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UID is a Unique Identification initiative being implemented agency wide by the United States Department of Defense. This new specification mandates that certain assets being supplied to, and currently contained within the DoDs inventory be uniquely identified with specific human and machine readable information. All solicitations, contracts or delivery orders for tangible items delivered to the Government will require unique item identification or a DoD recognized unique identification equivalent, if:
- Unit acquisition cost is over &5,000
- Serially managed
- Mission essential
- Controlled inventory
- A consumable item or material where permanent identification is necessary
WHAT IS A UID MARK?
The required markings include the manufacturer's enterprise identifier, the products part number, and the products serial number. All of this human readable alpha-numeric information is also embedded in a data matrix code that can be scanned by special bar code readers.
Though there are some exceptions, the UID markings generally fall into two formatting categories. These "constructs" dictate the basic template for the information that must be applied directly to the product itself. Samples of the these two formats are shown below.
| UID Construct 1 |
UID Construct 2 |
EID
Orig. Part No.
Serial No. |
(17V)45XE4
(1P)1234
(S)78695 |
| | |
|
EID
Serial No. |
(MFR)0CVA5
(SER)786950 |
| | |
HOW SHOULD THE MARK BE APPLIED?
MIL-STD-130M contains information on acceptable marking methods. Direct part marking is emphasized as it will offer the best longevity of the mark from cradle to grave. Any process you select must be permanent and take these key variables into consideration:
- Text contrast against it's background (vital to machine readability)
- Wear characteristics
- Durability within the products functional environment
- Effects of any normal cleaning processes applied to the product during it's life cycle
Data plates can be utilized as an alternative should direct part marking not be best suited.
WHY CONSIDER LASER OR PIN MARKING?
Laser and pin marking are methods that are both flexible, and fully programmable. These methods do not utilize consumables, and require no secondary cleaning to remove chemicals involved in the marking process. State of the art marking software allows for sequential serialization, and for automatic generation of data matrix or linear barcodes. Nd:Yag type laser markers can in many cases provide a contrasting mark on a variety of materials including stainless steel, painted or coated surfaces, and some plastics. Pin markers are more limited due to a lack of marking contrast, but can be an economical alternative on bare metals when the internal lighting source of the code readers can generate ample read contrast from light reflected by the indented pixels.
Laser and pin marking should be on your list of technologies under consideration before selecting the best process for your requirements. CodeSource is well positioned to perform quick turnaround lab testing on your products to determine process compatibility. |
