The national distributor for a product inspired by World War II espionage technology is optimistic about the impact it will have on equipment theft in the US.

MicroDot Security Solutions LLC vice president of operations Gerald Gross says its DataDot product is still a new technology for heavy equipment, but has been used for four years in the US automotive industry.

"[Our] heavy equipment program is still in its infancy and I have no exact numbers as far as forklifts go, but I can say the awareness and support for DataDots is growing rapidly." In the US, Gross says about 40,000 automobiles are being protected with DataDots each month.

DataDots are polyester substrate discs that are laser etched with 12 to 15 lines of serial number. The discs, the size of grains of sand, are suspended in an adhesive containing a UV trace element which allows law enforcement agencies to locate the dots. Once sprayed onto or brushed on automobiles or heavy equipment, the "dots" dry and are resistant to heat, cold and most chemicals. The serial numbers on DataDots are registered to the owners on national databases.

The technology is the brainchild of US entrepreneur Brent McClaws who developed it in Australia nine years ago to combat car theft.
And where did McClaws get the idea for DataDot?

Gross says: "During World War II, highly trained engravers would etch codes into the dots on the i's or the periods at the end of sentences in letters and would then mail these codes between embassies to pass information."

DataDots are distributed in different sized kits, depending on the industry. The personal DNA kit contains 500 dots for home use while heavy equipment units contain up to 10,000 dots in a pod.

"Once marked with hundreds or thousands of these minute identifiers, your property becomes virtually worthless to thieves," Gross says.
He adds that the recovery rate of stolen vehicles has increased significantly in Australia and credits the achievement to the DataDot product.

Separately, two men were arrested in Indiana early last Thursday morning when supermarket employees witnessed their attempt to hotwire a forklift nearby.

The Star Press reported David R Bess, 52, and Randy L Stader, 54, were caught trying to steal a forklift around 2am at Marsh supermarket at Burlington Drive and Memorial Avenue in Muncie, Indiana.