B-10 TRADING PARTNER LABELS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINE

Transcription

1 B-10 TRADING PARTNER LABELS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINE

2 AIAG PUBLICATIONS An AIAG publication reflects a consensus of those substantially concerned with its scope and provisions. An AIAG publication is intended as a guide to aid the manufacturer, the consumer and the general public. The existence of an AIAG publication does not in any respect preclude anyone from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, or using products, processes, or procedures not conforming to the publication. CAUTIONARY NOTICE AIAG publications are subject to periodic review and users are cautioned to obtain the latest editions. MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE Recognizing that this AIAG publication may not cover all circumstances, AIAG has established a maintenance procedure. Please refer to the Maintenance Request Form at the back of this document to submit a request. APPROVAL STATUS This document was approved for publication by the AIAG Board of Directors on February 8, Published by: Automotive Industry Action Group Lahser Road, Suite 200 Southfield, Michigan Phone: (248) Fax: (248) AIAG Copyright and Trademark Notice: The contents of all published materials are copyrighted by the Automotive Industry Action Group unless otherwise indicated. Copyright is not claimed as to any part of an original work prepared by a U.S. or state government officer or employee as part of the person s official duties. All rights are preserved by AIAG, and content may not be altered or disseminated, published, or transferred in part of such content. The information is not to be sold in part or whole to anyone within your organization or to another company. Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law subject to criminal and civil penalties. AIAG and the Automotive Industry Action Group are registered service marks of the Automotive Industry Action Group Automotive Industry Action Group B-10 2 Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

3 FOREWORD The Application Workgroup of the Automatic Identification Project Team has just revised the B-10 Trading Partner Labels. This revision of the B-10 Guideline describes the rules for bar code labels on unit loads and transport packages to convey data between trading partners. Both label and tag marking methods are covered in the B-10 under the general term label. The B-10 outlines the requirements for printing labels for unit loads and transport packages to ensure scannability of bar code symbols and to provide consistency of label formats. The physical parameters for Code 39 bar codes and physical attributes of the labels are also provided. Far too often the purpose of a shipping label seems to get lost in the process. The purpose of a shipping label is to facilitate the movement of goods and the exchange of data among all members within a channel of distribution (suppliers, carriers, customers, and others). The amount of data (bar code as well as human readable text) needed on a label is a function of the needs of the trading partners involved. However, when a bar code shipping label is used in conjunction with computerized databases and electronic data interchange (EDI), the amount of data needed on a label may be reduced significantly. The revised B-10 Trading Partner Labels should be much easier to use and understand. With the inclusion of the single-page commonized specification form it will be easier for customers to convey their requirements and for users to maintain the necessary documentation. The revised B-10 describes requirements for developing the Small Container Label (SCL) to ensure scan performance of the bar code symbols while providing consistency of label formats. Again, remember the B-10 is not a "label" but rather the methodology to design, specify, and communicate shipping label requirements. B-10 3 Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following companies and individuals were actively involved in the development of this guideline: Name Company Tina Barkan Symbol Technologies, Inc. Joe Burgess Caterpillar, Inc. Joe Ciolek UPS Professional Services Brigitte Dublin PSC, Inc. R. Eric Freeburg* Intermec Technologies Corporation Larry Graham* General Motors Corporation Marsha A. Harmon QED Systems Karen Herron Computype Mark Holsbeke Boss Systems Doug Horst Electronic Data Systems Angela Parker* Future Three, Inc. Leo Roach LTV Steel John Sakulich General Motors Corporation Marilyn S. Sherry AIAG Brian St. Pierre CiMatrix LLC Richard Tervo DaimlerChrysler AG Earle Timothy United Parcel Service Tatsuya Yamamoto Denso International America, Inc. * Co-Chair of the Work Group B-10 4 Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS AIAG PUBLICATIONS...2 FOREWORD...3 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES INTRODUCTION NORMATIVE REFERENCES (SEE APPENDIX G) DEFINITIONS LABEL CONCEPT LABEL FORMAT BUILDING BLOCKS BUILDING BLOCK SIZE SUB-BLOCKS TEXT BUILDING BLOCK FORMAT TEXT DIMENSIONS BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCK FORMAT LABEL CHARACTERISTICS LABEL DATA CONTENT UNIQUE CONTAINER IDENTIFIER (LICENSE PLATE) SINGLE PACK LABEL A SINGLE CONTAINER OF THE SAME PART NUMBER MASTER LOAD LABEL MULTIPLE SINGLE PACKS OF THE SAME PART NUMBER MIXED LOAD LABEL QUICK RECEIVE LABEL SHIP-FROM AND SHIP-TO QUALITY QUALITY ASSURANCE BAR CODE PRINT QUALITY SAMPLING OBSOLETE LABELS LABEL DURABILITY RECYCLABILITY LABEL PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION SEGMENT PLACEMENT LABEL PLACEMENT LABEL ORIENTATION...51 B-10 5 Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

6 9.0 SPECIAL APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS ADDITIONAL MACHINE-READABLE SYMBOLS OTHER MACHINE-READABLE TECHNOLOGIES LABEL EXAMPLES...58 APPENDIX A. BAR CODE BLOCKS: ANSI MH DATA IDENTIFIERS, DATA LENGTHS, AND SHORT TITLES...63 APPENDIX B. PRECISION AND ROUNDING IN MEASUREMENT...70 APPENDIX C. COUNTRY CODES...72 APPENDIX D. RECOMMENDED ORDER OF DATA...73 APPENDIX E. RECOMMENDED FORMAT FOR COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATIONS...74 APPENDIX F. RECOMMENDED FORMAT FOR SMALL LABELING AREA (SLA)...81 APPENDIX G. OBTAINING NORMATIVE REFERENCES...84 INDEX...85 ABOUT AIAG...88 MAINTENANCE REQUEST FORM...89 B-10 6 Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

7 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1. Label Segments and Typical Data...16 Figure 2. Building Block Types and Size (not to scale)...18 Figure 3. Text Block (not to scale)...20 Figure 4. Illustration of Lines Per Block (LPB)...21 Figure 5. Bar Code Building Block (not to scale)...25 Figure 6. Quiet Zone Dimension (not to scale)...29 Figure 7. Example of Side-by-Side Bar Codes (not to scale)...30 Figure 8. Double Building Block License Plate (not to scale)...37 Figure 9. Ship-From and Ship-To Building Blocks (not to scale)...41 Figure 10. Label Segments...48 Figure 11. Label Orientation...51 Figure 12a. Suggested Label Placement...52 Figure 12b. Suggested Label Placement...54 Figure 13. A Carrier Segment for a Single Pack That Is a Ship-To/Ship-From and a Unique Container Identifier...58 Figure 14. A Customer Segment That Looks Like the Old B Figure 15. A Customer Segment That Looks Like the Old B Figure 16. A Supplier Segment with the Supplier s Part Number...59 Figure 17. A Customer Segment for a Master Load...60 Figure 18. A Customer Segment for a Mixed Load...60 Figure 19. A Supplier Segment for a Master Load...61 Figure 20. A Supplier Segment for a Mixed Load...61 Figure 21. A Shipment Label Example (remove PDF-417)...62 Figure 22. An Example of a Blank Customer Compliance Specification Sheet...75 Figure 23. An Example of a Description Balloon for a Text Sub-block...77 Figure 24. An Example of a Description Balloon for a Bar Code Sub-block...78 Figure 25. An Example of a Completed Customer Compliance Specification Sheet...80 Figure 26. An Example of a Label Printed According to the SLA Label Rules (not to scale)...83 Table 1. Suggested LPB Character Parameters...24 Table 2. Suggested Label Widths for Selected X Dimensions...33 Table 3. ANSI Data Identifiers...63 Table 4. Rounding and Acceptable Measurements...71 Table 5. ISO Country Codes...72 B-10 7 Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

8 1.0 INTRODUCTION This guideline describes the requirements for the format of bar code labels on unit loads and transport packages for conveying data between trading partners. Both label and tag marking methods are covered in this guideline under the general term label. This document outlines the requirements for printing labels for unit loads and transport packages to ensure the scannability of bar code symbols and provide consistency of label formats. For the automotive industry, this guideline also recommends a common shipping/transportation label template based on the ANSI MH cross-industry standard and as an alternate format for existing AIAG standards. The physical parameters of the symbols and labels are provided and a bar code symbol quality level is specified. The orientation and placement of AIAG B-10: Trading Partner Labels (B-10-TPL) on unit loads and transport containers are specified. This guideline does not supersede or replace any applicable safety or regulatory marking or labeling requirements. The guideline is to be applied in addition to any other mandated labeling requirements. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SUPPLIER TO PROVIDE BAR-CODED LABELS THAT MEET THESE SPECIFICATIONS. STRICT ADHERENCE TO THESE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SHIPPING PARTS IDENTIFICATION LABELS WILL REDUCE IMPLEMENTATION COSTS AND INCREASE BENEFITS THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY. In this document, the word shall indicates a requirement and the word should indicates a recommendation. Precision and rounding shall be in accordance with Appendix B, except where noted. Label dimensions should be in accordance with the dimensions shown between arrows. All exhibits are for illustrative purposes only and may not be to scale or bar code print quality standards. Precision and rounding shall be in accordance with Appendix B, except where noted. B-10 8 Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

9 2.0 NORMATIVE REFERENCES (SEE APPENDIX G) The following national, international, and industry standards and guidelines are referenced in this document. Information on obtaining these references is in Appendix G. AIAG B-1: Bar Code Symbology Standard AIAG B-14: Guideline for Use of Two-Dimensional Symbols with AIAG Trading Partner Labels. ANSI/AIM BC1: Uniform Symbology Specification - Code 39 ANSI X (R1995): Guideline for Bar Code Print Quality ANSI MH : Data Application Identifier Standard ANSI MH : Materials Handling - Unit Loads and Transport Packages - Bar Code Symbols ANSI X12 Series: A Collection of All ANSI-approved X12 Standards (Note: Unit of Measure codes are found in the Data Element section.) ISO : Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries and Their Subdivisions AIM Symbology Identifier Guidelines DUNS Number Users Guide MIL-L-61002: Labels, Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive, for Bar Codes and Other Markings B-10 9 Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

10 3.0 DEFINITIONS There are many terms and definitions associated with bar code symbology that have special meaning to this industry. The following are definitions of terms specific to this document. Definitions of other related terms used in this document can be found in the documents referenced in Section 2.0 Normative References. TERM DEFINITION 2D AIM Alphanumeric ANSI autodiscrimination bar code symbol carrier character Code 39 container container ID See Two-Dimensional Symbol. The Automatic Identification Manufacturers Association. A character set that contains alphabetic characters (letters), numeric digits (numbers), and usually other characters such as punctuation marks. The American National Standards Institute. The ability of a bar code reader to distinguish automatically between two or more symbologies (e.g., Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 39). An array of rectangular bars and spaces that are arranged in a predetermined pattern following specific rules to represent elements of data that are referred to as characters. A bar code symbol typically contains a leading quiet zone, start character, data character(s), stop character, and a trailing quiet zone. The party that provides freight services (freight movement and information). In a bar code symbol, the smallest group of elements that represents one or more numbers, letters, punctuation marks, or other information. For the purposes of this guideline, Code 39 (also known as Code 3 of 9) shall mean the symbology as specified by ANSI AIM BC1. A receptacle or a flexible covering for shipping goods such as a box, bag, package or pallet. (See also Transport Package and also Unit Load.) An alphanumeric field used by the shipping company to identify the shipment. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

11 TERM DEFINITION customer customer part number Data Identifier (DI) dots per inch (dpi) DUNS Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Error correction highlighting line ID item label labeler like parts pack Lines Per Block (LPB) manufacturer Master Load Label In a transaction, the party that receives, buys, or consumes an item or service. The part number as defined by the customer. A specified character string that defines the specific data that immediately follows, as defined by ANSI MH The number of points represented on any access within a space of one inch. Data Universal Number System, assigned by Dun & Bradstreet. For the purposes of this document, EDI shall mean the computer communication of data between trading partners. Mathematical techniques used by decoders to reconstruct missing or damaged symbol characters. A horizontal divider line(s) placed above and/or below building block or blocks. Highlighting lines are easily distinguishable from the horizontal separator lines used to separate other building blocks. This visual difference may be the result of using a thicker line chosen by the labeler. Abbreviation for Identification. A single part or material purchased, manufactured, and/or distributed. See Section 4.0 Label Concept. A term to identify the organization responsible for the labeling of a Unit Load/Transport Package (UL/TP). A pack that contains all like items (i.e., same part/item number). Units of measure defining the height of text characters. Actual producer or fabricator of an item; not necessarily the supplier in a transaction. A label used to identify and summarize the contents of a master pack. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

12 TERM DEFINITION master pack Mixed Load Label mixed item pack multiple pack nonstandard quantity pack pack, package, or load package identifier quantity ship from ship to shipping pack shipping/parts identification label single pack standard quantity pack subpack supplier/vendor supplier/vendor ID A unit load containing common (like parts) items. A label used to identify and summarize the contents of a mixed item pack. A pack containing items with different part/item numbers. A unit load containing smaller packages (subpacks) of items. A pack that contains variable quantities of like items. A unit (container) which provides protection and containment of items plus ease of handling by manual or mechanical means, for example, bags, cartons, pallets, bins, and racks. A string of numeric or alphanumeric characters, assigned by the supplier, that is not repeated within 366 days to a given customer. The number of parts, items or other units of measure in the container. On a transport label, the address of the location where the carrier will return the shipment if the container is undeliverable. The address of the location where a carrier will deliver the freight. A pack used for shipping items from one facility to another. A label or tag used to identify the contents of a shipping container. A container intended for the transportation and handling of one or more parts, articles, smaller containers, or bulk material. A pack that contains the same quantity of like items. One of the smaller packs that makes up a larger pack. In a transaction, the party that produces, provides, or furnishes a product or service. The numeric or alphanumeric code used to identify the supplier/vendor. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

13 TERM DEFINITION symbology tag trading partners transport package two-dimensional symbol UL/TP unique container identifier unit load vendor X dimension A standard means of representing data in bar code form. Each symbology specification sets out its particular rules of composition or symbol architecture. (ISO definition) A label (card) that is attached to a shipping container. All members within the channels of distribution within an industry (suppliers, carriers, customers, and intermediaries). A container intended for the transportation and handling of one or more parts, articles, smaller containers, or bulk material. A machine-readable symbol that must be examined both vertically and horizontally to read the entire message. A 2D symbol may be one of two types of machine-readable symbols: a Matrix Symbol or a Stacked Symbol. Two-dimensional symbols differ from linear bar codes in that they have the capability for high data content, small size, data efficiency, and error correction. Unit Load or Transport Package (container). A supplier identificationand a container identification number that together uniquely identify the container to trading partners. (Sometimes referred to as a license plate) One or more transport packages or other items held together by means such as strapping, interlocking, glue, shrink wrap, or net wrap, making them suitable for transport, stacking, and storage as a unit. See supplier/vendor. The intended width of the narrow elements required by the application, or symbology specification, or both. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

14 4.0 LABEL CONCEPT This section defines a standardized format for container labels. It is intended to serve as the preferred format for those developing or revising unit load and transport container bar code label standards in order to provide a universally accepted format across all industries. LABEL CONCEPT 1. Purpose of a Bar Code Label The purpose of a bar code label is to facilitate the movement of goods and the exchange of data among all members within a channel of distribution (suppliers, carriers, customers, and others). The amount of data (bar code as well as human readable text) needed on a label is a function of the needs of the trading partners involved. When a bar code label is used in conjunction with computerized databases and electronic data interchange (EDI), the amount of data needed on a label may be reduced significantly. 2. Symbologies Code 39, with ANSI MH Data Identifiers (DIs), has been selected to implement the label format. Use of two-dimensional (2D) symbols is discussed in AIAG B-14: Guideline for Use of Two-Dimensional Symbols with AIAG Trading Partner Labels. 3. Labeler For the purposes of this document, the term labeler shall refer to the organization responsible for having the label, or a section of the label, printed and applied. 4. Label The general term label means the printed area on, or attached to, the container that includes the text or bar code information or both (for example, pressure-sensitive tags), as covered in this guideline. Separate segments of the label may be applied at different stages to form the complete label. 5. Segments Segments are logical groupings of information based on the data needs of the trading partners within the distribution channel. These segments are defined as: CARRIER CUSTOMER SUPPLIER B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

15 LABEL CONCEPT 6. Information Exchange Considerations Trading partners and members within a channel of distribution (suppliers, carriers, customers, and others) may have different information needs. Some required information may be common among two or more trading partners, while other information may be specific to a single trading partner. Because information is generally known at different times, the label concept provides for logical groupings of information based on this timing. These logical groupings of information are called segments. Examples of information that may be included on unit loads or transport container labels are shown in Figure Label Data Content In the B-10 TPL, control of the data that appear in each segment and the layout of that data is the responsibility of the owner of that segment (i.e., Supplier Segment by the supplier, Customer Segment by the customer, Carrier Segment by the carrier) unless otherwise identified in this guideline. This label concept provides flexibility by not mandating specific data to be included in any segment except as noted in Section 6. A recommended order of data is provided in Appendix D. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

16 Figure 1. Label Segments and Typical Data Bar Code Customer carrier Unique Container Identifier Segment Serial number Supplier/vendor B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

17 5.0 LABEL FORMAT This guideline defines rules for formatting the information, both text and bar code, that appears on a shipping label. This section includes the formatting rules for: building blocks and sub-blocks. text in building blocks. bar code in building blocks. general label characteristics 5.1 Building Blocks BUILDING BLOCK RULE 1. The building block is the basic unit of the label format. A modular structure is used to simplify label formatting. An individual building block or sub-block may contain: text or graphics (known as a text block), a single bar code field with human readable interpretation (known as a bar code block), or may be blank. 2. Building blocks should be stacked vertically. Each building block may be produced separately or in combination with other building blocks. This provides the option of printing data as it becomes known. See Figure Building blocks should be separated from each other by a horizontal line. See Figure 2 - Horizontal Separator Line. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

18 Figure 2. Building Block Types and Size (not to scale) Bar Code width B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

19 5.2 Building Block Size BUILDING BLOCK SIZE RULE 1. Building block height shall be 1.0 inch +/- 0.2 inch (25 mm +/- 5 ) as determined by the printing capability of the labeler. 2. The width of a building block is the width of the label. 3. A maximum of one double-height bar code block may be used per segment. 4. Double-height bar code block s shall be 2 inches +/- 0.4 inch (51 mm +/- 10 mm). 5. Two half-height text building blocks may be used per segment. See Figure 2. See Figure 2. The double-height block can be used to satisfy special scanning requirements (for example, automated conveyor scanning or long range scanning). See Figure 2. The half-height building block may only contain text or graphics, not bar code symbols. 5.3 Sub-blocks SUB-BLOCKS RULE 1. A sub-block shall be the full height of the building block. 2. Vertical lines should be used between subblocks and shall be used to separate two adjacent text sub-blocks. A sub-block is a division of a building block that is full height but less than the full width. See Figure 2. See Figure Building blocks shall not be divided into more than four sub-blocks. 4. The minimum width of a sub-block shall be determined by the amount of data that will be printed in that sub-block. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

20 5.4 Text Building Block Format Figure 3. Text Block (not to scale) TEXT BUILDING BLOCK RULE Text Block Contents 1. A text building block or sub-block shall not contain a bar code symbol. A text building block or sub-block may contain text or graphics or both. See Figure 3. Text Height Lines Per Block 2. The height of text characters shall be specified using a unit of measure called Lines Per Block (LPB), rather than inches, millimeters, or points. 3. The exact character heights corresponding to the eight text sizes shall be chosen by the labeler based on the capabilities of the printing process. This enables the printer of the label to determine the actual height and font of text for a given LPB, within the guidelines provided. Eight sizes may be specified for text, ranging from one to eight Lines Per Block (LPB). See Figure 4. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

21 Figure 4. Illustration of Lines Per Block (LPB) 1 LPB AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS 2 LPB 3 LPB 4 LPB B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

22 Figure 4. Illustration of Lines Per Block (LPB) (continued) AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS AIAG PQVS 5 LPB 6 LPB 7 LPB 8 LPB B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

23 5.5 Text Dimensions TEXT BUILDING BLOCK RULE 1. Labelers shall choose a single text height for each of the eight sizes so that clear distinctions shall be evident between text sizes. For example, 8 LPB text shall be smaller than 7 LPB text, etc. Figure 4 illustrates 1 through 8 LPB printing. 2. The characters shall be clearly legible, regardless of height. 3. For maximum legibility, the ratio of the height to width of a character should not exceed 2:1. The ratio of the height to width is measured on an M character. A sans serif font such as Arial, Helv, or Helvetica is recommended. Text Data Limits 1. The maximum number of text characters per line in a full width block that can be required of a labeler, regardless of the width of the label supplied, shall be limited to those shown in the column Maximum Characters Per Line in Table 1. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

24 Table 1. Suggested LPB Character Parameters LINES PER BLOCK MAXIMUM CHARACTERS PER LINE APPROXIMATE POINT HEIGHT APPROXIMATE HEIGHT IN INCHES APPROXIMATE HEIGHT IN MILLIMETERS 1 LPB LPB LPB LPB LPB LPB LPB LPB NOTE: Calculation of Maximum Characters Per Line is based on a block/label width of 6 inches. Calculation of approximate heights is based on a block height of 1 inch. Actual text dimensions will depend on the data, the font used, and the capability of the label provider s printer and software. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

25 TEXT BUILDING BLOCK RULE Titles For Text Building Blocks and Subblocks 1. A title may be used in a text building block. Unlike bar code building blocks, a title is not required in a text building block. 2. When a title is used in a text building block it shall be printed in the upper left corner of the building block or sub-block. 3. The title in a text building block shall be printed in upper case characters at a height of 6, 7, or 8 LPB, two lines maximum, left justified. Use of a title in a text building block is illustrated in Figure 5. Sans serif fonts (such as Arial or Helvetica) are preferred, but not required. If possible, a font which clearly differentiates the letter O from the number 0 (as with a dot or line in the number 0) should be used. See Figure 5. Figure 5. Bar Code Building Block (not to scale) Code 39 B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

26 5.6 Bar Code Building Block Format BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCKS RULE Bar Code Building Block Contents 1. Code 39, with Data Identifiers (DIs), shall be the linear symbology used in a bar code building block. Code 39 is described in ANSI/AIM BC1 Uniform Symbology Specification-Code 39. DI s are listed in ANSI MH Data Application Identifier Standard. Use of two-dimensional (2D) symbols on a shipping label is discussed in AIAG B-14, Guideline for Use of Two-Dimensional Symbols with AIAG Trading Partner Labels. 2. A building block should not contain more than one bar code symbol. 3. A sub-block of a building block shall not contain more than one bar code symbol. A bar code symbol may be specified for either a building block or a sub-block. Guidelines for implementing two sub-blocks with linear bar code symbols are found later in this section under Side-by-SideBar Code Block. 4. The single bar code sub-block shall be the leftmost sub-block within a building block. 5. Data Identifiers: All Code 39 bar code symbols shall contain a Data Identifier (DI). DIs are not considered part of the data they precede. 6. The Data Identifiershall conform to the ANSI MH Data Application Identifier Standard. See Section 2.0, Normative References. Bar Code Data Limit 1. The total number of characters (excluding start/stop) per linear bar code in a building block or sub-block shall not exceed 19. The count of the total number of characters includes both data and DIcharacters. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

27 BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCKS RULE Bar Code Block Title Line(s) 1. A title shall be printed in the upper left corner of the bar code building block or sub-block. 2. The title shall be printed in upper case characters at a height of 6,7, or 8 LPB, two lines maximum, left justified. 3. The bar code block's title should comply with the suggested Short Titles shown in Appendix A. See Figure 5. (Note exception discussed later in this section under Side-by-Side Bar Code Block). See Figure 5. The Data Identifier (DI) is to be shown in parentheses near the title. Bar Code Symbol Placement 1. The bar code symbol shall be placed in the lower portion of the bar code building block. See Figure 5. (Note exception discussed later in this section under Side-by-Side Bar Code Block). 2. The bar code symbol shall be left justified, allowing for the quiet zone as specified later in this section under Quiet Zones. See Figure 5. (Note exception discussed later in this section under Side-by-Side Bar Code Block). 3. Sub-block Placement: When used, a bar code sub-block shall be the leftmost sub-block within a building block. Bar Code Symbol Height 1. The minimum height of the Code 39 bar code symbol shall be 0.5 inch (13 mm). See Figure 5. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

28 BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCKS RULE Symbology 1. Code 39 bar code symbology, shall be as defined by ANSI AIM BC1. 2. Code 39 full ASCII option shall not be used. 3. Code 39 shall be printed black bars on a white background. 4. Non-significant zeros and non-significant space characters shall not be encoded in a bar code. 5. The Code 39 symbology check character option shall not be used. 6. The four (4) characters %, /, $, + of the Code 39 symbology shall not be used. Because of unique symbology characteristics, omitting these four (4) characters increases the reliability of the symbol. Narrow Element X Dimension 1. The wide and narrow bars and spaces are termed elements. The range of the width of the narrow element (X dimension) shall be from inch (0.25 mm) to inch (0.43 mm) as determined by the printing capability of the supplier/printer of the label. 2. The narrow element X dimension should be consistent for all linear bar code symbols contained on the label. NOTE: The recommended range of the X dimension is from inch (33 mm) to inch (0.43 mm). Symbols with narrow elements below inch (0.33 mm) may require special care to meet bar code print quality and scanning requirements. Certain scanning applications require consistent X dimensions from one symbol to the next. Printing individual bar codes with different X dimensions on the same label may cause scanning problems. 3. The ratio of the width of the wide bars and spaces to the width of the narrow bars and spaces should be 3:1. The measured ratio of the wide elements to the narrow elements shall be between 2.8:1 and 3.2:1. The printing hardware and software should be set for a wide-to-narrow ratio of 3:1. Depending on the printing conditions (ink, substrate, hardware, etc.) the bars and spaces in the resulting printed symbol(s) should be measured at between 2.8:1 and 3.2:1. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

29 BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCKS RULE Quiet Zones 1. The bar code symbol shall have leading and trailing quiet zones with minimum widths of 0.25 inch (6 mm) each. In order to function properly, bar code-reading equipment must have totally clear areas at both ends of the symbol with no printing or graphics. These clear areas are called quiet zones. See Figure 6. Figure 6. Quiet Zone Dimension (not to scale) BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCK RULE Human Readable Interpretation for Code The data encoded in the bar code symbol shall be represented in human readable characters above the bar code symbol. 2. Data Identifiers (DIs) and symbology start and stop charactersshall not be printed in the human readable interpretation. 3. The Data Identifier (DI) is to be shown in parentheses near the title. See Figures 5 and 6 for examples of Human Readable Interpretation (HRI). ANSI MH Data Identifiers and ANSI AIM BC1 symbology start and stop characters are not considered part of the data. See Figures 5, 6, and 7. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

30 BAR CODE BUILDING BLOCK RULE 4. The human readable interpretation shall be upper case characters. 5. The human readable interpretation shall be printed left justified, approximately 1.0 to 1.5 inch (25 to 38 mm) from the left edge of the building block or sub-block. Sans serif fonts (such as Arial, Helv, or Helvetica) are preferred. A font that clearly differentiates the letter O from the number 0 (as with a dot or line in the number 0) should be used. The HRI is indented to leave room for the title. See Figure The human readable interpretation of the data encoded in the bar code symbol shall be printed at either 2 or 3 LPB. The chosen LPB of the HRI should not interfere with the height of the bar code. Side-by-Side Bar Code Block Figure 7. Example of Side-by-Side Bar Codes (not to scale) B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

31 SIDE-BY-SIDE BAR CODE RULE If a second bar code sub-block is required within a single building block, the following rules shall apply (see Figure 7): 1. There shall not be more than two bar code subblocks in any single building block. Previous AIAG label standards have permitted two bar code symbols side by side. The ANSI MH10.8 standard cautions that care should be taken, but it provides no explicit guidance for printing side-byside bar codes. This guideline for using side-byside bar codes provides that guidance. 2. The first bar code sub-block shall be the left-most sub-block within the building block. The second bar code sub-block shall be the right-most sub-block within the building block. 3. The vertical line separating the sub-blocks may be omitted between two bar code sub-blocks, but caution shall be exercised to prevent text from intruding on the 0.25 inch quiet zones of each symbol. 4. Bar Code Data Limit: The total number of characters, including Data Identifiers, in the two bar codes combined shall not exceed 16 characters. For example, if the first bar code data field contains 7 characters (including the Data Identifierthen the second bar code data field may contain a maximum of 9 characters (including the Data Identifier). 5. The first (left-most) bar code sub-block shall conform to all specifications for Bar Code Building Blocks as stated earlier in this section under the subtitle Bar Code Building Block Contents B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

32 SIDE-BY-SIDE BAR CODE RULE 6. The second (right-most) bar code sub-block shall conform to specifications for Bar Code Building Blocks as stated in Section 4.0 of this document, plus the following: a. Block Title Line(s): A title shall be printed in conformance with the Bar Code Building Block rules of Section 5.1, except that the title shall be printed in the lower left corner of the sub-block. b. Bar Code Symbol Placement: The bar code symbol shall be printed in the upper portion of the sub-block. Quiet Zonesbar code height, and other bar code specifications from Section 4.0 must still be maintained. c. Human Readable Interpretation for Code 39: The human readable interpretation of the data encoded in the bar code symbol shall be printed below the bar code symbol. 5.7 Label Characteristics LABEL CHARACTERISTICS RULE Label Color 1. Labels shall be white, with black print. Label Height 1. The full label height will be determined by the number of building blocks included on the label. The intended height of a building block is 1 inch, so the height of the label will be 1 x number of building blocks. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

33 LABEL CHARACTERISTICS RULE Label Width 1. The width of the label shall be determined by the labeler. If the label requestor stays within the text and bar code data limits of this guideline, the labeler can choose label stock based on the labeler s choice of X dimension and font sizes. Table 2 provides guidance. For example, if the labeler intends to print all labels at an X dimension of inch, label stock of 6 inches width should work for any B-10-compliant labeling specification. Table 2. Suggested Label Widths for Selected X Dimensions X DIMENSION SUGGESTED LABEL WIDTH inch (0.25 mm) 4 inches (102 mm) inch (0.33 mm) 5 inches (127 mm) inch (0.38 mm) 6 inches (152 mm) inch (0.43 mm) 6.5 inches (165 mm) Note: Table 2 shows, for given X dimensions, the Suggested label widths to accommodate the maximum number of 19 data characters. The calculations were based on the following: 19 characters of data identifier plus data (maximum allowable) plus the two characters of a start character and a stop character, plus two 0.25-inch quiet zones, using a ratio of wide to narrow elements of 3:1. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

34 6.0 LABEL DATA CONTENT Trading Partner Labels This guideline defines label format, not label conent. However, certain information is widely needed for specific application uses of labels. This section describes the recommended data for: unique identification for container content labels identifying individual containers for shipment identifying master pack containers for shipment identifying mixed load containers for shipment identifying entire shipments in conjunction with EDI ship-to and ship-from text format LABEL DATA CONTENT RULE This label concept does not mandate specific data to be included in any segment. Although no specific data is mandated, a Unique Container Identifier is highly recommended for traceability throughout the supply chain. 6.1 Unique Container Identifier (License Plate) UNIQUE CONTAINER IDENTIFIER RULE 1. Containers should be uniquely identified each time they are shipped, using a Unique Container Identifier, commonly referred to as a license plate. 2. The Unique Container Identifier shall not be repeated to a given customer within a minimum period of 366 days. Unique identification is needed for traceability throughout the channel of distribution. It is strongly suggested that the label use a unique container identifier so that the container can be tracked by all trading partners in all phases of shipping, transport, and receiving. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

35 UNIQUE CONTAINER IDENTIFIER RULE 3. The Unique Container Identifier, if used, shall be contained in either one or two linear bar code symbols as described in the following sections. A Unique Container Identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies a container for traceability for a single shipment within the channel of distribution. Such identification consists of three elements: A package identifier for the container, assigned by the supplier. A controlled number for vendor identification, A means to identify the controlling authority that assigned the vendor identification number (this is identified by the DI Unique Container Identifier Using One Building Block 1. When a single building block is used for the Unique Container Identifier, it shall comply with the rules for a Unique Transport Unit Identifier as defined in ISO/IEC using the Data Identifier 1J for individual packages and 2J for master and mixed loads. 2. Highlighting lines should be used above and below the single building block. A container may be uniquely identified by using a single building block containing only text or a single linear bar code. The Unique Transport Unit Identifier, as defined in ISO/IEC When using a single linear barcode, uses the appropriate Data Identifier (1J or 2J); 2. is unique and shall not be repeated to a given customer within a minimum period of 366 days; 3. the data starts with an Issuing Agency Code (IAC) assigned to the issuing agency by the Registration Authority identified by ISO; 4. conforms to a format specified by the issuing agency; 5. contains only upper case alphabetic and numeric characters. The purpose of highlighting lines is to assist users in visually locating the Unique Container Identifier 3. Highlighting lines shall not be used elsewhere on the label. 4. Highlighting lines shall be easily distinguishable from the other horizontal separator lines. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

36 LABEL DATA CONTENT RULE Unique Container Identifier Using Two Building Blocks 1. When two building blocks are used for the Unique Container Identifier, the building blocks shall be contiguous, with the supplier identificationbuilding block above the container/package identification block. 2. The combination of the two building blocks shall be unique and shall not be repeated to a given customer within a minimum period of 366 days. A container may be uniquely identified by using two building blocks containing an identification of the supplier and an identification of the container number of the container, as assigned by the supplier. See Figure When a bar code symbol is used, the appropriate Data Identifier (DI) from the ANSI MH Data Identifier Standard shall be used. 4. Highlighting lines should be used above the supplier identification block and below the container/package identification number building block. A brief list of some data identifiers from the ANSI MH Data Identifier Standard can be found in Appendix A of this document. Possible DIs for this situation might include V or 13V for the supplier identification, and 3S, 4S, or 5S, for the container/package identification. The purpose of highlighting lines is to assist users in visually locating the Unique Container Identifier. See Figures 2 and Highlighting lines shall not be used elsewhere on the label. 6. Highlighting lines should be easily distinguishable from the horizontal separator lines. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

37 Figure 8. Double Building Block License Plate (not to scale) Highlighting Line 6.2 Single Pack Label A Single Container of the Same Part Number SINGLE PACK LABEL RULE 1. A Single Pack Label should be used to identify the contents of an individual container of a single part number for a shipment. 2. A Unique Container Identifier should be assigned to each single pack. See Figure 14. A unique container unit identifier or license plate is the key that provides access to information stored in computer files and that may be transmitted by EDI. The identifier may be used by all of the trading partners to retrieve information about the transport unit itself or about the status of the physical movement of the transport unit along the supply chain. It enables systems to track and trace individual transport units. Refer to Section 6.1. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

38 SINGLE PACK LABEL RULE 3. When used, the Unique Container Identifier shall not be repeated to a given same customer within a minimum period of 366 days. Refer to Section6.1: Unique Container Identification Rule and Label Data Content Rule. 4. When multiple labels are used on a container, all labels shall be identical, including the package identifier. 5. The Data Identifier for package identification for a single container shall be either: 1J when a single building block is used, or 3S when two building blocks are used. 6.3 Master Load Label Multiple Single Packs of the Same Part Number MASTER LOAD LABEL RULE 1. A Master Load Label should be used to identify the total contents of a multiple single pack load of the same part number. 2. Master Labels are similar to single pack labels with the following exceptions: Master Load Labels are used to identify multicontainer packaging (such as a pallet) with all containers holding the same part number. For an example, see Figure 17. The Master Load Label should be easily identified with human readable text. A text sub-block containing the words MASTER LABEL in upper case shall be printed in either the Customer Segment or the Supplier Segment of the label at a minimum height of 3 LPB. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

39 MASTER LOAD LABEL RULE 3. The Data Identifierfor a package identification in a bar code on the Master Load Label shall be either; 2J when a single building block is used, or 4S when two building blocks are used. The quantity on the Master Load Label shall be the accumulated total of all single pack quantities on the load. All other data in the customer segment of the Master Load Label shall be specified by the customer. 4. When used, the Master Load Label should be placed in such a manner that when the pack is broken apart, the Master Load Label can be discarded. Note that the 4S would also appear in parentheses in the title, as: PKG ID MASTER (4S) If material is partially disbursed from a master load, the quantity shown on the Master Load Label may no longer be accurate and therefore should be discarded. 5. When used, the Unique Container Identifier shall not be repeated to a given customer in a period of less than 366 days. 6. When multiple labels are used on a container, all labels shall be identical, including the package identifier. 7. Each single pack of the multiple pack should be identified with a Single Pack Label. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

40 6.4 Mixed Load Label MIXED LOAD LABEL RULE 1. A Mixed Load Label shall be used to identify a load of multiple single packs of different part numbers. 2. Mixed Load Labels shall conform to the following specifications: Ship-From and Ship-To addresses should be used when applicable. A text sub-block containing the words MIXED LOAD in upper case shall be printed in either the Customer Segment or the Supplier Segment of the label at a minimum height of 3 LPB. Mixed load labels are used to identify multicontainer packaging (such as a pallet) with containers holding different part numbers. Refer to Figure 18. The mixed load label should be easily identified with human readable text. 3. The Data Identifier for a package identification in bar code on the Mixed Load Label shall be either: 2J when a single building block is used, or 5S when two building blocks are used. All other data in the customer segment of the Mixed Load Label shall be specified by the customer. 4. When multiple labels are used on a container, all labels shall be identical, including the package identifier. 5. When used, the Unique Container Identifier shall not be repeated to a given customer within a minimum period of 366 days. 6. Each single pack of the mixed load pack should be identified with a Single Pack Label. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

41 6.5 Quick Receive Label QUICK RECEIVE LABEL RULE 1. When trading partners use an EDI Advanced Shipment Notification, a Quick Receive Label may be used to tie the shipment to the EDI transaction in the database. AIAG B-12 describes a method for creating and using this label. 6.6 Ship-From and Ship-To Figure 9. Ship-From and Ship-To Building Blocks (not to scale) SHIP-FROM AND SHIP-TO RULE Ship-From and Ship-To Text 1. Ship-From and Ship-To address should be used when applicable. 2. The Ship-From sub-block shall have a title of FROM: and the Ship-To sub block shall have a title of TO. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

42 SHIP-FROM AND SHIP-TO RULE 3. Ship-From characters shall be noticeably smaller than the Ship-To characters. 4. When the Ship-From and Ship-To addresses are placed side by side, the Ship-From address shall be placed to the left of the Ship-To address. The difference in size makes it easier for carrier personnel to distinguish the destination from the return address. For example, if the Ship-To address is printed at 5 LPB, then the Ship-From address should be printed at 6 or 7 LPB. It is recommended that the Ship-From and Ship-To addresses be placed side-by-side in a single building block, rather than using two building blocks for addressing information. 5. When placed side by side, the Ship-From address should be separated from the Ship-To address by a vertical line. 6. If the Ship-From and Ship-To addresses are placed in separate building blocks, the Ship- From address shall be located above the Ship- From address. To ensure that the package arrives at the correct destination, the Ship-To address should never be located above the Ship-From address. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

43 7.0 QUALITY 7.1 Quality Assurance QUALITY ASSURANCE RULE Quality testing should not be limited to label production inspection but should be followed through to the end use. It is important that the bar code be decodable throughout the system. For this reason, quality needs to be considered from initial printing through to the end user. The AIAG B-8 document provides quality assurance guidance for shipping labels and other bar code applications (linear and 2D). 7.2 Bar Code Print Quality BAR CODE PRINT QUALITY RULE 1. The ANSI X3.182 Guideline shall be used to determine bar code symbol print quality. The ANSI X3.182 Guideline for Bar Code Print Quality, describes the parameters used for the evaluation of a printed bar code symbol. The ANSI test result is a print quality grade, either numeric (4,3,2,1,0) or alphabetic (A, B, C, D, F). The ANSI Guideline specifies the size of the measurement aperture and the illumination wavelength. 2. When bar code print quality tests are performed, an appropriate verifier with a measurement aperture of inch and illumination wavelength of nanometers shall be used. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

44 BAR CODE PRINT QUALITY RULE 3. The minimum symbol grade shall be C (1.5). These symbol quality and measurement parameters ensure scannability over a broad range of scanning environments. In addition, it is recommended that quality measurements be taken under consistent conditions; that is, use the same background lighting and the same surface on which the label will be attached. Note: Previous AIAG Standards (B-3 and B-5) specified an inspection wavelength of 900 nanometers +/- 10% to accommodate existing infrared scanners.. Scanners using visible light sources (630 to 680 nanometers) are preferred for future applications and equipment replacement. Meeting the minimum bar code print quality requirements at the infrared wavelength generally ensures acceptable print quality levels at the visible light wavelength as well. 7.3 Sampling SAMPLING RULE Appropriate statistical process control (SPC) techniques should be used. The sample size must be sufficiently large to be statistically valid within the size of the lot or batch being inspected. Acceptable quality levels must be established prior to quality control inspection. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

45 SAMPLING RULE In addition to statistical sampling, additional points in the process where verification is appropriate include: when printer is first turned on, after changing ribbons, after changing toner, after changing ink, any time the label stock is changed, beginning of a shift, and after maintenance is performed on the printing equipment. 7.4 Obsolete Labels OBSOLETE LABELS RULE 1. Obsolete labels shall be rendered unusable by either being removed, defaced, or covered. 2. If covering obsolete labels with new labels, care should be taken so that the bar code print quality of the new labels is not adversely affected. If the label stock is not sufficiently opaque, the print from the label underneath can show through and decrease the print contrast. The new labels must meet the ANSI bar code print quality requirements. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

46 7.5 Label Durability LABEL DURABILITY RULE Labels should be sufficiently durable to remain in place and be decodable throughout the system of use. Numerous environmental effects can lead to the degradation of the bar code symbol, whether they are optical or physical, affecting its substrate, adhesive, or laminate. These changes may affect one or more of the quality parameters of the label. The net effect of such changes can render the label unusable. It is therefore important to consider these effects when producing and applying bar code labels. Some of the factors that should be considered include temperature, humidity, light exposure, abrasion, chemical contamination and aging. In this regard the ANSI X3.182 Guideline for Bar Code Print Quality provides tables, entitled Environmental Factors, as a reference. Also, Military Specification MIL-L-61002, Labels, Pressure Sensitive Adhesive, for Bar Codes and Other Markings is a good source for information on environmental factors, consideration, and testing. Specifically, Sections 3.2.2, Performance Test Parameters, 4.6, Performance Tests, and 6.11, Application Examples are relevant sections to review. 7.6 Recyclability RECYCLABILITY RULE If the label is to be attached to a material which is to be recycled, the label material should be compatible with or removable from the substrate material to which it is attached. An example of a recyclable material is shrink wrap. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

47 8.0 LABEL PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION As described in Section 4, this guideline uses a concept of segments for logical grouping of information. In this section, rules for placement and orientation of label segments are defined and illustrated. 8.1 Segment Placement LABEL PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION RULE 1. Label segments should be stacked vertically. Stacking vertically (see Figures 1 and 10) ensures that the bar codes do not interfere with each other when scanning. 2. Information required by carriers shall be placed topmost on the label. The Carrier Segment of the label should be the topmost (see Figures 1 and 10). Parcel carriers may require the placementof carrier information (such as addresses) on the top of the transport container. Due to physical package constraints, it may not be possible to stack all segments vertically. Under these circumstances it is important to position the segments of the label so that bar code blocks do not appear directly adjacent. Placing bar code symbols side by side can interfere with accurate bar code scanning. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

48 Figure 10. Label Segments Bar Code Unique Container Identifier customer carrier Segment Serial Number B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

49 8.2 Label Placement LABEL PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION RULE Labels should be placed no closer than 1.25 inches (32 mm) from any container edge. Label placement toward the center of the sides of rectangular corrugated containers should be avoided. For placement on various types of containers, labels or tags should be applied in an easily accessible location. See Figure 11. When label locations are identified on customer containers (especially on returnable containers), they shall not be applied outside the defined area. Labels must be accessible for scanning at shipping, transportation, and receiving operations. See Figures 12a and 12b for guidance on label placementfor various types of containers. When multiple labels are used on a container, all labels shall be identical, including the package identifier. The label should not be placed over a seam. Sealing tape, shrink-wrap, or bands shall not be placed over the label. These will interfere with the scanning of the label. The following considerations should be addressed when determining the most appropriate location for the label or segments of the label: survivability of the label; label application (manual/automatic, label/tag /direct marking); container type; packaging level (if multiple labels or bar code symbols are visible); accessibility of location. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

50 LABEL PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION RULE Each supplying location shall be responsible to ensure that bar code-marked labels and tags are sufficiently secured and protected and applied wrinkle-free so they are readable at point of final customer usage. Label Placement on Master and Mixed Loads For master and mixed loads, the label shall be placed on the upper half of the unit load. The bottom edge of the label on a master and mixed load should not be higher than 60 inches (152 cm) from the bottom. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

51 8.3 Label Orientation LABEL PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION RULE Labels should be placed on the side of the container with the bars perpendicular to the base of the container. See Figure 11. Figure 11. Label Orientation B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

52 Figure 12a. Suggested Label Placement Caution: All labels on the container must be identical. Obsolete labels shall be rendered unusable by either being removed, defaced, or covered. BOX OR CARTON BASKET, WIRE MESH CONTAINER CARTONS ON PALLET OPEN METAL BIN OR TUB B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

53 Figure 12a. Suggested Label Placement (continued) PALLET BOX RACK TELESCOPE OR SET-UP CONTAINERS DRUM, BARREL, OR CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER label B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

54 Figure 12b. Suggested Label Placement Caution: All labels on the container must be identical. Obsolete labels shall be rendered unusable by either being removed, defaced, or covered. ROLL SHEETS/CUT LENGTHS/BLANKS BALE SINGLE COIL B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

55 Figure 12b. Suggested Label Placement (continued) BAG SLIT COILS TUBING AND BARS label B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

56 9.0 SPECIAL APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS SPECIAL APPLICATION RULE Any deviation from the label concepts in this guideline should be agreed to by trading partners and should not diminish the labeler s ability to print the label, the legibility of text, or the bar code print quality. The B-10 labels will be readable by a majority of trading partners in a wide range of application environments. To satisfy certain special requirements (such as internal company applications or carrier or special industry needs), some modification to the defined format may be necessary. In this situation, it is recommended that as many as possible of the formatting and quality rules in the label concept be used. It is strongly recommended that the bar code print quality criteria contained in Section 7.0 Quality should apply to all such application standards. 9.1 Additional Machine-Readable Symbols ADDITIONAL MACHINE-READABLE RULE The use of other machine-readable symbols shall not interfere with the readability of any Code 39 bar codes on any segment of the B-10 Trading Partner Label. Other applications and industry standards may require symbologies other than Code 39 or may be designed to take advantage of special capabilities of other optically based, machine-readable symbols. Characters or marks intended for vision systems may be used on unit loads and transport containers. Two-dimensional (2D) symbols used on Trading Partner Labels shall conform to the requirements of AIAG B-14. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

57 9.2 Other Machine-Readable Technologies OTHER MACHINE-READABLE RULE If machine-readable technologies other than optically based are used in conjunction with the B- 10 label, they should not diminish the labeler s ability to produce the label, the legibility of text, or the bar code print quality. Additional machine-readable technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) may be used in conjunction with B-10 Trading Partner Labels. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

58 10.0 LABEL EXAMPLES Figure 13. A Carrier Segment for a Single Pack That Is a Ship-To/Ship-From and a Unique Container Identifier Figure 14. A Customer Segment That Looks Like the Old B-3 Supplier/Vendor ID B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

59 Figure 15. A Customer Segment That Looks Like the Old B-5 Figure 16. A Supplier Segment with the Supplier s Part Number label Serial Number Supplier/Vendor ID B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

60 Figure 17. A Customer Segment for a Master Load PART # CUST (P) XXXXXXXX XXXX (XXX) QUANTITY (Q) DLOC XXXXXXX ZZZZZZZZ SERIAL # MASTER (4S) MASTER LABEL PLT/DOCK ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ SUPPLIER ID: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Figure 18. A Customer Segment for a Mixed Load XXXXXXXX XXXX (XXX) XXXXXXX DLOC ZZZZZZZZ SERIAL # MASTER (5S) MIXED LABEL PLT/DOCK ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ SUPPLIER ID: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ label Serial Number B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

61 Figure 19. A Supplier Segment for a Master Load PART # CUST 12X45A789 SHIP FROM ACME IDEAL AUTO PARTS 26 AJO WAY TUCSON, AZ SHIP TO XYZ CO, INC PLANT 21 6 GRAND RIVER NOVI, MI LINE QUANTITY 7,654,325 EA SPLR ID CUST ASGN (V) PKG ID-MASTER (4S) MASTER LOAD DESCRIPTION LEFT-HANDED SNARK-CONTROLLING WIDGET Figure 20. A Supplier Segment for a Mixed Load label Supplier/Vendor ID B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

62 Figure 21. A Shipment Label Example (remove PDF-417) FROM: ACME IDEAL AUTO PARTS 1 ROADRUNNER WAY TUCSON, AZ TO: GREAT CUSTOMER CO. 123 DREAM LANE SOUTHFIELD, MI CUSTOMER PART # 12X45A789 SPLR ID CUST ASGN (V) PKG ID-UNIT (3S) ECN A3 DELIVERY LOC. DOCK 14, LINE 5 PART DESCRIPTION QUANTITY / WEIGHT 250 EA 210 LB LEFT-HANDED WIDGET CONTROL label Supplier/Vendor ID B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

63 APPENDIX A. BAR CODE BLOCKS: ANSI MH DATA IDENTIFIERS, DATA LENGTHS, AND SHORT TITLES A U.S. national standard for Data Identifiers, ANSI FACT-1, was published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in December It has since been revised as ANSI MH AIAG endorses the use of these Data Identifiers. ANSI MH has more than 100 data identifiers defined for many purposes in many industries. The ANSI standard can be purchased by calling the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) at (212) and requesting ANSI MH The following table includes some of the DIs in ANSI MH of interest to AIAG members. The Short Title text should be used in the bar code building block, as specified in Section 5.1. In many cases the Short Title text has been split into two lines to ensure the best fit in the title area of the building block. Table 3. ANSI Data Identifiers DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION B 1B 2B 3B CONTAINER TYPE (B) RETURNABLE CONTAINER # (1B) GAS CYLINDER # (2B) Container Type Returnable Container ID number Gas Cylinder ID number Motor Freight Transport Equipment Identification assigned by the manufacturer in conformance with International Standards Organization (ISO) standards 4B SCACTIL (4B) 10 Standard Carrier Alpha Code Trailer Identification Label C PART # CONT. (C) D DATE YYMMDD (D) Continuation of a customer's Part Number Date, in the format YYMMDD, significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

64 DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION 1D 2D 3D 4D 5D 6D 7D 10D 11D 12D 1H DATE DDMMYY (1D) DATE MMDDYY (2D) DATE YDDD (3D) DATE YYDDD (4D) DATE YYMMDDQQ (5D)) DATE YYYYMMDDQQ (6D)) DATE MMYY (7D)) DATE YYWW (10D)) DATE YYYYWW (11D)) DATE YYYYMMDD (12D)) EMPLOYEE ID (1H) Date, in the format DDMMYY, significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners Date, in the format MMDDYY, significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners Date, in the format YDDD (Julian), significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners Date, in the format YYDDD (Julian), significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners Date, in the ISO format YYMMDD immediately followed by an ANSI X12.3 Data Element Number 374 Qualifier (QQ) providing a code for type of date (e.g., ship date, manufacture date) Date, in the ISO format YYYYMMDD immediately followed by an ANSI X12.3 Data Element Number 374 Qualifier (QQ) providing a code for type of date (e.g., ship date, manufacture date) Date, in the format MMYY, significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners Date, in the format YYWW where WW represents week of the year, as agreed between customer and supplier Date, in the format YYYYWW where WW represents week of the year, as agreed between customer and supplier Date, in the format YYYYMMDD, significance of the date mutually agreed among all trading partners Employee ID as assigned by the employer 2H SSN (2H) U.S. Social Security Number B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

65 DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION 3H NON-EMPLOYEE ID (3H) ID number for non-employee (e.g., a contract worker or vendor) I VIN VIN - Vehicle Identification Number ISO PKG 1J 18 Unique license plate number assigned to a ID (1J) transport unit that is the lowest level of packaging, or the unbreakable unit, as defined in ISO/IEC J ISO MASTER ID (2J) 18 Unique license plate number assigned to a transport unit that contains multiple packages, as defined in ISO/IEC K P.O. # (K) Purchase Order Number, customer assigned 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 11K 12K Bill of Lading/Waybill/Shipment Identification Code assigned by supplier/shipper Bill of Lading/Waybill/Shipment Identification Code assigned by the carrier Line number of the order assigned by the customer to identify a Purchasing Transaction Reference number assigned by the customer to identify a Shipment Authorization (Release) against an established Purchase Order PRO# assigned by the carrier Carrier Mode in Free Text format mutually defined between the customer and supplier (e.g., Air, Truck, Boat, Rail) Contract Number Generic Transaction Reference Code (internally assigned or mutually defined) Packing List Number SCAC (Standard Carrier Alpha Code) (Alpha Numeric, always four characters, dash "-" filled left) and carrier-assigned progressive number B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

66 DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION 14K 15K PULL SIGNAL # (15K) 16K DELINS # (16K) L STORAGE LOCATION (L) Combined Order Number and Line Number in the format nn...nn+nn...n where a plus symbol (+) is used as a delimiter between the Order Number and Line Number Pull Signal - Kac DELINS Number: code assigned to identify a document that contains delivery information Storage Location 1L LOCATION (1L) Location (generic) 4L 20L - 24L COUNTRY OF ORIGIN (4L) P PART # CUST (P) 1P PART # SPLR (1P) Country of Origin: two-character code from the ISO 3166 standard country code list Additional location numbers. The exact meaning of each DI is assigned internally. {This set of DIs could be used for a hierarchy of locations, for example: BUILDING (20L); BAY (21L); AISLE (22L); SHELF (23L); BIN (24L)} Part Number, assigned by the customer Part Number, assigned by the supplier/manufacturer 2P EC # (2P) Code assigned to specify the revision level of the part (e.g., Engineering Change Level, revision, or edition) 9P Combined manufacturer identification code (9- digit DUNS number assigned by Dun & Bradstreet) and the item code/part number (assigned by the manufacturer) 10P Hazardous Material Code as defined by ANSI X12.3 in the format Data Element 208 (1- character code qualifier) followed by Data Element 209 (Hazardous Material Code) B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

67 DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION Q QUANTITY (Q) Quantity (integer numeric) (Unit of measure assumed to be each unless otherwise agreed between the supplier and the customer) 1Q 2Q 3Q 7Q 11Q LENGTH (1Q) or THEORETICAL WEIGHT (1Q) ACTUAL WEIGHT (2Q) UNIT OF MEASURE (3Q) QTY + U/M (7Q) TARE WT. (11Q) Actual Length or Theoretical Weight (historically used in the shipment of primary metals) Actual Weight Unit of Measure, as defined by the two character ANSI X12.3 Data Element Number 355 Unit of Measurement Code Quantity and unit of measure in the format: Quantity followed by the two-character Unit of Measure code as defined in Data Element number 355 of the ANS X12.3 Data Element Dictionary standard Tare Weight: weight of an empty container, unit of measure mutually agreed among trading partners S SERIAL # (S) Serial Number assigned by the supplier to an entity for its lifetime 2S 3S 4S 5S SHIPMENT ID (2S) PKG ID-UNIT (3S) PKG ID-MASTER (4S) PKG ID-MIXED (5S) Shipment ID number. If you are using EDI, this corresponds to the SID (Data Element 396 of ANS X12.3, as used in the 856 Shipment Notification transaction). 9 Package Identification assigned by the supplier to the lowest level of packaging (container) that has a package ID code. 9 Package Identification assigned by the supplier to packaging containing multiple containers of like items on a single customer order (Master Load) 9 Package Identification assigned by the supplier to packaging containing multiple containers of unlike items on a single customer order (Mixed Load) B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

68 DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION 9S 10S 11S 21S PKG ID MUTUAL (9S) MACHINE ID (10S) FIXED ASSET ID (11S) TIRE ID (21S) T LOT # CUST (T) 1T LOT # SPLR (1T) or HEAT # SPLR (1T) V VENDOR ID CUST ASGN (V) Generic Package Identification, significance mutually agreed by customer and supplier Machine, work cell, or tool ID code Fixed asset ID code Combined U.S. DOT Tire Manufacturer Plant Code and unique tire identification assigned by the supplier 18 Traceability number assigned to a unique batch or group of items (lot, heat, batch) by the customer 18 Traceability number assigned to a unique batch or group of items (lot, heat, batch) by the supplier/manufacturer Supplier Code assigned by the customer 12V 13V 14V W Z 1Z MFR ID DUNS (12V) SPLR ID DUNS (13V) CUST ID DUNS (14V) WORK ORDER # (W) DUNS number of the manufacturer DUNS number of the supplier, if other than the Manufacturer DUNS number of the customer Work Order number assigned by the supplier Mutually defined between customer and supplier (title to reflect mutually agreed meaning) Mutually defined between the carrier and the supplier (title to reflect mutually agreed meaning) B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

69 DI SUGGESTED SHORT TITLE RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM DATA LENGTH DESCRIPTION 2Z Mutually defined between the customer and the carrier (title to reflect mutually agreed meaning) 4Z Mutually defined between the carrier and the trading partner (title to reflect mutually agreed meaning) B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

70 APPENDIX B. PRECISION AND ROUNDING IN MEASUREMENT PRECISION & ROUNDING RULE When determining if a measurement falls within the specifications of this AIAG document, the measurement shall be used only at the level of precision stated in the document. Any measurement made with greater precision (that is, more decimal places) than that used in the document shall be rounded. PRECISION is the degree of exactness with which a quantity is stated. That is, it is the number of significant digits (usually decimal places). ROUNDING is the process used to reduce the precision with which a number is stated (that is, decrease the number of decimal places). Rounding is done in order to compare two numbers at the same level of precision. For example, if the specification for the size of an item is stated with one decimal place, any measurement of that item should be rounded to a single decimal place. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

71 PRECISION & ROUNDING RULE The rule used for rounding shall be: add 5 to the digit to the immediate RIGHT of the level of precision required, then drop (truncate) the extra digits -- those beyond the required level of precision. As an example: Assume that document states that a dimension is 0.6 inches. Then the required precision is one decimal place. If the measurement device used shows it to be inches, is that measurement "in spec"? Since one (1) digit of decimal precision is stated in the AIAG document, the measurement shall be rounded to a single decimal place before comparing it to the standard, as follows: 1. Add 0.05 (2 digits) to the measurement: ( = ) 2. Drop the digits past (to the right of) the decimal required: yields 0.6, which IS within specifications. Note that the measurement (0.6465) would be "out of spec" if the standard specification had stated 0.64, since rounding to two decimal places would have given 0.65 ( = >> 0.65). As another example, assume the instrument used can measure to a certain number of decimal places of precision: AIAG B-10 DOCUMENT STATES Table 4. Rounding and Acceptable Measurements ROUNDING FACTOR 2-DIGIT READING ACCEPTABLE MEASUREMENTS ON A... 3-DIGIT READING 4-DIGIT READING to to to to to to only to to cannot be used only to B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

72 APPENDIX C. COUNTRY CODES Table 5 contains some of the country codes from the ISO 3166 standard: Table 5. ISO Country Codes ARGENTINA AR LUXEMBOURG LU AUSTRALIA AU MEXICO MX AUSTRIA AT NETHERLANDS NL BELGIUM BE PHILIPPINES PH BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BA POLAND PL BRAZIL BR RUSSIAN FEDERATION RU CANADA CA SINGAPORE SG CHINA CN SLOVAKIA SK CZECH REPUBLIC CZ SLOVENIA SI FRANCE FR SOUTH AFRICA ZA GERMANY DE SPAIN ES HONG KONG HK SWEDEN SE INDIA IN TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA TW IRELAND IE UNITED KINGDOM GB ITALY IT UNITED STATES US JAPAN JP VENEZUELA VE KOREA, REPUBLIC OF KR YUGOSLAVIA YU B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

73 APPENDIX D. RECOMMENDED ORDER OF DATA The following list is a recommended order of typical data contained within a B-10 label. It is recommended that trading partners recognize that some data may be common between segments and, where practical, try not to duplicate data for example: quantity (Q) could appear in both the customer segment and the supplier segment where both use the same definition of unit of measure. Address Ship-From/ Ship-To / For (delivery location / line feed location) Sequence Number / Broadcast Code (customer-assigned) Purchase Order Number (customer-assigned) Part Number (P) / Safety Indicator / Part Description / Engineering Change Level (customerassigned) Quantity (Q) (if the customer s unit of measure is different from the supplier s) Supplier s Identification (customer-assigned) Package ID / Label Serial Number / Unique Container Identification (supplier-assigned) Part Number (1P) / Description (supplier-assigned) Quantity with ANSI Unit of Measure (7Q) (supplier-assigned) Actual Quantity (2Q) (supplier-assigned) Theoretical Quantity (1Q) (supplier-assigned) Quantity (Q) (if the customer s unit of measure is the same as the supplier s) Returnable Container ID Code Date of Manufacture Quality Checker ID Country of Origin Part Traceability Data: Lot Number / Heat Number / Individual Part Serial Number Work Order Number B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

74 APPENDIX E. RECOMMENDED FORMAT FOR COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATIONS COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATION RULE Customer trading partners who require their suppliers to provide labels in compliance with this guideline should use the following format to document their label compliance specification. Each type of label required by a customer should be documented on a single page. Supplier trading partners should keep a file of the B-10-based customer compliance specifications for their customers. The single-page documentation format described in this appendix was designed by the AIAG Bar Code Applications Work Group to provide a commonized approach to creating documentation for customer labeling standards. This format has been shown to support the documentation requirements of QS and ISO The commonized approach requires that every customer provide a single page specification for each specific layout of B-10 label that will be required by that customer. For example, if the customer requires a single-container label, a master label, and a mixed load label, the customer s compliance specification would have three pages in it, showing the requirements for those three layouts. The commonized approach to B-10 specifications requires that every supplier who must comply with B-10-based customer compliance specification create a "Label Compliance" three-ring binder. The first thing in the binder should be a copy of the AIAG B-10 standard. Following that should be a divider for each customer to whom that supplier ships. In the section for any one customer should be the information about that customer's label specification(s). B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

75 Figure 22. An Example of a Blank Customer Compliance Specification Sheet NOTE: NOT TO SCALE For correct measurements, see the AIAG B-10 Guideline Customer Name: XYZ Company, Inc., Plant #21, Novi, MI Authorization: Signature: Name and Title of responsible party at the above location Label Purpose/Use: Customer Segment a B-10 Label to be NOTE: Illustration is NOT actual size. Any dimensions that used for... are not otherwise specified on this page SHALL be in compliance with AIAG B-10, Version 01.00, 5/95 Issue Date: Version. Release Specification ID Number: COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATION RULE The compliance specification sheet should show a sample of the B-10 label layout required by the customer. A note should appear somewhere on the sheet that says Not to Scale. A title block should appear on the bottom of the compliance specification sheet. In the center of the suggested specification page should be an example of the label, printed according to the layout designed by the customer. The example will probably need to be scaled down to about 60% to 80% of the planned size. The title block provides the information needed to properly track customer compliance specifications as required by ISO 9000 and QS B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

76 COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATION RULE The title block should include: See Figures 22 and The name of the customer (and, if necessary, the facility) for which this format is required; 2. Contact information of the person (or department) at the customer's location responsible for this label; 3. The date on which the specification was issued, and its revision level; 4. The situation in which this format is to be used (for example, container vs. pallet label); 5. A note that says that all the rules not specified on this page are to be found in the AIAG B-10 document. Balloons around the edges of the label example should contain descriptions of the exact data needed inside each sub-block. The description balloon provided for a bar code sub-block should include: See the example of a bar code block balloon in Figure A name that can be used when referring to this sub-block; 2. The title to be printed in this block; 3. The data that should go in the bar code; 4. The Data Identifier to be used as the prefix of the data in the bar code; 5. The maximum number of characters allowed in this field (data length and Data Identifier length). B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

77 COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATION RULE The description balloon provided for a text subblock should include: See the example of a text block balloon in Figure A name that can be used when referring to this sub-block; 2. The title to be printed in this block; 3. The data that should be printed in the text; 4. The maximum number of characters allowed in this field; 5. The text height required (stated in Lines Per Block). If no title is to be printed for this text block, indicate none. If the text is to be printed on multiple lines (such as an address), indicate the number of lines and the maximum number of characters per line. Figure 23. An Example of a Description Balloon for a Text Sub-block Supplier Contact Information Block Title = SPLR CONTACT SPLR CONTACT XYZ SUPPLIER CO. DETROIT PLANT Data = Name of Supplier s Company and shipping facility, and a telephone number that cam be called in case of problems or questions Text Height = 6 LPB Max. Characters = up to 5 lines of text up to 25 char s on a single line supplier/vendor B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

78 Figure 24. An Example of a Description Balloon for a Bar Code Sub-block PKG ID-UNIT (3S) 1948M0925 Container Label Serial Number Block Title = PKG ID-UNIT (3S) Data = Control number, assigned by supplier, unique for this container, not to be repeated within 365 days Data Identifier (DI) = 3S Maximum Length = 11: Max. Data Chars = 9 DI Chars = 2 DI Container ID Serial Number COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATION RULE The compliance specification sheet(s) should be sent to suppliers with a cover letter explaining its purpose and its relationship to the AIAG B-10 document. Copies of this copyrighted document (AIAG B-10) can be purchased by calling AIAG s Customer Service Representatives at (248) At a minimum the cover letter should state: 1. The name and phone number of a contact at the customer company who could answer questions; 2. The due date for the supplier to reply indicating their intended date of compliance; 3. The due date for submission of a sample label for evaluation; B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

79 COMPLIANCE SPECIFICATION RULE 4. The due date for the start of labeling; 5. A requirement that this specification be kept in a file or binder along with a copy of the AIAG B-10 guideline, accessible to the people applying the labels, the people quality-checking the labels, and the people supporting the system that produces the labels; 6. Information about how the supplier can purchase a copy of the AIAG B-10 TPL Guideline. B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

80 Figure 25. An Example of a Completed Customer Compliance Specification Sheet DI Container ID Supplier/Vendor ID B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

81 APPENDIX F. RECOMMENDED FORMAT FOR SMALL LABELING AREA (SLA) Designers of label segments are urged to plan no more than four building blocks per label segment, normally resulting in a label segment size of four inch by six inch or smaller, which generally fit in a label area of 36 square inches. This section describes a variation from the rules of ANSI MH10.8, which could be used when the area on a container available for a label is less than 36 square inches. SLA LABEL RULE What is a Small Labeling Area (SLA)? The heights and widths of bar-coded shipping labels being used today are often larger than the packaging. Packaging often requires a container larger than necessary to make the bar coded shipping label fit the container. Often, users wrap labels around the edges of containers to make labels fit. These conditions can drive up costs and can affect the scan performance of bar code symbols. A Small Labeling Area (SLA) label shall not be used for labeling surfaces greater than thirty-six (36) square inches. Also, the SLA label shall not be used when an area greater than thirty-six square inches is available for labeling. Trading partners should agree on the use of the SLA Label. This appendix does not attempt to define how small is small but to offer a method for labeling containers having labeling surfaces of thirty-six (36) square inches or less. The following describes requirements for developing the label for Small Labeling Area (SLA) to ensure scan performance of the bar code symbols while providing consistency of label formats. The SLA label was developed to more closely match label size to the container and to provide a more cost-effective labeling method. Label applications for small containers such as those transported by commercial package carriers will benefit from using the SLA label. The information contained in this appendix is not intended to replace any existing commercial B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

82 SLA LABEL RULE package carrier labeling used for sortation and tracking. Both label and tag marking methods are covered under the general term label. If you are including the carrier information in the SLA label you should check with your carrier for their bar code specifications. This appendix recommends that the SLA label be structured based on the current AIAG B-10 and AIAG B-14 Trading Partner Label concepts. Due to the SCA label s smaller physical size, the major differences between the SLA label and the B-10 / B-14 labels are noted below. 1. Building Block Size Building block height shall be 0.5 inch +/- 0.1 inch (13 mm +/- 3 mm) as determined by the printing capability of the labeler. See Figure 26. One double-height bar code block per segment may be used to satisfy special printing and scanning requirements of symbols used on SCLs. Doubleheight bar code blocks shall be 1.0 inch +/- 0.2 inch (25 mm +/- 5 mm). 2. Bar Code Symbol Height The minimum height of the Code 39 bar code symbol shall be 0.25 inch (6 mm). See Figure Bar Code Symbol Quiet Zone The bar code symbol shall have leading and trailing quiet zoneswith minimum widths of inch (6 mm). See Figure 26. B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

83 SLA LABEL RULE 4. SymbologyNarrow Element X Dimension The narrow element X dimension when using Code 39 shall not be less than inch (0.25 mm). See Figure Human Readable Interpretation (HRI) for Code 39 Symbols The height of the HRI should be chosen so that it does not interfere with the minimum height of the bar code. 7. Print Quality for Code 39 The ANSI X3.182 Guideline for Bar Code Print Quality shall be used to determine the print quality of Code 39 symbols. Figure 26. An Example of a Label Printed According to the SLA Label Rules (not to scale) FROM: Any Good Supplier 9924 Sunshine Blvd. Mapleville, OH PART # CUST (P) QTY (Q) SPLR ID CUST ASG (V) 155 PKG ID-UNIT (3S) LOT # TO: Best Customer Inc. 350 West St. Bloomingdale, IL B-342 T2904S label Supplier/Vendor ID B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

84 APPENDIX G. OBTAINING NORMATIVE REFERENCES Contact these organizations for information on the references in this document: AIAG Documents: Automotive Industry Action Group Lahser Road, Suite 200 Southfield, MI Customer Service: (248) Fax: (248) Internet website: ANSI and ISO Documents: American National Standards Institute Attn: Customer Service 11 West 42nd Street New York, NY Phone: (212) Internet website: AIM Documents: AIM Inc. 634 Alpha Drive Pittsburgh, PA Phone: (412) Internet website: DUNS Documents: Dun & Bradstreet One Diamond Hill Road Murray Hill, NJ Phone: (908) Fax: (908) Internet website: MIL Documents: USA Information Systems Phone: (800) Internet website: B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

85 INDEX A Address Ship-From... 12, 40, 41, 42, 58, 73 Ship-To... 12, 40, 41, 42, 58, 73 Alphanumeric... 10, 12, 35 ANSI... 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 26, 28, 29, 31, 36, 43, 45, 46, 63, 64, 66, 67, 73, 83, 84 Autodiscrimination B Bar Code... 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 39, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 56, 74, 76, 78, 81, 82, 83 Dimensions... 13, 23, 27, 28, 29, 31, 33 Quiet Zone... 10, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 82 Side-by-Side... 26, 27, 30, 31, 42, 47 Start and Stop Characters... 10, 26, 29, 33 Symbology... 9, 10, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 44, 56, 83 Building Block... 11, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 41, 42, 63, 81, 82 Bar Code... 17, 19, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 47 Height... 18, 19, 24, 27, 32, 82 Size... 18, 19, 23, 82 Sub-Block... 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 38, 40, 41, 76, 77, 78 Text... 11, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 77 Titles... 25, 27, 30, 32, 39, 41, 63, 68, 69, 75, 76, 77 Width... 18, 19, 23 C Carrier... 3, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 42, 47, 48, 56, 58, 63, 65, 69, 82 Character... 10, 11, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 33, 35, 42, 56, 66, 67, 76, 77 Code , 9, 10, 14, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32, 56 Color... 28, 32 Container...8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 47, 49, 51, 52, 54, 58, 63, 67, 74, 76, 81 Container ID...10, 13, 78, 80 Country Codes...9, 72 Customer...3, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 39, 40, 48, 49, 50, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 80 D Data Content...15, 26, 38 Leading Spaces...28 Data Identifier... See Identifier Data Limits Bar Code...26, 31 Text...23 DI... See Identifier Dimensions Bar Code...13, 23, 27, 28, 31, 33 Label...24, 32, 33 Text...11, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 30, 39, 40, 42 X Dimension...13, 28, 33, 83 DUNS...9, 11, 66, 68, 84 E EDI...3, 11, 14, 37, 41, 67 Electronic Data Interchange...See EDI H Highlighting Line...11, 35, 36, 37 HRI...29, 30, 32, 83 Human Readable Interpretation... See HRI B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

86 I Identifier... 9, 10, 11, 13, 39, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 73 Country Codes Data (DI)... 11, 14, 26, 27, 29, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 63, 66, 76, 78, 80 Package... 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 67, 68 Supplier/Vendor... 12, 13, 35, 36, 73 Unique Container... 13, 16, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 48, 58 Item... 11, 12, 66, 68, 70 L Label... 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83 Color... 28, 32 Data Content... 15, 26, 38 Height... 32, 38, 40, 50 Orientation... 8, 47, 49, 51 Placement... 8, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 Quick Receive Size... 24, 32, 33, 38, 81, 82 Text... 23, 38 Width... 23, 33 Labeler... 11, 14, 19, 20, 23, 33, 56, 57 Like Parts Pack Lines Per Block... See LPB LPB... 11, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 30, 39, 40, 42, 77 M Manufacturer... 10, 11, 63, 66, 68 Master Label Master Load Label Master Pack... 11, 12, 67 Mixed Load Label... 12, 40, 74 Multiple Pack... 12, 39, 65 N Nonstandard Quantity Pack...12 O Orientation, Label...See Label Orientation P Pack...11, 12, 37, 38, 39, 40 Package...10, 12, 13, 35, 36, 39, 40, 42, 47, 65, 67 Placement, Label... See Label Placement Q Quality...8, 9, 28, 43, 44, 45, 46, 56, 57, 79 Quiet Zone...See Bar Code S Segment(s)...14, 15, 16, 19, 34, 39, 40, 47, 48, 49, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 73 Serial Number...16, 35, 39, 40, 48, 59, 60, 67, 73, 78 Ship-From Address...See Address Shipping Pack...12 Ship-To Address...See Address Side-by-Side Bar Codes...See Bar Code Spaces, Leading...28 Standard Quantity Pack...12 Start and Stop Characters...See Bar Code Subpack...12 Supplier...36 Supplier/Vendor...3, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 34, 38, 40, 65, 66, 68, 73, 74, 77, 78, 80, 83 Supplier/Vendor ID...12, 13, 35, 36, 58, 59, 61, 62, 68, 73, 80, 83 Symbology...See Bar Code B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

87 T Tag(s)... 3, 8, 12, 13, 49 Text... 14, 17, 19, 20, 23, 29, 32, 33, 35, 41, 56, 77 Data Limits Height... 11, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 30, 39, 40, 42 Title(s)... 25, 27, 30, 32, 39, 41, 63, 68, 69, 75, 76, 77 Trading Partner(s)... 3, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 34, 37, 41, 56, 63, 64, 67, 73, 74 Transport Container... 8, 13, 14, 15, 47, 56 U UL/TP...11, 13 Unique Container Identifier...13, 16, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 48, 58 Unit Load...3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 38, 40, 50, 56 V Vendor...12, 13, 35, 65 Vendor/Supplier... See Supplier/Vendor Vendor/Supplier ID... See Supplier/Vendor ID Verification...43, 45 X X Dimension...13, 28, 33, 83 B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00

88 ABOUT AIAG Purpose Statement To provide an open forum where members cooperate in developing and promoting solutions that enhance the prosperity of the automotive industry. Our focus is to continuously improve business process and practices involving trading partners throughout the supply chain. Core Values People Our strength comes from passionate and personally committed volunteers and staff. We provide an environment of integrity, trust, teamwork and mutual respect to foster open, frank communication as we achieve consensus on industry needs and solutions. Innovation With a sense of urgency, we drive and support the development and implementation of common, leading-edge solutions that provide value to the automotive industry and its customers. Excellence We provide quality and excellence in all we do and how we do it. We do what s right for the industry! AIAG Organization AIAG is made up of a board of directors, an executive director, associate directors, a full-time staff and volunteers serving on project teams. Under the direction of the executive director, associate directors, along with the managing director, department managers and program managers, plan, direct, and coordinate the association s activities. The executive and associate directors are executives on loan from member companies for varied lengths of time. AIAG Projects Member Committees focus on business processes or supporting technologies and methodologies. They conduct research, develop, publish and provide training on standards, conventions, standard business practices, white papers and guidelines in the areas of automatic identification, CAD/CAM, EDI/electronic commerce, continuous quality improvement, materials and project management, returnable containers and packaging systems, and transportation/customs. AIAG - An Association Fostering Total Supply Chain Partnering Automotive Industry Action Group Lahser Road, Suite 200 Southfield, MI Phone: (248) Orders: (248) Fax: (248) B Issue: 02 Dated: 2/00

89 MAINTENANCE REQUEST FORM Name of Submitter: Date: Company: Company Address: Phone: Fax: MAINTENANCE REQUEST Page Number of Change: Document Currently Reads: Recommended Changes/Should Read: Reason for Change (Use additional sheets if necessary): Signature of Submitter: DISPOSITION (AIAG USE ONLY) Manager s Recommendation: Final Disposition: Comments: Note: Complete form and return to the AIAG Volunteer Programs Department for consideration. Automotive Industry Action Group Lahser Road Suite 200 Southfield, MI Telephone: (248) Fax: (248) Web: B Issue: 02 Dated: 02/00