KIA MS201-01 Marking of Materials

The standard “KIA MS201-01 Marking of Materials” developed by Hyundai-Kia Motors Corporation, the oldest motor vehicle manufacturer in Korea, describes a procedure for marking plastic parts weighing more than 100 g and rubber parts weighing more than 200 g based on homogeneous material. The purpose of this standard is to prevent different material definitions for the same materials, to facilitate the separation of materials intended for recycling and disposal by expanding the identification of materials at the end-of-life vehicle processing stage, and to promote the efficiency of the material processing process. The marking of parts manufactured for the automotive industry is defined by this specification.

In this standard, the general requirements are defined as follows:

• For marking methods, general parts and containers are listed in the table given in the standard, based on marking method, sample and size. According to this table, the minimum height is accepted only in cases where marking degrades the quality of the parts in terms of appearance and performance.
• The identification should be placed so that it can be easily read from the extracted part and the separated materials.
• The marking should be easily identifiable at the stage when the vehicle reaches its end of life.
• Capital letters and symbols must be used, and there must be no space between letters and symbols, or between letters and symbols.
• The marking should mainly be carved into the mold (embossed, carved). If this is not possible, it can be replaced by printing, branding, laser marking, stamping and similar methods.
• The marking must be used in conjunction with other part identification, i.e. part number, manufacturer and production date.

The marking method for each type of part is shown in another table provided in the standard:

• Detachable assembled parts: Each part is marked. These are general plastic parts.
• No detachable assembled parts:
  • Glued, welded and laminated parts: Each part is marked by adding the word “material” to its name. The primary visible material is identified first, followed by the individual identification of the other material separated by a comma. These are, for example, parts such as insulation pad, instrument pad, trunk lining, etc. Parts with appearance problems must be marked by a different method (for example, cluster, lamp assembly).
  • Coated and laminated parts and rubber hose parts: First, the primary visible material is identified, then the individual identification of other material is identified separated by commas, and the main material is underlined according to the mass. These are rubber hose, PVC coated parts and similar parts.
  • Metal parts completely embedded in the material: The material abbreviation term is written followed by the chemical symbol of the metal in parentheses.
• Long pieces: Material is marked in many different places. These include hose assemblies, belts, and similar items.

The marking method for each type of material is defined in this standard on the basis of:

• Basic polymer (homopolymer, copolymer, natural polymer, rubber)
• Mixture
• Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)
• Filling or reinforcement materials
• Plasticizer
• Flame retardant

Abbreviated terms and symbols for materials are defined in this standard on the following basis:

• Abbreviated terms and symbols for reservoir and tank part
• Abbreviated terms for homopolymer, copolymer and natural polymer materials
• Abbreviations for mixture
• Abbreviations for textiles (man-made fibers)
• Abbreviations for rubber
• Abbreviations for thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)
• Abbreviations for fillers (reinforcement materials)
• Abbreviations for plasticizers
• Abbreviations for flame retardants

In short, coding and marking technology assigns unique codes and markings to critical components and parts, allowing automakers to track and trace the origin, history and properties of materials used in the manufacturing process.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also testing services within the scope of the "KIA MS201-01 Marking of Materials" standard.