KSW Thinlam used in contactless US ID card

A KSW Microtec product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jun 3, 2010

KSW Microtec is supplying secure ID solutions provider Lasercard with custom-designed KSW Thinlams for the contactless US Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).

The US Department of Homeland Security began issuing the new card on 11 May 2010.

KSW developed a customised RFID Thinlam optimised to match the physical characteristics of Lasercard's credential platform.

Thinlam, with a thickness down to 270um, is commonly used in the manufacture of government ID documents including passports, driver's licenses as well as identity cards and are also widely used in the e-payment sector.

The Green Card utilises Lasercard's tamper-proof and highly counterfeit resistant optical security media as its key visual and physical security feature and the integrated RFID tag to provide compliance with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

The RFID capability allows officers at borders and ports of entry to read the card from a distance and compare it immediately to file data.

The optical security media enables authorities and inspection agents to make a confident judgement about card authenticity and visual identification of the cardholder even when electronic readers are not available.