How to Buy a UID Label

1. Pick the right material for your conditions

MIL-STD-130 requires the UID label to last for the life of the asset it identifies. So, the UID label must withstand all conditions to which the asset is exposed. Including: temperature, abrasion, acids, bases, oils, salt spray, impact, etc. EXPEDITER™ offers a complete range of UID materials. Some are 'Peel and Stick'. Others are fastened with screws or rivets. Call 617-314-7700 for guidance.

	Metal UID Labels			Polymeric UID Labels
Material	Titanium	Stainless Steel	Photo Anodized Aluminum	tesa™ Secure®	Polyimide	Polyester
Performance	Ultra Heavy Duty	Extra Heavy Duty	Heavy Duty	Moderate-Heavy Duty	Light-Moderate Duty	Light Duty
Marking Method	CerMark™	CerMark™	Photographic	Laser etch	Thermal Transfer print	Thermal Transfer print
Distinguishing feature	Light-weight strength	Corrosion resistance	Broad performance & value	Flexibility & chemical resistance	High temperature resistance	Low cost
Exterior exposure	> 20 years	> 20 years	> 20 years	> 4 years	1 year	< 2 years
High temperature	775º F	750º F	750º F	400º F	575º F	300º F
Conforms to curves	No	No	.003", .005", .008", .012"	Yes	Yes	Yes
'Peel & Stick'	No	No	.003", .005", .008", .012", .020"	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mechanical Fasteners	Yes	Yes	.020", .032", .064"	No	No	No
Resistance to:
Abrasion	Ultra	Extreme	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Good
Acids & Bases	Ultra	Extreme	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Good
Oils, Fuels, Solvents	Ultra	Extreme	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Good
Salt spray	Ultra	Extreme	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Good
Direct impact	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Limited	Limited

For Photo Anodized Aluminum, pick thickness and fastening method

EXPEDITER™ Photo Anodized Aluminum UID labels are available in many thicknesses: 003", .005", .008", .012", .020", .032" and .064".

• .003" and .005" are flexible foils which conform to some curvature. They are fastened with 'peel & stick' pressure sensitive adhesive.
• .012" can adhere to a very slight curvature and is fastened with pressure sensitive adhesive.
• .020" is rigid. It can be fastened with screws and rivets requiring holes or pressure sensitive adhesive.
• .032" and .064" are inflexible and are fastened with screws and rivets requiring holes.

Get started, call 617-314-7700

2. Pick the Data

• How do you Serialize?

  Serialize within the Part Number: For example: Part Number ZZ45 has Serial Numbers 001, 002, 003, 004. And Part Number WW56 also has Serial Numbers 001, 002, 003, 004. This is serializing within the Part Number. Use DoD Construct #2; your 2D Data Matrix barcode must include CAGE, Part Number and Serial Number. Your Human Readable Information should also include CAGE, Part Number and Serial Number.

  Serialize within your company: For example: Serial Number ZZ45001 is made at 7:00 am and the next part, made at 7:01 am, is ZZ45002. No other part of any type shares these Serial Numbers. This is serializing within the company. Use DoD Construct #1; your 2D Data Matrix barcode must include CAGE and Serial Number. Your Human Readable Information should also include CAGE and Serial Number.

• Pick the Encoding Format

  These codes inform the machine reading the barcode which data, CAGE, PN or SN, to expect.

  • Data Identifier (DI) - Format 06 ISO/IEC 15434, we find this format the most widely used.
  • Text Element Identifier (TEI) - Specified in ATA Spec 2000, TEI is also called Format 12
  • Application Identifier (AI) - Format 05 ISO/IEC 15434. We find this format rarely used.

• Specify additional Data

  Company name, DoD contract, linear barcodes, logo or other data can be included . The Data Matrix barcode can also encode additional data although MIL-STD-130 does not require any. For the Data Matrix barcode, MIL-STD-130 permits only upper case letters, numbers 0-9 ,symbols "/" and "-". No spaces or other special characters are permitted.

3. Pick the Size

UID label size is determined by the amount of Data you want and the font size of the text. Be sure the label size you pick fits the part. EXPEDITER™ UID labels come in standard and custom sizes. Standard sizes for EXPEDITER™ UID labels are:

4. Pick the Shape

EXPEDITER™ UID labels are usually rectangular, but may be customized to fit your part. Corners are radius or square. Radius corners avoid the concentration of peel forces. For UID labels that are mechanically fastened, the number and diameter of holes must be specified.

5. Call 617-314-7700 at anytime during this process

We offer friendly guidance and experience since 2003.