bring 3D Printers to Your Smart Factory Floor