en.Wedoany.com Reported - Autentica, a blockchain platform focused on digital asset authenticity, has completed validation of a secure digital thread platform in collaboration with the National Composites Centre (NCC). Specifically designed for the additive manufacturing (AM) sector, the platform aims to help UK manufacturers overcome barriers in data security management and traceability, thereby clearing key bottlenecks hindering the large-scale adoption of additive manufacturing.
One of the biggest challenges in promoting additive manufacturing within decentralized manufacturing environments is the secure flow of design files, machine instructions, and production data. Concerns over intellectual property protection, data tampering and integrity, and traceability have made manufacturers wary of sharing or transferring digital design assets.
Funded by Innovate UK, this project is part of a feasibility study exploring how secure digital infrastructure can help UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt additive manufacturing more widely. The platform establishes a secure workflow connecting design files, machine instructions, and production records, enabling SMEs to protect their intellectual property within distributed supply chains while enabling secure collaboration, thus allowing them to confidently adopt additive manufacturing.
Autentica's solution addresses these risks through encrypted file streams, tamper-proof audit logs, and the secure handling of design assets during the production process, protecting intellectual property while optimizing distributed manufacturing.
The National Composites Centre in Bristol is a member of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The centre validated the system using its testbed facilities, assessing how the platform manages secure file transfer, print instruction traceability, and digital design asset protection within real additive manufacturing workflows. The validation results confirmed the platform's potential to support wider industry adoption.
Autentica Chief Technology Officer Uros Kostelac stated: "One of the biggest challenges in additive manufacturing is protecting design files while enabling distributed production. Our platform allows manufacturers to securely transmit print instructions and retain verifiable records for every stage of production. This creates a trusted digital thread that protects intellectual property while allowing manufacturers to scale additive manufacturing across distributed supply chains."
For manufacturers, this means design files can be securely sent to authorized production partners without exposing the underlying intellectual property, while also providing a verifiable digital record of how and where parts are produced. Enterprises can thus maintain full control over their intellectual property when collaborating with distributed partners.
Additive manufacturing holds the potential to enhance resource efficiency and strengthen supply chain resilience, but the overall adoption rate in the UK remains lower than in Europe and the US, with significant regional disparities. Approximately 20% of London businesses report using additive manufacturing, while the North West region, leveraging strong technical capabilities and growing 3D printing specialization, has an SME adoption rate of 17.1%, higher than the national average of around 11%.
In sectors like aerospace and advanced engineering, where components may need to be produced across multiple locations and require stringent traceability, the ability to securely distribute design files is particularly critical.
Marc Funnell, Senior Principal Engineer at the National Composites Centre, noted: "We help industry evaluate emerging manufacturing technologies in real industrial settings. As manufacturing processes become increasingly decentralized and data-driven, secure digital infrastructure is becoming indispensable. Through our testbed capabilities, we can assess whether solutions like the Autentica digital thread can help SME manufacturers adopt additive manufacturing with greater confidence, ensuring the security and integrity of production data."
The project is specifically designed for SME manufacturers, enabling them to securely adopt additive manufacturing at scale without needing the advanced digital infrastructure typically possessed by large enterprises. By simplifying the digital infrastructure required to manage additive manufacturing workflows, the project aims to make advanced manufacturing technology more accessible to smaller businesses, thereby reducing operational risks, improving data security, enhancing production traceability, and ultimately improving business outcomes.
Autentica Founder Irma Gilbert stated: "Additive manufacturing holds immense potential for UK supply chains, but many SMEs hesitate due to concerns over the secure handling of intellectual property and design files. Our goal is to develop a trusted digital infrastructure that makes additive manufacturing both secure and accessible for smaller manufacturers."
The successful validation of this digital thread platform paves the way for the widespread deployment of additive manufacturing within UK supply chains, particularly in scenarios where data security, traceability, and certification are critical. The platform will next enter phases of further industry testing and potential pilot deployments.
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