Techniques for using additive manufacturing for applying personalization or serialization information to a substrate are described herein. The techniques may include providing a base substrate formed from a first material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyester, or polycarbonate and applying, via an additive manufacturing process such as three-dimensional printing, a layer to at least a portion of the base substrate. The layer can include at least one of personalization or serialization information. The layer can be formed from the same material as the substrate or formed from a second material with substantially similar material properties as the substrate material.

A foil composite material usable as a layer in a card body of a portable data carrier, that includes one outer plastic layer, one inner plastic layer and one second outer plastic layer. All the layers jointly form a coextruded composite, and the plastic of one outer layer is a thermoplastic polymer or a mixture thereof. The plastic of the one inner layer is a mixture of at least one thermoplastic elastomer and at least one thermoplastic polymer. The plastic of the second outer layer is a thermoplastic polymer or a mixture thereof.

In one embodiment, a multilayer article can comprise: a multilayer substrate M, comprising: greater than or equal to 16 polymer A layers, preferably 16 to 512 polymer A layers; and greater than or equal to 16 polymer B layers, preferably 16 to 512 polymer B layers; wherein the polymer A layers and the polymer B layers are present in a ratio of 1:4 to 4:1, preferably the ratio is 1:1; a protective layer P; and an identification layer I between the protective layer P and the multilayer substrate M; wherein the identification layer I comprises information, and wherein the protective layer P prevents alteration thereof.

A foil composite material usable as a layer in a card body of a portable data carrier, that includes one outer plastic layer, one inner plastic layer and one second outer plastic layer. All the layers jointly form a coextruded composite, and the plastic of one outer layer is a thermoplastic polymer or a mixture thereof. The plastic of the one inner layer is a mixture of at least one thermoplastic elastomer and at least one thermoplastic polymer. The plastic of the second outer layer is a thermoplastic polymer or a mixture thereof.

Methods and systems are described for using 3D printing means to construct surprise-related objects. In one embodiment, at least one construction configuration for a three-dimensional object is intended to prevent premature access, by a consumer, to hidden content, with the hidden content intended, at least in part, to surprise the consumer following construction of at least part of the three-dimensional object. Various embodiments demonstrate preventing premature access to hidden content by constructing locked container objects, breakable container objects, sealable container objects, expandable objects, deliberately disorganized build patterns, visual barrier layers, and/or visual barrier object portions. Several embodiments include creating at least one object to at least partly render inaccessible at least a portion of at least one other object. Select objects constructed include gift objects, financial transaction products, edible products, and/or other objects.

Methods and systems are described for constructing 3D printed objects with temporarily-viewable content. Select temporarily-viewable content is constructed using at least one additive manufacturing material, displayed on at least one visible layer of the unfinished object, viewable at least in part to entertain and/or instruct the user during at least one object construction phase, and concealed by at least one covering layer. Various embodiments include temporarily-viewable content configured as advertisements, text communications, graphical imagery, product representations, indicia, and/or other designs. Several embodiments include displaying successively-changing temporarily-viewable content to create dynamic presentations, replacing temporarily-viewable content with permanently-viewable content, and/or constructing temporarily-viewable sculptures and/or other three-dimensional representations as at least part of unfinished object builds. Certain embodiments include modifying content at least partly due to user attentiveness, location, and/or movement.

Methods and systems are described for constructing media-synchronized objects through additive manufacturing means. At least one construction configuration for at least one object is at least partly synchronized with at least one segment of at least one associated instructional media presentation viewed by a user through at least one media presentation device. Various embodiments demonstrate successive object portions synchronized with successive media presentation segments, at least partly automated object construction synchronized with one or more media presentation segments, and/or user assembly of multiple object portions configured to modify media presentation aspects. In select embodiments, object design modifications by the user are configured to change media presentation aspects. Certain embodiments permit accelerated and/or decelerated object construction being configured to accelerate, decelerate, lengthen, and/or truncate associated media presentations.

The invention relates to a multi-component injection molding method for producing a sleeve-shaped preform as well as to a perform which has at least two layers, said method comprising at least two process steps including at least two cavities and at least one injection mold core that can be used for both cavities, and wherein during the first process step, the first layer which has at least one first and at least one second area extending partially in the circumferential direction of the preform, is injected onto the injection mold core within the first cavity, with the second area having a substantially lower layer thickness than the first area, and during the second process step, the second layer is deposited on the first layer which is located on the injection mold core in the second cavity in such a way that only the second area of the first layer is completely covered by the second layer, or during the first process step, the first area of the first layer is deposited partially on the injection mold core within the first cavity, with the remaining areas being covered by the second layer during a second process step within a second cavity.

A method for producing a film having a security feature for a card-shaped data carrier includes: providing at least one film material having a base color; providing at least one coloring agent; introducing the film material into an extruder of an extrusion apparatus; heating the film material to form a melt; separately heating the coloring agent to form a flowable color; extruding the melt through a nozzle outlet gap of the extrusion apparatus; feeding the flowable color to the extruded melt to form a bead-like mixture; mixing of the flowable color and the extruded melt within the bead-like mixture to form a film. The extruded melt and the flowable color have different material properties so that they do not mix homogeneously, whereby a randomized multi-coloring is visible in plan view of the film. A film and a card-shaped data carrier are associated with aspects of the method.

A marking label includes an RFID transponder with an RFID chip and an antenna structure which are coupled to one another by signal technology, and a sealing layer which covers the RFID transponder. The sealing layer is bonded to a substrate by welding so that the RFID chip and/or the antenna structure is surrounded by a weld seam and enclosed between the sealing layer and the substrate.