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Jet City and ID - Integration Meet MIL-STD-130 Regulations

 

The United States Department of Defense's standard MIL-STD-130 encompasses specific standards mandated by the Department of Defense with regard to identifying, marking and maintaining accurate records of military property. All government contractors must comply with MIL-STD-130 regulations, which require that certain products be properly labeled with a Unique Identifier (IUID marking).

The IUID marking requirement stipulates that mandated items be labeled with a machine readable 2 dimensional data matrix bar code. Regardless of their composition, all items must meet specific printing and/or marking specifications. In addition, items subject to IUID marking must adhere to stringent specifications. Specifications require that all marking must be applied to either a stiff plastic or metal identification plate, and contain an identification tag, band or label. IUID marking must also be located where it is clearly visible and easily read, and markings must be permanent and impervious to normal environmental conditions.

IUID markings are composed of character strings, numbers, or sequential bits that are unique to the product being labeled. IUID marking regulations are rigorous, and must include details of the product’s geographic location, product size, serial number, agency code, a personal identification number and both contract and order numbers. Moreover, the specified data must be globally unique.

The IUID marking policy was established to improve asset management, lower the cost of item management, improve inventory management, improve item availability and provide the DoD with the ability to conduct concise audits. The standard is also used as a guide to ascertain governmental needs when designing specific contracts.

Through their expert input, Jet City Laser, experienced distributors of marking and reading technologies since 1994, provided the DoD with invaluable assistance in the development of Unique Identification techniques. Jet City Laser offers an ironclad guarantee on all of their products, including 100% verification that their nameplates and labels meet MIL-STD-130 requirements as well as a 100% guarantee that all product data is archived for future reference. The company further simplifies the complicated process of IUID marking by offering product registration in the UID Central Registry.

All nameplates and labels manufactured by Jet City are verified to be readable from 10 angles, an ideal solution for difficult to reach spaces, such as curved surfaces. In accordance with DoD regulations, all materials used in the production of IUID marking are 100% guaranteed to meet conformance specifications for all products that they service. In addition to the company's reputation for excellence in the industry, customers can expect exceptionally speedy delivery of their orders.

Those who must comply with IUID marking regulations need not worry about the complexities involved in complying with the mandate. Customers can rest assured that Jet City Laser and its partner company, ID-Integration, consider providing their customers with the proper specifications for their needs an integral part of their job.
Contact Jet City Laser for further information and expert advice on your unique needs.

 

posted by uid2go on Oct 26, 2009 1:12 PM | 1 comment
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UID Nameplates – DoD’s Way of Uniquely Identifying Defense I...

 

Imagine being one of the people responsible for the supplies procured by the US Armed Services. What sorts of supplies does the Department of Defense (DoD) have to track on a daily basis? Consider the sheer number of uniforms, boots, packs, helmets, hats, patches, belt buckles, and boxed goods the military must keep track of. Besides these items, the DoD must track its weapons, ammunition, and other highly sensitive materials. At any given time, as a matter of national security, the military must know where these items are, how many they have, and that the items comply with DoD standards. How do they do it?

To facilitate the tracking of their supplies, the military has developed a set of standards known as Mil Specs, or MIL-STD. Within these standards, there exists a specific standard known as MIL-STD-130N, which outlines how the military is to mark, identify, and track military property.

Each item of military property is marked with UID nameplates, tags, or labels to identify it. UID is a more generic term that refers generally to the “Government Program of Uniquely Identifying Items”. An IUID is the “item unique identifier”, and refers to the actual number or character string that an item is stamped with to identify it. UID nameplates, then, are nameplates attached to a given item that has a barcode or similar computerized code that is used to track that particular piece of property. In some ways, UID nameplates are not different than the barcodes placed on consumer goods used to track retail inventory. In other ways, UID nameplates are vastly different.

Basic Rules for UID Nameplates, Labels, and Tags

According to MIL-STD-130N, UID nameplates, labels, or tags should be placed in a location where they will be visible and easy to read. Furthermore, the IUID must be placed on stiff plastic or metal, making the UID nameplates more durable and resistant to damage that would prevent its code from being machine-readable. Given that the item may be shipped, roughly handled, or exposed to variations in temperature, the UID nameplates must be able to withstand various environmental conditions.

To make UID nameplates easily readable, recommended nameplate or label size for text is 0.2 cm, 0.08 in, or 5.76 pts. To comply with the MIL-STD-130N, all text on UID nameplates must be in a san-serif font, which includes but is not limited to Arial, Trebuchet, and Futura. Additionally, to keep the size of UID nameplates reasonably small, the amount of text is limited to 50 characters.

Don't Rely Upon an Amateur Understanding

As can be seen from the brief outline of MIL-STD-130N above, correctly creating and implementing UID nameplates, labels, and tags is not simple. To be in compliance with all the Mil Specs, it is wise to turn to the experts at Jet City Laser, who have years of experience working within the boundaries of these standards.

 

posted by uid2go on Oct 21, 2009 12:06 PM | 1 comment
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UID Registry – A Helping Aid In The Armory of DoD

 

Everyone who has purchased items from a military surplus or otherwise done business with the department of defense is well familiar with UID numbers, also known as "Unique Item Identifier." This combination of numbers and letters is a unique identifier which is attached to each particular item that the military may purchase or need. While somewhat complicated, this allows the department of defense to instantly track the usage of everything from bullets to gasoline to toilet paper, and expedites the requisition of items. In use for decades, the UID is designed to be small and simple enough to quickly be applied to almost any item (or at least the box that it comes in) and in most cases can even be accompanied by a bar code to facilitate efficient invoicing. After all, good logistics is essential to any war effort, and many battles have been lost for want of supplies.

In an effort to keep this technology up to date and enable the Department of Defense to have the best logistics possible, Jet City Laser helped to develop the current model of this technology. The current model revolves around a UID registry which keeps a complete record of what's available and in what quantity. Jet City Laser has many years of experience in product marking and identification systems, so they were a natural choice to enhance the UID registry with the new MIL-STD-130.

The MIL-STD-130 standard is mandated for all UID items. It dictates what sort of number is assigned to each item. Jet City Laser has ensured that these numbers follow a smart and logical pattern in order to make the UID registry as simple to use and helpful. Jet City Laser has many years of experience with ID integration, so coming up with good ID systems with lots of room for as-of-yet unincluded items so the MIL-STD-130 numerical systems they helped to develop are easy to use both by civilians and military users. While not all inclusive (other ID systems are also used) it is very popular and known for it's reliability.

The trick to maintaining a good UID registry is to ensure that the MIL-STD-130 number is in a place where it is easily visible, yet quite permanent. This is where Jet City Laser's expertise has come in most helpful. Their advanced technology has allowed for the best sort of permanent labeling, with different methods and labels for each item. Advanced technology is necessary to ensure that these labels remain readable even under harsh conditions. The markings also need to not be too small so that they are readable for proper inventory and maintenance of the UID registry. Jet City Laser's experience in the world of advanced labeling ensured that they were able to develop labels that are up to the task.

 

posted by uid2go on Oct 14, 2009 1:52 PM | 1 comment
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Pros and Cons of Different Direct Part Marking Methods

There are different types of direct marking methods and the pros and cons of each method are discussed in the articles.

The direct part marking process that has become popular for its numerous advantages can be applied to the items by several different methods. Each method of DPM has its own benefit and requirement depending on the type of item and its functionality. The contractors or the suppliers who are in charge of the items and who are responsible for marking the items with UID need to select the method depending on the type of material for marking, the implementation of marking cost and the reading technology.

The basic types of direct part marking are the intrusive and the non-intrusive marking methods. With the intrusive marking method, there is a direct contact between the surface of the item for marking and the marking device. On the other hand, the non-intrusive direct part marking method doesn’t require such contact. Different types of direct part marking include grooving, engraving, burning, etching and painting.

Grooving

It is one of the intrusive types of DPM and otherwise known as “Dot Peening”. In this method the codes of the UID are grooved on the surface of the item by using a hard head of a marking machine. The device prints the codes by striking the surface subsequently. The advantages of the making procedure are low implementation and operating cost, manual or computer regulation, grooving alphanumeric characters as well as 2D data matrix code, small and convenient grooving device. The down side is that it cannot be applied on any surfaces and is more time-consuming than the laser marking.

Engraving

This is also an intrusive method of direct part marking in which the characters of the codes are directly engraved on the surface of the item or parts. Generally, a metal object is preferred for this marking procedure. The advantages of the methods include low implementation and medium operating costs. The devices are computer controlled or manually handled, and hence, can be used at assembly line. The device used for the method is small and can engrave one dimensional barcodes, trademarks and alphanumeric characters. The shortcomings of the method are it can’t be applied on any surface, its quite time –consuming and it can’t mark 2 dimensional barcode symbols.

Laser Burning

This process of Direct part marking involves use of laser beam to mark the surface of the item to be marked. The benefits of laser burning is that it can produce high quality legibility of the codes, minimum size of the codes on a small surface, assure durability, cost effective operation prices, faster marking. It can be used on any surface and produce UID marking for the items. However, it has its own share of disadvantages. The marking machine used for this is bigger and the implementation cost of the method is comparatively high.

Etching

Etching involves chemical solutions and specific matrix to mark the items and parts with UID. The prime benefit of the method is its durability. The disadvantages are its high operating costs and long operation time. The barcodes produced in this method can’t be machine made or automatic.

Painting

A specific kind of ink is used to put the marks on the surface by painting method. However, marking speed is the noteworthy benefit of the method. This method can’t assure durability of the code.

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MIL-STD-130 Spec - A Standard aide for UID Marking

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.

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Marking Requirements of UID Labels

Marking of UID labels is an important part of DoD’s item tracking process. The knowledge of UID label marking requirements will produce better marking solutions.

The UID labels are the perfect marking solution for the items that are not suitable for direct part marking. But, UID marking requires meet the UID standard to maintain a balance between markings of different items. Department of Defense has mandated that the item marking should comply with the standards of MIL-STD-130 and the contractors need to take care of each criteria of UID marking for marking the items. The maintenance of technical documentation and format in the marking is the challenging part of marking UID labels.

There are certain aspects of UID label making.

UID Labels Marking Requirements

The Department of Defense has mandated that the UID marking of the items should be in accordance with the criteria mentioned in the MIL-STD-130. The standard has mentioned that the contractors who are in charge of the items should mark them so as to meet the UID marking requirements.

The Data Required for UID Labels

The Government states the data that are essential for marking of the items with UID labels. The data include item number, part number, marking method, agency code, etc. Actually, the data elements require to construct the UID are the Unique identification of the item. As the data elements are entered in the 2D data matrix barcode format, it also requires a barcode scanner to decode the complete UID from the marking.

The UID data elements vary according to the construct of the Labels. The actual UID for Construct #1 consists of data such as Issuing Agency Code, Enterprise ID & Serial Number and for construct #2 it is Issuing Agency Code, Enterprise ID, and Part Number & Serial Number. On the other hand, the UID mark on the item consists of elements such as Enterprise ID & Serial Number with Data Qualifiers for Construct #1 and Enterprise ID, Part Number & Serial Number with Data Qualifiers for Construct #2.

The UID Label Construction

The marking of the UID labels should be according to particular format – construct #1 or construct #2. The UID standard requires that the data entered to the item s for the marking should be either of this formats for the barcode readers, scanner or verifier use the software that follows strict rules of UID constructions. If the data elements of the UID are not in the recommended format, it may be possible that the devices will not be able to decode the 2D data matrix barcode.

UID Labels Quality Assurance

As the UID labels are significant aspect of UID marking of the item and play a key role in the item management process, the quality of the labels are crucial feature of consideration. It is the responsibility of the contractors to investigate the manufacturing process of the vendors and present a Certificate of Conformance stating that the UID labels, nameplates or tags are manufactured keeping with the MIL-STD-130 standard.  However, the marking process of the contractors is reviewed to ensure that there is no damage in the labels and the marking process is also not altered.

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MIL-STD-130 Spec for UID Marking of the Item

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.

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Marking Rules of IUID Labels for Property of DoD

The IUID labels are the effective IUID marking solutions for the DoD items and the marking method of the labels should be strategic and comply with the DoD requirements.

Use of IUID labels has become one of the methods of marking the parts with unique identification. Department of Defense (DoD) requires that all the DoD property including the property under possession of the contractors should be marked with IUID. The DoD has also mandated certain rules of marking the IUID labels that are applied to the parts. The process allows them keeping track of the item easily and also maintains a balance in the marking procedure of the different items. Hence, the contractors are required to stick to the marking rules of the IUID labels.

While using the IUID labels for marking items that are under the possession of the contractors, the prime consideration is that the contractors should take care of the data that are required for marking of the labels. There are certain other aspects of marking IUID labels.

  • As the government assigns each item with unique IUID, the contractors are required to use the same IUID while marking the IUID labels for the parts and also for reporting purpose.
  • In case, the contractors don’t have the previously established IUID for the parts, the contractors can establish an IUID to mark the IUID labels and submit the details of marking to the UID Registry.
  • The IUID labels are marked with concatenated IUID in the Construction #1 or construction #2 formats. Or else, they are marked with DoD recognized IUID equivalent.
  • While assigning IUID to incoming government furnished property, the serial number of the item may be replaced by the asset identification number.
  • While marking the IUID of the parts the contractors need to use the unique property control number and serial number along with the enterprise identifier.
  • In case of signing the repair contract with the contractors, the government mentions that the items are required to be marked with IUID before that particular item is delivered to the government after repair.
  • In case the property is not physically marked with the IUID even after being assigned with a unique identification, the contractor has to mark the parts with virtual IUID labels. When required the virtual IUID marking becomes permanent for the item.
  • The DoD requirements for marking of the items mentions that the IUID information that is etched on the IUID labels should comply with MIL-STD 130.
  • The contractors are required to maintain honesty and take responsibility in case the IUID labels of the property requires replacement due to damage, or lose. The new labels and nameplates should contain the same data of the IUID of the previous one.
  • If the contractor delivers the item in bulk and uses a single IUID labels for identification of a bunch of items, the contractor should conform the DoD before the delivery of the item about the specific procedure of item traceability.
  • It is the responsibility of the main contractor to ensure that the property under possession of the subcontractors is recorded under DoD UID Registry.

The marking guidelines enhance effective marking methods of the IUID labels.

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MIL-STD-130 Spec and Requirements for UID Marking

The MIL-STD-130 spec decides the standard of UID and hence, has mentioned the criteria for UID marking of the DoD items.

MIL-STD-130 spec and standards are approved by the DoD that provides insight and guidelines for implementation of the unique identification marking for the DoD assets. The standard is also accepted by all the departments and agencies of the DoD. The unique identification of the items is marked to the item according to the specified standard. In fact, the MIL-STD-130 spec satisfies the marking of the DoD items to be UID certified. The standard also specifies the marking technology formats of UID marking to maintain balance between markings of different items among the DoD. The process has simplified the item identification, item tracking and management process for the departments across the DoD.

According to the MIL-STD-130 spec, all the government furnished property, legacy items, newly purchased items, item deliverables and item under the possession of the contractors should be marked with unique identification. The UID is a set of data that contains necessary information about the particular part or the item. It is etched on the item directly or applied as label. The information is entered in the form of 2D data matrix barcode and is identified with the help of a barcode scanner.

The Items That Requires Unique Identification

The MIL-STD-130 spec has mandated that the items whose acquisition cost is more that $5000, that are managed by serial number, are consumables and part of controlled inventory, item that are mission critical are eligible to be uniquely identified with a UII.

Selection of UID Application Method

There are basically 2 methods of UID application- Direct part marking and application of UID labels. According to the MIL-STD-130 specification the method of marking a part or item should be selected on the basis of their requirements and functionality. For instance, if the environment of a part is not suitable for direct part marking, the application of UID label is the considered. However, the use of material in case of UID labels and the marking method for the direct part marking should be decided carefully considering the important aspects.

The Important Data Required for Unique Identification

The common data that are required for the unique identification marking of the items are part numbers, suppliers’ ID, serial numbers, manufacturing method, etc. The MIL-STD-130 spec requires that the UID data should be in 2D data matrix code. The data are encoded and entered to the item directly (in Direct part marking) or entered on the UID nameplates or labels that are affixed to the items with the help of adhesive or screws. It has also been mandated that the UID data should contain human readable data along with the machine-readable barcodes.

Requirements of the UID Marking

The MIL-STD-130 spec has stated that the UID marking of the items should be permanent for the functional life time of the item. Hence, the contractors are required to decide the marking method carefully so that the marking can withstand difficult environmental conditions. As the UID of the item is a globally unique identification and play a critical role in item management, it is important to enter correct and unambiguous marking for the items.

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Different Aspects of Consideration While Manufacturing UID L...

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.

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Direct Part Marking- A Complete Solution to Item Traceabilit...

Direct part marking is one of the efficient methods of UID marking and has been adopted by many business organizations.

Marking of items with globally unique identification being the primary consideration of all business sectors, direct part marking is the reliable and permanent method used for marking the items. In this method the UID data are directly applied to the surface of the parts or items using various techniques. The markings required to be permanent for the lifetime of the items. As the functional lifetime of the items vary for different items the direct part marking procedures also vary depending on the lifetime of the items.

Predominantly, the process of direct part marking is common method of marking used in aerospace, automotive and electronic manufacturing industry. The method ensures efficient traceability of the items parts and products for their lifetime. DPM of the parts also conform to various safety regulatory requirements and durability along with aiding to the data logging for safety.

Direct part marking is a method of marking the parts or items with 2 dimensional data matrix barcode on the surface of the item. The data entered as UII are critical information about the item. The machine readable data that are entered through the direct part marking appear very small to the normal vision. The possible human errors are removed while encoding the data into 2D data matrix code.

The most common method of direct part marking is the Inject part marking technology that has a widespread use in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, home building products, lumber, food, medical and packaging industries. The technique is useful for it offers better resistance of the marking for a longer period of time when compared to other marking methods. The direct part marking method is especially useful for building products with which it produces the premium quality marks. Apart from the DoD products, the automotive, pharmaceutical, packaging, electronic and consumer goods manufacturing industries are also applying the Inject part marking technique for enhanced tracking of their products.

Apart from the Inject part marking, there are other popular methods of direct part marking. Digital process technology is ideal for wide range of products. The process doesn’t require consumables or curing, and produces high contrast permanent marking solutions. It one of the cost-effective direct part marking solution for the manufacturer and especially effective for the 3D plastic products. For products with limited surface area, the digital process technology of marking is the best solution for it can produce micro-marking.

Apart from ensuring lifetime traceability of the product with permanent UII marking direct part marking has several other advantages. It doesn’t require added material such as nameplates or labels for marking of the items. Rather the essential data are etched on the surface of the parts. It avoids any detrimental effect of the labels or the materials used in the labels.As the data are directly etched on the surface of the there is low risk of any damage to the data even if the part is exposed to adverse environment. In brief, direct part marking is able to meet the growing requirements of unique identification of products and item traceability.

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MIL-STD-130 spec for UID Marking of the Items

 

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The MIL-STD-130 spec has mentioned the type of UID marking of the items and different criteria involved in UID marking to maintain uniformity of the marking process.

MIL-STD-130 spec is the standard mandated by the DoD that certifies any item as UID compliant. The standard specifies some criteria of marking UID of the items using some convenient technologies. The contractors or the manufacturer who are in charge of marking the items need to incorporate the marking procedure so as to maintain a balance and meet the UID standards.

History of MIL-STD-130

The Department of Defense generated MIL-STD-130M on 2 December 2005. The standard mention in this is indication on identification marking of the military items. The MIL-STD-130N was released on December 17, 2007. the MIL-STD-130M spec is meant for the DoD and all the department agencies as well.

The first MIL-STD-130 spec requires that all government furnished property, property in possession of the contractors, legacy items and item deliverables should be marked with unique identification which is etched on the item as 2D data matrix barcode. However, there are two different methods of applying unique identification to the items- direct part marking and application of UID labels. The MIL-STD-130 spec has mentioned the conditions under which the method of marking an item should be selected. As durability of the marking is the most important criteria, the manufacturer of the items should take care of the marking that should last for the functional lifetime of the item.

Process of Selecting the UID Application Method

The DoD has mandated permanent marking solution for each item and hence the MIL-STD-130 has mentioned that the marking of the item should be permanent for the functional life time of the item. The contractors need to carefully decide the most appropriate marking procedure for the item. For instance, if the UID labels are being used for the marking, the material of the labels is important to consider. And, if direct part marking method is applied, the specific method of DPM should be decided carefully. The MIL-STD-130 spec has mandated the UID marking and UID scanning of each item to enhance the item traceability across DoD.

The Items that are to be Uniquely Identified

According to the MIL-STD-130 spec the items that require unique identification code are items with acquisition value more that $5000, that are considered mission critical, are managed by a serial number, are part of controlled inventory or consumables.

Part numbers, serial numbers, suppliers’ ID are some of the common data that is included into the item making. The MIL-STD-130 spec has mentioned that the data should be entered in the form of 2D data matrix barcode. As the unique UID is an important criteria and identifying the items with globally unique code is the prime goal of the DoD it is essential that the UII marking of the items should be correct and unambiguous.

The MIL-STD-130 spec also gives importance on the size and for of the characters that are imprinted as the 2D data matrix code. In case there is any mistake on the part of the manufacturer while marking the item, the UID registry will reject the item.

 

posted by uid2go on Jul 16, 2009 7:13 AM | 0 comments
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