Get the Vibe with New Thread from SURYS

In his interview in last month’s Currency News, Frederic Trojani, CEO of SURYS, referenced a new thread from the company, Vibes™.

According to SURYS, Vibes offers a striking security feature that meets central bank requirements in combining moving effects, brilliancy, colours adapted to the banknote design and all the other attributes required for a security thread.

It is based on an innovative micro-optic technology, its optical effects relying on a matrix of micro-optic devices called Optical Micro Cells (OMCs). Each OMC has unique optical characteristics and will interact with light in a specific way. When arranged in the matrix, the OMC cells work together to enable the complete reconstruction of the graphical image and its movements at various angles.

Moreover, it does not require a complex multi-layered optical structure, since all the optical information are gathered within one layer.

The images created deep in the structure of the security thread appear to be in motion or ‘vibrating’ when the banknote is in movement (hence the name). A number of different types of movement are available, including: 

• Multi-directions movements in which graphical elements move in all directions

• Switch: where two distinctive images switch together

• Morphing: where an image morphs into another

• Scale up: showing graphical elements sizes change; and

• Dancing: where elements have some lateral movements.

According to SURYS, in terms of design, Vibes™ offers endless possibilities in terms of colour, images, movement and contrast, while staying simple for a better recognition.

Vibes thread can incorporate with cleartext, Level 2 features such as UV fluorescence and microtext, magnetism and nano-elements for forensic verification. They can also include additional optical effects such as bas-relief or achromatic waves.

This is the third thread technology to be introduced by SURYS in recent years which, prior to then, had produced optically variable patches and stripes only. In 2020 it launched TriStar™ – a combined holographic/colour shift thread – and Moov™ – which combines colour shift with animation.