In an announcement, the companies said they have begun soliciting proposals for a way to fingerprint steel, making it possible to trace end products all the way back to their original melt and cast. The call for proposals is being made as part of its SmartSteel Innovation Challenge.

“Discovering a viable fingerprint technology for steel would definitely open up new doors for us at Sandvik Materials Technology. The fingerprint would work as a quality stamp, comprising useful information about material, safety and sustainability among other things," said Mattias Klockars, head of Sandvik Materials Technology's strategic research labs.

The companies said they are looking for a “fingerprint” that is intrinsic to the steel, even after cutting it into pieces. It also needs to be able to withstand both thermal and mechanical processing. The fingerprint could be a chemical marker, some sort of digital IT solution or some idea no one has yet thought of, the companies said.

Proposals are being accepted from companies and research groups of all sizes, and the author of the winning proposal will have a chance to develop the idea in a long-term partnership with SSAB and Sandvik Materials Technology.

The deadline for proposals is 2 November. You can find more information about the solicitation here.