Every aircraft part carries
a unique fingerprint —
no marking, no intervention.

Detection currently relies primarily on paper-based document verification (EASA Form 1, FAA 8130-3) and visual inspection. The AOG Technics case (2019–2026) proved these methods are structurally inadequate: 60,000 forged certificates passed every existing control undetected over four years. ID Systems AG surface fingerprint technology is the first method to authenticate the physical material itself — no marking, no intervention on the part, independent of document quality.

Non-serialized parts — bolts, nuts, washers, seals, bushings, dampers — carry no individual serial number and are invisible to all existing digital tracking systems. They cannot be traced back-to-birth, cannot be verified against a parts history, and cannot be distinguished from counterfeits by any current physical method. CFM International confirmed after the AOG Technics scandal that the majority of counterfeit parts came from exactly this category. ID Systems AG surface fingerprint is the only scalable solution that makes even these parts physically and individually identifiable — without any marking or intervention.

No. The scan is a purely non-contact optical reading process. The part remains in its original condition — no physical modification, no marking, no intervention of any kind. This is a decisive regulatory advantage: unlike laser engraving or RFID tags, the scan system does not require any airworthiness certification on the part itself. When deployed in Phase 1 as an internal inspection tool, the system is subject to no EASA or FAA certification obligation whatsoever.

The central EASA requirement is Regulation (EU) No. 1321/2014, Art. 145.A.42, which mandates traceability for all parts used in maintenance organisations — without prescribing a specific technical method. This regulatory openness permits surface fingerprint to be positioned as an Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) without requiring new rulemaking. On the FAA side, Advisory Circular AC 21-29D (Suspected Unapproved Parts) explicitly identifies gaps in physical authentication procedures for non-serialized parts. ID Systems AG actively guides partners through the full regulatory process, including FOCA dialogue and DER engagement.

The technology is material-neutral and validated for all common metallic aviation materials: steel (multiple alloy grades), titanium (Ti-6Al-4V and others), aluminium (2024-T3, 7075-T6 and further alloys), Inconel, and other nickel-base superalloys including those used in hot-section engine components. Already proven in watchmaking (titanium, stainless steel) and medical technology (surgical steel, titanium implants per ISO 13485, fully sterilisable). Composite materials (CFRP, GFRP) can be validated within the pilot programme scope.

Blockchain systems secure documentation records immutably against tampering — but without a physical anchor, the connection between the digital record and the physical part itself remains vulnerable. If the part has no unique physical identity, a counterfeit can be linked to a genuine blockchain record. Surface fingerprint is the physical anchor that makes blockchain genuinely secure: the surface microstructure binds the physical metal inseparably to the digital record, creating a chain of custody that is both digitally immutable and physically unforgeable. Lufthansa Technik introduced a blockchain parts documentation system in 2024 that requires exactly this kind of physical anchor to close its remaining vulnerability.

Between 2019 and 2023, the operator of AOG Technics issued approximately 60,000 forged EASA Authorised Release Certificates (ARCs) using a home computer and printer. He was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court in February 2026. The judge described the offending as "a near-complete subversion of the aviation regulatory framework." Airlines including Ryanair, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, TAP, WestJet and Virgin Australia were affected. CFM International confirmed 145 CFM56 engines required emergency inspection. The case demonstrates conclusively that the industry's reliance on paper-based certification is a structural vulnerability — and that physical part authentication is the only lasting structural solution.

The fastest route is Phase 1: deployment as an internal quality control tool in your receiving inspection — no certification required, no intervention on parts, no process redesign needed. ID Systems AG provides structured pilot programmes with defined test scenarios, clear success criteria, and full technical support throughout. Speak directly with our technical team: info@idsystems.ch or +41 32 374 71 11. Based in Lyss, Switzerland.