Holograms – High Precision Molding with Nickel

A less-known application of nickel electroforming is the millions of small, detailed holograms embedded in bank cards and notes. Banks rely on electroforming to create the extremely precise molds needed to protect the integrity of transactions, particularly in light of growing identity thefts.

Billions of CDs, DVDs and computer games are produced using a similar kind of precise replication technology enabled by electroforming. Roughly 20 billion CDs and DVDs are produced worldwide every year, according to the Content Delivery and Storage Association, and about 100,000 of those can be created from a single electroformed mold.

High precision molding with nickel is best applicable for printing matrices with an accuracy up to some nanometers. Application for different kinds of holograms:

• reflection holograms
• white light holograms

= frequently used in security relevant areas, e.g. bank notes, identity and credit cards