IUID labels laser-marked on 3M 7847 and tesa Secure 6973. ECC 200 Data Matrix in the ISO/IEC 15434 envelope, in Format 06 data identifiers or Format 12 ATA Spec 2000 text element identifiers, Construct 1 or 2. Every symbol is read back against your data before it ships, to anywhere in the U.S.
MIL-STD-130 lets the UII data set ride in either message format. Format 06 is the more common and the right default; Format 12 is for programs that specify ATA Spec 2000. We mark both, and never mix data identifiers and text element identifiers in one symbol.
ASC MH10.8.2 (ISO/IEC 15418) DIs. Most common. The default on DoD contract IUID labels and nameplates.
ATA Spec 2000 (A4A CSDD) TEIs. Specified on aerospace programs that already mark parts to ATA Spec 2000.
Examples use CAGE 1A2B3, part number PN-A1234, serial X0001. ⟨RS⟩, ⟨GS⟩, and ⟨EOT⟩ are the non-printing ASCII 30, 29, and 4 separators. Both Construct 2 messages derive the same UII, D1A2B3PN-A1234X0001: issuing agency code D, then CAGE, part number, and serial. Build and check your own string →
Both stocks are dual-layer films: the MOPA fiber laser removes the top layer to expose a contrasting layer beneath, then kiss-cuts the label outline in the same setup. There is no ink, ribbon, or overlaminate to abrade, fade, or lift.
Matte black over white cast acrylate. The laser ablates the black top layer to expose white, producing a high-contrast Data Matrix and fine human-readable text in the facestock itself.
Double-layer, electron-beam-cured acrylic film that tesa positions for DoD UID marking and as a replacement for etched metal plates. Black matte or gloss over white, plus white and silver faces with black text.
Values are the manufacturers’ published typical properties. For hardware that needs a tamper-evident asset tag rather than a UID label, see asset tags; for parts that accept a direct mark, see direct part marking.
Most back-and-forth on UID label orders is about the data string. Settle the format and construct up front and the rest is dimensions and quantity.
Your serial list is validated first: character set, enterprise identifier format, field lengths, and the 50-character UII limit. Problems come back to you as a list, not as scrapped labels.
Labels are marked and kiss-cut on the JPT M7 MOPA fiber laser, with module size set for the label dimensions and the readers your customer uses. Human-readable information is marked in the same pass, so text and symbol cannot disagree.
Each Data Matrix is then read, graded, and compared to its source row. You receive the labels on the liner in serial order, the list of UIIs marked, and a Certificate of Conformance if you asked for one. See how we verify marks.
Both are ISO/IEC 15434 message formats that MIL-STD-130 permits inside the Data Matrix, and both produce the same concatenated UII. Format 06 labels each data element with an ASC MH10.8.2 data identifier: 17V for CAGE, 1P for original part number, S for serial. Format 12 labels them with ATA Spec 2000 text element identifiers, each three letters and a space: MFR, PNO, SEQ. The two are never mixed in one symbol.
Format 06 with data identifiers is the more common of the two and the default for most DoD contract IUID labels. Format 12 with text element identifiers is called out mainly on aerospace programs whose parts already carry ATA Spec 2000 marking. Use whichever your contract, drawing, or prime specifies. When nothing is specified, Format 06 Construct 2 (CAGE, original part number, serial) is the usual choice.
For CAGE 1A2B3, part number PN-A1234, serial X0001 in Construct 2, Format 06 encodes [)>⟨RS⟩06⟨GS⟩17V1A2B3⟨GS⟩1PPN-A1234⟨GS⟩SX0001⟨RS⟩⟨EOT⟩ and Format 12 encodes [)>⟨RS⟩12⟨GS⟩MFR 1A2B3⟨GS⟩PNO PN-A1234⟨GS⟩SEQ X0001⟨RS⟩⟨EOT⟩. RS, GS, and EOT are the non-printing ASCII 30, 29, and 4 control characters. Either way a reader derives the same UII: D1A2B3PN-A1234X0001.
MIL-STD-130 does not approve label materials by name. It requires that the mark stay legible for the life of the item and survive its environment, including cleaning and rebuild. Both stocks are dual-layer laser-markable acrylates rated to 392°F with chemical, abrasion, and weather resistance, and the mark is ablated into the facestock rather than printed on it. tesa positions Secure 6973 specifically for DoD UID labels. Suitability for a given item is the design activity’s call; we can supply marked samples for qualification.
Every Data Matrix is read and graded before shipment. The decoded string is checked against the source data row for that label, so the envelope, qualifiers, and UII are confirmed label by label, not sampled. Labels that fail are remade. Verification data and a Certificate of Conformance are available on request.
No. Registry submission through WAWF / PIEE is the contractor’s responsibility under DFARS 252.211-7003. We return the list of UIIs we marked so the data you submit matches the labels you received.
Yes. First-article quantities and one-off labels for legacy or in-service items are routine, alongside production lots with sequential serials. For a legacy item whose UII is assigned by someone other than the original manufacturer, Format 12 uses SPL with UCN and Format 06 uses 18S or 25S.
Yes. The free Data Matrix / IUID generator on this site builds the Format 06 or Format 12 message from your CAGE or DUNS, part number, and serial, checks the character set and the 50-character UII limit, and shows the concatenated UII. Attach the result to the RFQ and we quote from it.
Format 06 or Format 12, 3M 7847 or tesa 6973, one label or a production lot. Standard jobs ship the same week.
