DPM on metal: Guidelines for improving direct part

Direct part marks can be hard to read on metal without proper quality guidelines, says AIM Global.

Warrendale, PA —Labeling metal parts with dot peening, laser etching, molding, or embossing is challenging, since there’s often little or no contrast between the “marked” elements of a symbol and the background. Lighting and signal processing techniques help create contrast needed for machine vision or bar-code readers to decode a 3D code on metal. A new guideline document attempts to fill perceived gaps between existing print quality standards and the direct mark environment.

AIM Global , an association for automatic identification and mobility, announced publication of the Direct Park Mark (DPM) Quality Guideline on Jan. 10. Goal is to help manufacturers and their customers better manage assets as they move through the product lifecycle. Such marking could help an automobile manufacturer to target a few hundred recalls, rather than tens of thousands, for instance. The document was developed by a joint ad hoc committee of members of AIM Global’s Technical Symbology Committee (TSC).

Praising the effort, Daniel P. Mullen, AIM Global president, says, “Direct part marking is quickly becoming a major component in aerospace, government and many other fields where parts or asset identification is critical. By successfully addressing the unique circumstances and environments presented by DPM applications, this AIM group has delivered a tool that can assist in understanding of and consistency in DPM marks and aid businesses utilizing this powerful technology.”

The document, which addresses the problem of assessing and quantifying the quality of DPM symbols, was developed by the DPM Quality Work Group, a subset of AIM’s TSC with additional participation from public and private sector representatives who make and read these marks.

Click here to find the full technical document at the AIM Store.

In April, Control Engineering reported that the second public draft was available for review until June 7. To read that story, click here .

For a Control Engineering tutorial on direct part marking, read:” 10 Considerations for Direct Part Mark Identification “

— Control Engineering Daily News DeskEdited by Mark T. Hoske , editor in chief

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