GERMANY – The compressor company Bitzer has launched new measures in its fight against product piracy by applying QR codes to all of its products since April 1st and thereby hoping to make it more difficult to copy products. The company hopes that the addition of these QR codes will enable customers to use a simple standard smartphone app to verify the authenticity of each Bitzer product.
Several security features on all compressors and pressure vessels should offer greater certainty to potential customers, for example, the QR code will direct customers to the company’s Web site, and the URL for a genuine product will always begin with https://www.bitzer.de. The customer should then be able to match the serial number and correct compressor name to confirm that their product is indeed an original one.
The company also hopes that the QR code will represent a form of added value, since it offers customers direct access to the Bitzer range online. This online access will enable customers to use the corresponding manual and the operating instructions regarding compressor installation, electrical supply, oil charge and dimensions, as well as information about spare parts and application recommendations. The company also states that it will be possible to open a scanned compressor directly in the selection software.

“We’ve developed an extensive concept to take action against product piracy,” underlined Bitzer Chief Technology Officer Rainer Große-Kracht. The company will henceforth protect all of its new developments with patents and registered designs and will safeguard its entire production chain, from the suppliers to the sales partners. “Anyone caught working with counterfeiters is disqualified as our partner,” declared Große-Kracht.
Counterfeiters represent a major risk to the industry as their products not only cause untold economic damage to the industry but can also be dangerous, as they are often unable to withstand the harsh conditions that refrigeration and air conditioning compressors are exposed to. Bitzer hopes that the use of QR codes is the first step in the fight back against the rise of counterfeit goods in the industry.