|
||
To standardize the military products, the USDepartment of Defence (DoD) has introduced certain .The purpose of these DoD MIL Specs is to ensure that all defence relatedproducts are manufactured as per a common requirement standard and similardefence-related objective. They should also have proper compatibility withlogistics systems.
MIL-STD-129 is one of the major standards of DoD MILSpecs meant for uniform military marking for shipment and storage. Ammunitionand other military equipments that are supplied through shipments are clearlyspecified in the MIL-STD-129 standard. Contractors who want to supply theirproducts are mandated to follow the instructions as per the standard for theapplication of numbers, labels, symbols, tags, and colors to expedite handlingduring shipment and storage.
As per the DoD MIL Specs, the standardhas made shipment container labelling exercise a bit more rigorous. While one set of labels is required for unitand intermediate containers, and another set is mandated for exteriorcontainers.
The MIL-STD-129 requirements for unit, intermediateand exterior containers are discussed as follows.
For UnitContainers:
Serial Number Barcodes are assigned by themanufacturer or the Government for identification or control and only then canbe listed. The serial numbers for each item in the container should be in clearbarcode format.
Every minute detail about the barcodes such asNational Stock Number (NSN) Barcode, quantity, part number, contract number,item description, unit of issue, date of preservation, and method ofpreservation code should be listed in plain text format.
As per the standard, Shelf lifemarkings are a must for deteriorative items. The Shelf Life Markings indicatethe date an item needs to be tested or disposed of.
For ExteriorContainers:
Here the basic label format is similar to that of unitcontainers, however as per the ,there are a few exceptions. Like the Contract Number, NSN, and CAGE Code mustbe in barcode format. Also item description which was there in unit containersmarking is not necessary here. Besides these, certain additional labels arealso required which are summarized below.
MilitaryShipment Label (MSL): Both the DoDand contractors are mandated to address this special markings using a bar codedMSL. This label includes barcodes for the transportation control number (TCN),Piece Number and to and from Mark-For address information necessary to routeshipments to defense users. A 2D-barcode that encodes all of the data on thelabel for automatic process is also included in this MSL.
Direct-VendorDelivery (DVD) Label: According to the requirement standard,vendors are required to follow this DVD shipments standard address marking withbar codes format. This DVD label includes the NSN and composite barcode,requisition TCN, Unit of Issue, Condition Code, made up of Quantity, Routing IDCode, Unit Price, and finally the Distribution Code.
Serial NumberBarcode(s): As per the ,"SERIAL NUMBER LIST INSIDE" should be clearly marked on the identification-markedside of the exterior container. If more than five bar codes are there, twoserial number lists shall be provided instead of a single one. The first serialnumber must be placed inside the container while the second one should be inthe packing list.
The intermediate containers follow the same rules asthat of both the unit and exterior containers.