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APPLICATIONWHITEPAPER
1 www.microscan.com
Microscan helps Laser Devices hit its target for UID marking
fi ers and readers from Microscan Systems to make sure the equipment it supplies to the U.S. Depart-ment of Defense (DoD) includes an accurate, reliable Unique Identi fi cation (UID) bar code.Laser Devices supplies the DoD with laser and infrared aiming devices and illuminators that can be used with a variety of Military and law enforcement personnel use aiming assistance products from Laser Devices to make their weapons more accurate. Laser Devices, in turn, relies on Data Matrix two-dimensional (2D) bar code veri fi rearms to locate and site targets up to 450 meters away. When the DoD included the products in its Unique Item Identi fi cation (UII) program, Laser Devices had to quickly learn about the pro-gram requirements and fi nd a partner who could deliver a solution to comply.We hadnt had much experience in government contracting at that time, and we were very concerned about the scope of the project and how it would impact our costs, says Joe Hotz, vice president of sales and marketing and general counsel at Laser Devices. We thought wed have to put together a system from scratch, which is a bit scary.The UII program requires goods supplied to the DoD to be marked with a permanently readable UID bar code that includes a serial number and other de fl ow (WAWF) system, which can be a tedious process. fi ned data formats. The UID code must be encoded in a Data Matrix bar code symbol, which can express a lot of information in a small space and can remain readable in challenging conditions. Prior to shipping an order to the DoD, data from the UID symbol, plus additional contract and order information, must be submitted electronically to the DoDs Wide-Area Work-
Targeting a Solution
After attending a UID conference and familiarizing itself with the requirements, Laser Devices determined its products had to be bar coded by direct part marking, which permanently etches the symbol into the product. It also determined the best location for the code on the fi nd very many that were complete solutions. Plus, most of the op-tions seemed very expensive. fi nal assembled product happened to be on a purchased component. Laser Devices arranged to have its supplier pre-mark the component with the UID symbol, which measures approximately six by six millimeters. Laser Devices, not its supplier, is ultimately responsible for making sure the UID codes it provides are readable, and providing the WAWF documentation. These responsibilities led Laser Devices to set its sites on a system to verify UID symbols and automate the WAWF submission process.We were looking for something that would work for a small manufacturer, says Hotz. There are a lot of UID solutions out there, but we didnt