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The UID marking requirements of the items are specified and defined by the MIL-STD-130 spec for enhanced item marking solution.

The Department of Defense has mandated that the all the UID qualifying items should be marked with UID as per the requirements of the MIL-STD-130 spec. The specifications mentioned in the standard states that all the new procurements as well as the legacy items should be marked with 2D data matrix barcode symbols. The symbol or the markings are either etched on the item and parts directly or marked on a UID nameplate or label which is affixed to the item. Basically, the MIL-STD-130 spec is about the UID marking of the items and defines every aspects of the UID marking.

UID Marking Requirements According to MIL-STD-130 Spec

The DoD requires that the UID marking of the items should be permanent for the functional lifetime of each item. It should be able to withstand the adverse working condition of the item and any chemical processing. Hence, the contractors of the suppliers have to take particular care about the methods that they chose for UID marking to meet the UID standard.

Whether the UID of the item is marked directly on the item or through the nameplates, the MIL-STD-130 spec has mentioned that the marking shouldn’t harm the item or its performance. The marking technologies and the metals of the nameplates should be decided carefully to ensure that the item functionality is not affected.

UID Marking Procedure According to MIL-STD-130 Spec

Although the prime requirement of UID marking is to mark all the UID qualified DoD items with machine readable 2D data matrix barcode symbols, there are other marking specifications mentioned in the standard. It is essential that the length of the UID code shouldn’t exceed 50 characters to comply with the ISO/IEC 15459-4. The font of the letters entered as the code may be Futura, Trebuchet MS, Arial, Gothic, or any other sans-serif fonts, but they should be capitals. In case of printing the numerals, the Roman numerals are applied when designated by the Government standard or applicable industry. Otherwise, the numerals are imprinted in Arabic fonts.

The MIL-STD-130 spec has mentioned different formats of marking different data elements such as Format 05 for Application Identifiers (AI), Format 06 for Data Identifiers (DI), Format 12 for Text Element Identifiers (TEI). The ISO/IEC 16022 requires that the item identification should be marked with Data Matrix ECC200 symbols.

The size of the modules shouldn’t be more than 0.025 inch and less than 0.0075 inch. And, the size of the module should not exceed 1 inch if it is a square symbol. The ratio between the narrow elements and wide elements can range from 2.1:1 to 3.1:1.

The Minimum Print Quality According to MIL-STD-130 Spec

There is a minimum print quality of the 2D data matrix symbols as well as linear barcode. The minimum grade for the linear barcode is 3.0. it is measured with a 0.005 inch aperture that has a 660nm light source wavelength. For the Data Matrix symbols the minimum quality is measured with an aperture of 0.005 inch and 650 nm ± 20 nm light source wavelength.

It is required that the DoD contractors need to follow the instructions and the MIL-STD-130 spec to produce quality UID marking solutions.

UID marking is crucial in any business practice and the MIL-STD-130 spec has stated the criteria for UID marking for easier item management.

The MIL-STD-130 spec has stated certain criteria for UID marking of the items. The unique identification marking for the items is a procedure of Department of Defense to simplify the item tracking process. According to the MIL-STD-130 spec the qualifying items for having unique identification include items with acquisition cost over $5000, mission essential, controlled inventory or serially managed items, and component of delivered items. DoD requires that the items must be permanently marked with 2D data matrix barcode. The data elements of the unique identification are item number, part number, serial number, CAGE code, etc. As the UII of the items are crucial for the item tracking process, the DoD requires that the marking should b permanent for the functional life time of the item.

There are certain aspects of UID marking that are essential to follow to get UID compliance of the marking.

Durable Material for the UID Label-

Basically, UID labels are preferred when the environment of the item or part is not suitable for direct part marking. In such case, durability of the labels or nameplates comes under the quality checking of the item UID. Hence, it is required that the contractors must choose the right material for the manufacture of the labels. MIL-STD-130 spec requires that the material of the labels shouldn’t cause any harm to the material or functionality of the item. Also it is required that the material of the labels must able to resist adverse conditions such as water, excess temperature, chemical processing, sunlight and other elements. Of course, choosing the right material for the nameplates or labels and the proper marking technique make all difference to the performance of the item. In case of the Direct Part Marking, the marking techniques of the part and item should be chosen carefully to give a permanent marking solution for the item.

UID Compliance of the Data-

The MIL-STD-130 spec has provided clear instructions for the data elements that must for the UID construction. The data elements are entered in the 2D data matrix code and are decoded with the help of a barcode scanner or reader. The data elements are item number, part number, manufacturer’s code, serial number, CAGE code, construct type, etc. The marking procedure of the data must provide permanent marking solution for the item. The marking should comply with the UID standard of MIL-STD-130 spec otherwise the software of the barcode scanner will not be able to identify the codes. Accuracy of the data is another element that proves it to be UID Compliant.

UID Data Verification-

The UID data of all the items should be submitted to UID Registry for their approval. UID Registry is the store house of UID data of the items and accepts or rejects the documents submitted by the contractors by verifying the accuracy and UID compliance. Hence, before submitting the data, the suppliers must confirm that the construction and marking of the UID data are according to the MIL-STD-130 spec.

The MIL-STD-130 spec mentions the criteria of UID marking and hence, it should be followed by the suppliers while marking the items to make them comply with the UID standard.

UID labels are significant for item management and hence, different aspect should be considered while manufacturing the labels or nameplates.

As item identification is a crucial part of business and application of UID labels play a significant role in marking the items with unique identification, you have to select the right kind of service provider for marking the UID labels. As the items are marked with unique identification to simplify the tracking process, it is essential to maintain a balance in the labeling of the items and the parts. The Department of Defense has also mandated several instructions that are followed by the contractors or manufacturers for a perfect UID marking system. Many companies in the United States turn to the UID specialists for perfect review of their UID labels or UID nameplates that can match up to their requirements.

UID labels are the crucial to any business and hence, it is required that the construction of the labels should such that they can meet your business requirements.

Selecting the Right Material

There are various kinds of UID labels and nameplates. However, you need to choose the material that is right for the items and compatible as well. For instance, the labels can be made of any material such as polyester, stainless steel, aluminum, etc. Depending on the material of your item you have to select the material of the labels. However, care should be taken that the material of the nameplate doesn’t harm the item or the parts. The material should be also selected on the basis of the working environment to which the items are going to be exposed. The marking procedures of the UID labels are selected on the basis of the material.

Durability of the UID labels

It is essential that the marking of the items should remain instance for the functional life time of the item. This means that the UII for an item is a permanent activity. Therefore, it is required that the nameplates or the labels and their marking should be durable for the throughout the lifetime of the items. Hence, the material that should be chosen for construction of the UID labels needs to be strong enough to withstand the adverse environmental condition, harsh working conditions, chemicals and cleaning process. Besides the material, the data entered to the labels should be clearly visible and readable throughout the lifetime of the item.

These days, business owners are outsourcing the construction of UID labels to contractors. Even the DoD signs contracts with the contractors for manufacturing the labels. Therefore, it is required that the contractors understand the specific business needs of their clients.

UID Compliance of the Labels

The service providers of the UID labels need to manufacture the items that match the standards of the UID requirements. The Department of Defense has mandated that all the items that require unique identification should match the MIL-STD-130 standards. The standard has mentioned the criteria for item marking starting from the data required for marking to format of marking.

It is crucial to construct perfect UID labels for better management of business with enhanced item tracking process.

UID labels are important for item traceability and item management of the DoD. Hence, compliance with the UID standard ensures that the UID labels are acceptable and efficient for the DoD use.

UID labels are important part of the UID marking procedure of the DoD. The data that are required to be etched on the UID labels are provided by the DoD so that contractors can mark the labels as per the requirements of the organization. Moreover, it is mandated that the marking methodologies should be so that the marking should be readable throughout the functional life time of the item. Again, the labels should be affixed to the part or item permanently so that it would help the item tracking process of the DoD.

Verification of UID labels

Primarily, it is the responsibility of the contractors to assure that the UID labels are manufactured according to the UID standards. If the contractors purchase the labels, nameplates or the decals from the vendors, the DCMA is required to assure that the machine readable markings of the items are developed in accordance with the requirements of MIL-STD-130. If the contractors procures the UID labels form the vendors, he should provide a certificate of conformance from the vendors that mentions that the UID labels are manufactured according to the MIL-STD-130 standard. The DoD has recommended that the grade of marks is stated by the COC at the time of construction of the labels. The SAE or the ISO standards is used to determine the grade of the marking. Although the vendors present a Certificate of Conformance assuring that the labels are marked as per the UID standards, the contractors need to investigate the markings and their compliance as per the specific requirements.

Specification of Materials

There is no specification about the materials of the UID labels in the MIL-STD-130. It only requires that the materials should ensure durability. The contractors are allowed to use any metallic as well as non-metallic materials for the construction of the labels. However, the contractors need to make sure that the material of the labels doesn’t affect the item or its performance. When it comes to durability, the UID labels should be able to withstand environmental changes, heat and other cleaning process and chemicals.

Compliance for the UID Marking

The DoD instructions for UID marking informs that the UID data should be engraved on the UID labels in the form of 2D data matrix code. The standard has mentioned about the font type, and size of the symbols that are etched on the plates. The contractors should try to print as large mark as possible to ensure that the codes are readable. Although the barcodes are machine readable symbols, the MIL-STD-130 requires that there should be human readable information on the labels along with the machine readable codes.

The UID labels are verified while submitting the data to the UID Registry. Some of the products are checked during construction, while others are checked during the delivery. But the UID Registry has the right to reject the application if it finds the marking or the manufacturing of the labels not meeting the standard. Moreover, the contractors need to make sure that all the labels are manufactured according to the UID standard so that they get accepted in the UID Registry.

The MIL-STD-130 N is the latest version of MIL-STD-130 and it states the changed standards should be followed by the contractors for the acceptance of the data.

MIL-STD-130 N is the latest version of MIL-STD-130 and was released on 17^th December 2007. The standard determines the quality of the UID marking of the items. As the items and the parts are required to be marked and labeled by the contractors and the sub-contractors, it is important that they should meet the standards of the MIL-STD-130 N . The change in the standard reflects in the definitions of the labels, their validation and verification. The new amendment doesn’t affect the interpretation of UID marking requirements. The UID coding requirements include labels, validation and verification.

According to MIL-STD-130 N , the definition of label is “An item marked with the identification information of another item and affixed to that other item. A label may be of any similar or different material than that of the item to which it is affixed. The standard allows the contractors to use metallic or non-metallic material to manufacture the UID labels . The contractors also need to affix the labels to the respective items by any appropriate means. UII of the item is the concatenated value derived from the UII data set that includes Construct #1, Construct #2 or the IUID equivalents. The data provided with the UID is limited to 50 characters. The changes in the section 3 is about the change in the definitions and the importance of the section lies in stating the responsibility of the contractors so that they can provide the UID labels that meets the required standards.

The Detail Requirements of UID Marking for MIL-STD-130 N Standard

The standard has provided added guidance and clarification for the use of EID for the non-IUID items and use of batch or lot and serial number, original part number and PIN. The dimensional requirements have also been clarified in its Section 5.2.3.2, that stats that the larger size of the UID labels should not exceed 1 inch. However, the standard also allows contractual exceptions.

The Datamatrix barcode used for IUID marking is used in both square and rectangular format. For some products, square marking fits best and for others it is the rectangular marking. The section 5.2.3.2 of the MIL-STD-130 N standard states that the longest side of the UID marks in the rectangular form should not exceed 1 inch.

The conformance with the required standard of UID marking is based on a sampling plan. The standard requires that the marking conformance should include validation and verification of mark content and quality.

The approved verification and validation of the datamarix symbol quality may be used at the supplier’s options. It is applicable for all marking procedures.

The improved verification method of AIM DPM standard is a significant change introduced to the MIL-STD-130 .

The ISO/IEC 15415 is still being used by the contractors for label verification as it the changed standard allows it.

The standard set by MIL-STD-130 N is essential for the contractors to follow. Often the reason of rejection UID labeling is due to the incapability of the contractors to assure that the UID markings and labels are according to the standard. Hence, it is also required that the contractors should know the UID marking Standards of MIL-STD-130 N.