Crucial Aspects of UID Nameplates

UID nameplates should meet the standard of the MIL-STD-130. There are various criteria mentioned in the standard for the marking of the nameplates.

Generally, UID nameplates and the labels are used with the items where the direct part marking is not suitable. Unique item identifier is mandatory for the DoD items for it has become a part of their item management process. However, there are certain criteria for the marking and construction of the nameplate that must be fulfilled to get accepted by the Department of Defense. The instructions for IUID marking of the nameplates have been mentioned by in the MIL-STD-130 N and the contractors are required to follow the instructions while manufacturing the nameplates.

The Materials

There is no specification mentioned for the materials of the UID nameplates. The contractors can provide metallic or non metallic nameplates. The DoD has allowed the use of any strong material for the construction of the nameplates. The nameplates can be of same material as the item or may be different. But, it is essential that the material of the UID nameplate shouldn’t affect the functionality of the item.

Durability

Durability is one of the significant aspects of UID nameplates. The MIL-STD-130 has made it mandatory that the UID marking of the item should be permanent for the functional lifetime of the item. The nameplates affixed to the parts or the items should remain with it for ever. That is the reason the nameplates are attached to the items with the help of screws, or quality adhesive. Once the items are tagged, they are known with their UID for the rest of their life.

Strength

The contractors are required to design the UID nameplates so that the nameplates can withstand the any environmental condition, heat and chemicals. The items are used for different function in different environmental conditions and at different temperature. Sometimes, different chemicals are used for the cleaning process of the items. The UID labels affixed to that particular item should be able to resist these things.

Compliance with MIL-STD-130

For the Department of Defense, the criteria for the UID marking and UID nameplates have been mentioned in the MIL-STD-130 N. according to the standard, the material, marking and the affixing process of the UID nameplates should not affect the item or its functionality. Even, the marking of the UID nameplates should meet the MIL-STD 130 standard. As the UID data are submitted to the UID Registry by the contractors after verification, any deviation from the standard will result in rejection.

UID Data

UID data are the important part of item identification. The data on the UID nameplates should be clear and unambiguous. There are two construct options for marking the UID data. The data on the nameplates are entered in the form of 2D datamatrix codes. The machine readable codes are decoded with the help of barcode readers. There is limitation to the size of the nameplates as well as the data.

UID nameplates are crucial for marking the items with IUID for the use of Department of Defense. However, it is important for the contractors to construct the nameplates that match the MIL-STD-130 standard.