Electric bicycles are becoming increasingly popular. In Germany, their number has nearly doubled in the last three years, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The importance of developing powerful and robust electric motors and precautions against tampering and pirating has grown accordingly.

Brose Antriebstechnik, a division of the Brose Group, has been producing e-bike drives in Berlin since 2014. As the world’s fourth-largest automotive supplier in family ownership, Brose manufactures mechatronic systems for vehicle doors and seats, as well as electric motors and electronics for steering systems, brakes, transmissions, engine cooling, and more.

The company has transferred this know-how by designing a drive system for electric bicycles, applying the high quality standards of the automotive industry to its e-bike drives. Systematic laboratory and extensive load tests ensure the quality and durability of the products.

More than 50 employees are engaged in Brose’s E-Bike Competence Center. Brose Antriebstechnik has become firmly established as a premium manufacturer in the fast-growing e-bike market. Forecasts promise significant growth in 2019.

The demands made on the marking, tamper protection, and anti-counterfeiting solutions for Brose Antriebstechnik’s electric drive system are high. Even after years of exposure to all kinds of weather conditions, the labels’ reliable adhesion and readability need to be ensured. Brose Antriebstechnik recently turned to Schreiner ProTech to help it solve its multi-faceted labeling challenges.

“In addition to retaining their visual appeal during their entire life, the labels must be UV- and weather-resistant, and withstand mechanical impacts such as gravel on the road,” said Jens Klüdtke, key account manager at Schreiner ProTech.

Multiple Solutions

Schreiner ProTech developed three different solutions to meet Brose Antriebstechnik’s label needs. The first is a label with a protective overlaminate, which displays the manufacturer’s logo and optimally protects it against external influences. This first label offers protection against mechanical impact (e.g., scratching), as well as environmental influences (e.g., high or low temperatures) and chemical attack.

The second label is a nameplate. Whether on a car, refrigerator, or industrial component, a nameplate reveals the manufacturer, year of manufacture, key performance data or ratings, and, in many cases, the serial number. The type of information and what it has to look like is sometimes prescribed by laws and regulations. In addition to marking the product, the nameplate enables proof of origin by means of a complex, tamper-evident checkerboard film that is difficult to counterfeit.

Finally, a housing closure seal with security slits on the e-bike motor reliably indicates potential tampering. Any attempts to detach the nameplate, or to open the seal or housing, are irreversibly indicated to show clear proof of first opening and prevent product exchange, tampering, or warranty fraud.