Thursday, November 4, 2010

Understanding UID compliance

If you manufacture products for the USA Department of Defense, otherwise known as the DOD, then you are required to meet certain requirements set forth by MIL STD 130N. This standard was put into place on December 17, 2007 as a way to standardize the labels for easier reading by a label reader. The part of this standard that dictates identification labels is dfars 252.211-7003. This document requires manufacturers to be UID compliant.UID stands for Unique Identifier and is used to identify the product. This article aims to give you a short overview of what UID compliance is, as well as give you a valuable resource to understand how you can meet these requirements.

UID is used to distinguish all items from one another. The specifications for dfars 252.211-7003 specify that certain things must be used by certain containers.

The first thing that the container must have is a 2D data matrix that includes data elements that are able to be read by a certain machine. These elements include the serial number, the lot or batch number, the part number, and the enterprise identifier, which is a uniquely assigned code that has been given to a vendor or manufacturer.UID readers can help with the process of reading these labels immensely. It can be very difficult to find a reader that is easy to use. In fact, without a reader, the process or reading these labels can be almost impossible.

The next thing that must be included is a stiff plastic or metal ID plate, identification label, identification tag, or identification band that is securely attached to the item, and must contain the ID of that item. In addition, the label must be placed in an area that is easily visible during normal operation.

In addition, the label must be able to withstand normal usage during the entire life of the item.

As you can see, there is a lot to understand when talking about UID compliance. Having a good reader can make your life so much easier. The experts at ID Integration know what it takes. Contact them at their website at http://www.id-integration.com.

How to proceed with UID compliant

If you are a manufacturer that has a manufacturing contract with the United States of America Department of Defense, sometimes simply referred to as the DOD, then you must meet requirements of a standard known as MIL-STD-130 . MIL-STD-130 was put into effect on December 17, 2007 and dictates the standards used for labels on DOD products. The section of this standard that specifically dictates what type of labels are to be applied to DOD products is dfars 252.211-7003. This specification requires manufacturers with Department of Defense contracts to follow a system known as UID . UID stands for Unique Identifier, and is a specific identification number given to products that are used by the DOD. Since this is a requirement, it is absolutely imperative that any company with a DOD contract understands how to be UID compliant. This can sometimes be a difficult thing to understand. This article aims to inform manufacturers of the different things they must do in order to be UID compliant, as well as comply with mil-std-130 .

MIL-STD-130 dictates to usage of a system to distinguish any unique item from any other unique item. The UID standard, which is a part of MIL-STD-130 has a few things that must be done perfectly in order to ensure compliance.

The main thing that must be done is to ensure that the container used by the manufacturer has a 2D data matrix that s readable by a UID reader. MIL-STD-130 also dictates that you must include a serial number, vendor or manufacturer ID, or a lot or batch number. MIL-STD-130 also dictates that the UID must be visible at all times on the surface of the item. In addition, the UID must be able to withstand any conditions that the item is used in under normal use. This standard basically means that the label should not wear off.

Being sure that you are able to read UIDs is one of the most important things you can do as a manufacturer with a DOD contract. Make sure that you use UID readers that can handle all different types of UID labels. Look to the experts at id-integration.com for all of the UID reader information you may need.