Methods for Direct Part Marking

Additional OEM Resources

Things to Know About Part Identification Methods

1. What is Direct Part Marking?

Direct Part Marking (DPM) is the process of marking parts with unique machine readable codes containing key product information. Part marking allows products to be traced through the supply chain and each part’s lifecycle. Part identification also decreases the need for manual code entry, improves code accuracy and reliability, and quickens data exchange.

2. What is traceability and why is it important?

Traceability is a process used to track a part throughout its lifecycle using a unique identification code. Traceability allows buyers to:

Control the supply chain by keeping track of parts across the production process.
Quickly locate parts for recall campaigns and service inquiries.
Meet growing requirements and regulations.
Protect against counterfeits.

3. Are there any changes in the industry?

The industry is moving from one-dimensional (1D) to two-dimensional (2D) coding (also known as Data Matrix codes).
2D codes: