DPM – direct marking of an object without an adhesive label
What is meant by DPM – Direct Part Marking?
DPM stands for Direct Part Marking and is the direct marking of an object without using an adhesive label. The information is lasered, punched, hole-punched or etched directly onto the corresponding object. The use of this type of marking began in the automotive industry and quickly spread to other industries. Nowadays, DPM technology can be found, for example, in aerospace, in the electronics or computer industry as well as in the healthcare sector and in the jewelry industry. As different as the industries are, so are the surfaces on which the source code can be attached. Among other things, on plastic, wood, rubber, leather, glass or metal. The significant advantage of this type of technology is that the information attached to the objects remains there for a lifetime. The information is often provided in the form of a data matrix code. This code allows extremely large amounts of data to be encrypted in a very small space. If the identifier is damaged due to heavy wear or similar, it can still be read with a DPM barcode scanner thanks to the error correction algorithm based on the Reed-Salomon process.
The appropriate hardware for collecting DPM information
Directly marked codes generally cannot be read by conventional 2D imagers. The reason for this is the lack of contrast and lighting properties. Without these features, a 2D imager cannot interpret the source code correctly. In order for this to be read correctly, the scanner must be tailored to the surface condition in question. Many scanners have freely configurable lighting and powerful image processing properties to securely scan source code. DPM is now integrated into many handheld scanners and MDE devices. The Data Matrix Code in combination with Direct Part Marking is increasingly recognized as an ideal means of meeting the needs of lifelong traceability in various industries and application areas. The standardized code can be applied to any object in a variety of ways. Due to its high error tolerance, DPM codes can be used particularly in healthcare or the manufacturing industry. The information in the code is diverse and often contains data about the manufacturer, part number and batch number. Even if the surface is barely visible or has been painted over, the data matrix code can still be recognized.
