5 questions to Vassili Vassilenko: ‘Use of New Technologies Is Necessary for Protection of Intellectual Property in Additive Manufacturing’

As part of our “5 Questions to an Expert” series, CADChain spoke with Vassili Vassilenko, an automotive expert and owner of VOQUS-3D, an additive manufacturing service provider in the plastics sector.

We talked about new trends in 3D printing for industrial production, the importance of data collection for product quality assurance, and intellectual property protection.

CADChain: You are engaged in 3D printing. How does the accelerated trend towards digitization impact the industry? What are the trends and limitations here?

Vassili Vassilenko (VV): We see a significant breakthrough in 3D printing. New developments and continuous improvement of existing models of machines are coming, along with the increasing use of technology in manufacturing.

We use two technologies in our company: HP (Multi Jet Fusion) and FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) for industrial production. Software updates come very frequently, at least monthly. And we notice that with the improvement of the software, we can offset some of the costs and offer customers parts at a lower price.

Another trend is the implementation of new materials in 3D printing that previously were used only in industrial castings. At the same time, the wider use of additive manufacturing is limited by the volume and size of parts and a variety of materials.

CADChain: How have the applications of 3D printing changed lately? Where does the greatest interest come from?

VV: The areas of application of 3D printing have expanded and continue to grow. The greatest interest and demand are currently coming from the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, and the electrical sector of production. The demand from the healthcare sector is also on the rise. Recently, we often receive orders from companies involved in medical equipment: these are prostheses, orthoses, devices for children with disabilities.

CADChain: Indeed, car manufacturers and mechanical engineering are benefiting from the advantages of 3D printing technology. It allows for creating complex parts and faster prototyping, enhancing measurement and testing, providing customization solutions across all aspects of the vehicle development process, saving time and production costs. For example, Ford, VW, and others actively implement the technology in the manufacturing process.

CADChain: You’ve got vast experience in Quality Assurance. What are the main trends and challenges in improving product quality now? What role does data collection play?

VV: Indeed, I have been employed for 20 years as one of the leading engineers in the automotive industry. I started as a technical controller in the automotive industry, then worked as a resident for BMW, Audi, General Motors, and as a Project Quality Manager, which gave me a wealth of experience in manufacturing and in the use of materials such as plastic injection molding. I am now applying this experience at my company.

Data collection is very important in our work to ensure the high quality of our products. First of all, it is about checking computer models and data, contacting the client, positioning of parts in the machine, applying the correct settings, post-processing, 100% verification of manufactured parts, and the correct use of packaging materials. Data collection is carried out after checking the models in direct contact with the client and discussing the project.

CADChain: Is there any difficulty in protecting sensitive CAD data in the industry? Do your clients have concerns about protecting their designs?

VV: There are no difficulties if you use cutting-edge technologies focused on data protection.

We receive 3D models from customers, which are sensitive files, so the protection of intellectual property and safe storage are very important. We use the latest developments of industry 4.0. Before receiving 3D models from a client, we conclude a non-disclosure agreement, as we want to protect not only our clients but also ourselves from possible fines.

Those clients who develop parts are usually concerned about protecting their confidential files and do not want the files to be publicly available on the internet, because this is their intellectual property and the financial costs they have invested in design and development.

After that, we discuss the channels for receiving and storing this data. The data comes to us mainly through cloud systems or by email, but only after the conclusion of an NDA, where we specify the names of the parties.

CADChain: How do you look at the use of breakthrough technologies, such as blockchain, to collect, protect, and securely store data, protect intellectual property?

VV: We actively use new technologies for the protection and reliable storage of data and protection of intellectual property, like HiDrive Cloud. We are interested in the latest developments in intellectual property protection, including solutions based on blockchain technology.

There is a need for data collection and protection in 3D printing. The idea of ​​collecting data from the birth of a 3D file to the product’s release is valuable. We may want to look for data like what machine was used for printing, how the part was printed, in what position, when you received the data, what the printing result was, to shift the part to another position to improve the result. These aspects are, of course, important.

If there was a platform where you can trace the entire chain from receiving a request, concluding a contract, receiving a 3D model, refining the model, modifying it, where you could track what happened to this model, it would be a great addition to our portfolio to handle the entire process.

Or, for example, the function of “release” or “signature” of the modified model would be useful, so that other participants of the value chain could see that an updated version has been released.

The ability to protect this data, for example, from hacker attacks, before the release of the finished product, is also important. This is what the industry is really lacking now.

CADChain: Indeed, the 3D printing value chain unites multiple actors and requires effective security mechanisms to protect against IP and data security threats. Blockchain technology, which can protect data records against manipulation, track and immutably store data, could serve as a safeguarding layer in the 3D printing value chain.

The most valuable IP-intensive input data in the 3D printing ecosystem are design files and production process data. But in order to produce a product, the designs must be shared across various stakeholders such as design engineers, freelancers, copyright holders, OEMs, printing service providers, and maintenance operators that need printed spare parts. And here comes the issue of trust: all these participants need to be sure that their intellectual property is safe across the value chain and the liability is clearly defined.

Of course, they can establish conventional paperwork-intensive contractual relationships, but data protection with traditional legal tools is quite challenging, so the parties require trustful protection in order to run their business models securely and smoothly.

Blockchain can diminish some of the limitations regarding IP and data security in the industry, with its particular strength in networks involving multiple stakeholders.

The time-stamping feature of blockchain can register all the events related to the life of a 3D file throughout the value chain, bringing trust to all the parties involved, and contributing to quality assurance.

Immutability can ensure safe storage of the registered data and battle hacker attacks or any other external interventions. The development of a blockchain-based licensing system can allow for the secure distribution of 3D printing files.

Besides, different stakeholders collect different data, measure various parameters, and store data inside their databases. Blockchain enables for the creation of a single source of truth.

Secure IP and transparent trustful data management may bring new business models at an industrial scale.