MIL STD 130 - Marking Specifications

Marking Specifications

For items that are under the control of the Department of Defense and subject for marking, there are many specifications that must be met for a proper mark. These requirements state that all marking must be applied to a metal or stiff plastic identification plate, identification band, identification tag, or identification label that is securely fastened to the item. Additionally, the marking may even be applied directly to the surface of the item itself – provided of course it can still meet the requirements described below.

When possible, the marking must be placed in a location where it will be visible and easily read during normal operation and use of the item, and in a way that ensures the mark is permanent throughout the entire life expectancy of said item. It also necessary to make sure that the marking can withstand normal environmental conditions; including cleaning and rebuilding processes.

If this is not feasible using an MRI (Machine Readable Information) marking, then a marking should be used that will last until the item is expected to be rebuilt, if applicable. In the event that there is not enough open space on an item to ensure a proper IUID, then only the most essential information should be marked. This includes the EID (Enterprise Identifier, which is used to distinguish between different organizations and activities) of the supplier or manufacturer as well as the PIN (Part or Identifying Number), LOT, or batch number of the item. And finally, in the event that there is a lack of room whatsoever in which to place a proper IUID mark on the item, the marking may be placed on the packaging; as long as the mark abides by the guidelines listed in the paragraph above.

For human-readable information, the recommended minimum size for text is 0.2 centimeters, 0.08 inches; this also translates to 5.76 points. All letters should be in a sans-serif font, such as Arial, Futura, Trebuchet, or another sans-serif font, and numbers should be in Arabic. The exception to this is when Roman numerals are used to mark an object, in which case you should refer to the item’s specific documentation and standards in order to determine which font to use. The designation of “U.S.” or “US” should only be used when specified elsewhere.

Whenever possible, MRI marking is the preferred method of IUID marking of the Department of Defense – though for some equipment and items free text marking may be specified. Limited to 50 characters in compliance with ISO/IEC 15459-4, all DFARS mandated marks must meet the minimum of a Data Matrix ECC 200 symbol using ISO/IEC 15434 syntax with the semantics of ISO/IEC 15418 or ATA CSDD. For items that are not subject to DFARS mandated marking, the Data Matrix ECC 200 symbol using ISO/IEC 15434 syntax and the semantics of ISO/IEC 15418 or ATA CSDD is preferred.

Unless specified below, MH10.8.7 is the MRI marking protocol that should be used to mark all items.