MIL STD 130 A Standard Protocol For Unique Identification

The MIL STD 130 is a protocol followed by the Department of Defense for keeping track of their military property. This property includes anything produced stocked stored or issued by and for the DoD. Ultimately this MIL STD 130 standard is a guideline to be used when determining the minimum needs of the government for a specific contract. If there are any conflicts between this standard and any reference documents, the standard will always take precedence.

Jet City Laser is a leading technical company which has specialized in product marking and identification systems for the MIL STD 130. Items under the control of the DoD have to be properly marked. These marks are required to be applied to an I.D. plate, band, tag or label. These plates can be made of metal or a stiff plastic material and must be securely fastened to the item or applied directly to the item itself.

The MIL STD 130 standard also requires the marking to be placed somewhere on the item where it is visible and can be easily read. The marking also has to be permanent, lasting the life of the item. These markings are referred to as Item Unique Identification or IUID. Sometimes these markings are made using a machine readable information (MRI) marking. The markings must also adhere to a list of standards including text size, acceptable fonts as well as MRI marking protocol to be used. The list of Industry Specific Protocols when marking products is lengthy at best. For more in depth information regarding these protocols and the MIL STD 130, contact Jet City Laser.

The MIL STD 130 states that when the DoD works with NASA, NASA's marking standards will be used. This is one of the few instances where MIL STD 130 does not take precedence.

The MRI marking system gives specific instructions as to how an item is to be marked. It also sets up guidelines for the minimum amount of information that can be contained on the mark. This depends on what type of item is being marked, whether it is IUID or non-IUID. Some items are exempt from these requirements, such as Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) items as well as some Legacy items.

There are also specifications within MIL STD 130 for the quality of the item markings. These include protocols for bar codes as well as data matrix symbols. A number of protocols can be used when measuring a data matrix symbol's quality, all at the supplier's discretion. Marking arrangements are made based on the manufacturer of the item.

The MIL STD 130 is complex and often difficult to understand. If you have any questions, you can contact Jet City Laser to find the right answers.