Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Criteria of MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 Markings

According to the MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 standards, identification requirements will typically vary. These variations are mostly associated with the different kinds of marking methods that may be used for identification and tracking of government property. Therefore, there are stringent requirements for all compliant MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 identification and tracking – even on specified shipping containers.

A large requirement MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 is placed on all shipping, or unit, containers. According to the standards under discussion, the markings must withstand the full shelf life of a given part or product. This is why they are placed on items that often deteriorate. These markings help to track the shelf life of a product. They will also indicate the date when the item should be tested and disposed of.

Unit containers must also have an NSN (National Stock Number) on the bar code. The details of the preservation methods, issued units, contract numbers, quantity, preservation date, item description, and part number must also be listed using plain text.

Finally, for these unit containers, or product markings, the MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 standards also require the government or the manufacturer to assign unique serial numbers. This help in the identification and control of these units. They have to be assigned using clear and legible bar code formats.

MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 requires that intermediate containers are marked or labeled in a similar manner to that of containers as discussed previously. However, there are a number of minor changes that are made in here for products that include a serial number. In the case where items that have been numbered serially exceed 5-digits in length, then, the MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 rules for exterior containers will be used.

For exterior containers, the MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 specifications make use of a labeling format that is basically similar to that of unit containers. However, there are a number of requirements. One of the exceptions is that the description field of the UID marking will not be required.

Still, one will need to keep in mind that the MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 standards will require the manufacturer or the government to convert the NSN, the CAGE code, and the contract number, for representation in approved bar code format.

To conclude, it is possible to gain a basic understanding of the MIL SPEC 130 & MIL-STD-130 specs through the internet. Much of this information is available as a free resource provided by the government. However, it always helps any business stay ahead, when they hire experts, like UID2GO to consult with them on their UID marking solution and the complexities of MIL SPEC 130 specifications.

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