The first question
a defense contractor might ask when it comes to marking equipment produced for
the military with a Unique Identifier(UID)
is, what items need to be marked? In general.the equipment must be marked if
the DoD’s acquisition cost is $5,000 or more for each item. But there are also
some cases in which assets costing less than $5,000 must be marked.
The product’s
buyer will look at the less costly items on a case-by-case basis to determine
if they’re mission-essential, controlled inventory items for which life-cycle
traceability is essential. Any requirement for UID marking will be included in the supplier’s contract.
The DoD provides
guidance on item identification in various documents; these can be accessed
through ID-Integration.com, a
website that has a wealth of useful information on equipment marking.
The unique
identifier is applied to the equipment in the form of a 2-D Data Matrix, a
machine-readable bar code that contains information such as the issuing agency
code, enterprise identifier, the serial number and in some cases, the lot or
batch number. As its name implies, the unique identifier is unique to a single
piece of equipment. No other item will have the same identifier. The identifier
stays with the equipment throughout its life. The identifiers are uploaded into
a database, where records can be kept of an item’s history and easily retrieved
when needed.
DoD standards
cover specifics including where the mark should be placed, how large it should
be and where it should be placed on the item. Again, further information on
these topics can be found at ID-Integration.com.
Also at
ID-Integration.com are details of different methods that can be used to apply
the data matrix symbol to the equipment. These range from direct-marking
methods, such as chemical etching, to indirect marking using labels. A wide
range of labeling material is available. The over-riding consideration should
be whether the Data Matrix will last the life of the equipment and withstand environmental
conditions the asset will experience.
Determining when
in the production process the UID label
should be applied is another decision that must be made. And finally, the data
matrix symbol must be verified. Hardware and software are used to grade its
readability to help ensure it will last the life of the asset. Working with
experts in unique identification, such as those at ID Integration Inc. can make the process go much more smoothly and
save time and money for a contractor.