Vallourec launches forgery-proofing initiative
Published by Elizabeth Corner,
Senior Editor
World Pipelines,
During the Adipec 2017 conference, which is being held this week in Abu Dhabi, Vallourec is introducing Valguard, an innovation enabling all users of Vallourec tubes to verify their authenticity.
Valguard firstly allows for the forgery-proofing of certificates concerning Vallourec tubes by means of a QR code, and secondly makes it possible to forgery-proof the products themselves, through the use of a special marking technology.
Counterfeit is a major issue that affects many sectors including industry and, in particular, premium seamless tubes. Vallourec takes this matter very seriously given the critical nature of the applications and projects for which the tubes are intended to be used.
Two years ago, the Group put in place an in-house anti-counterfeiting committee to centralise information and take action against counterfeiters. It also conducts awareness-raising campaigns, primarily as part of the Steel Alliance Against Counterfeiting, which it co-founded, and through international conferences alongside major players such as Interpol or the Emirates Intellectual Property Association.
Vallourec's Valguard solution ensures the security of documentation describing, in particular, the mechanical and metallurgical properties of each tube. The Group's IT teams have developed a specific signage system that will now be included on all Vallourec tube certificates. Using just a smartphone, all holders of a new certificate will be able to check the coherence of their document and contact the Vallourec customer service in just one click for a more detailed expert appraisal.
Valguard also relies on cutting-edge technology, close to that used in the aerospace or healthcare sectors, based on a ‘Vallourec DNA’ tracer. Industrialised and qualified by the Group's research laboratory in Aulnoye-Aymeries (Northern France) and by the quality teams, this solution makes it possible to check the authenticity of a tube, using a specific sensor linked to a mobile app.
The two Valguard functions will be deployed from the end of 2017 and are designed for use across all tubular solutions: process applications, petrochemicals, industry, mechanics, oil and gas, line pipes, power generation.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/regulations-and-standards/15112017/vallourec-launches-forgery-proofing-initiative/
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