National Animal Identification System - Business

A IN Tag Manufacturer Application

for Visual-only Tags

Cover Sheet

Primary Information
Name of Company:
Contact Person Name:
Address:
City, State, ZIP:
Nonproducer Participant Number:
Phone:
Fax:
Email of Contact Person:
Company Web site (url):
Information Technology Contact Person IT Contact is your designated person that the NAIS IT Team will contact regarding information system issues.
Name of IT Contact:
Phone # of IT Contact:
Email for IT Contact:
Manufacturing Plant Information if different from above
Company Name:
Contact Name:
Address:
City, Province:
Country:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

AIN Tag Manufacturer Application

Visual-only Tags

November 14, 2005

Complete a separate application for each product type.

1. What is the company’s role regarding the tag being applied for?

1. ___ Manufacturing and Imprinting

2. ___ Imprinting only

3. Do you plan to be an AIN Tag Manager? Yes/No ____

2. Manufacturer Product Labels

1. Manufacturer Product Name: __________________________________

2. Manufacturer Product Code Number: ____________________________

3. Tag Visual Performance Requirements and Description

Please provide written explanation describing how the device meets each characteristic (see Appendix, Table 1 for the specifications).

1. One Time Use - Tamper evident locking mechanism

Explain how the tag is constructed and designed for one-time use (tamper evident). Be sure to clearly explain how the tag cannot be removed from one animal and reapplied to another animal without evidence that this action has occurred.

2. Unalterable printing

3. Readability (No explanation necessary, see IV for submitting samples.)

4. Tag loss rates

5. Expected tag life

6. Tag toxicity and animal injury

7. Tag deterioration

8. Tag plasticity (if applicable)

9. Tag Coupling/tensile strength

10. Tag abrasion resistance

4. Printing Criteria - Visual Readability

Provide 25 samples of the applied for tag, with imprinting as defined in Appendix A, Table 1.

5. Manufacturer’s Production Capacity

   1. Bi-weekly production capacity for applied for tag: _______

   2. Anticipated inventory requirements for this tag: ______

6. Primary Material

__ Metal (clip, one-piece tag)

Weight:

Size: width (cm) _________ Length (after applied) ___________

__ Plastic

• 1-Piece Tags

Weight: ____________

Size: width (cm) _________ Length (after applied) ___________

• 2-Piece Tags

Two-piece tags, commonly have tags referred to as the male and female tag. For describing the characteristics of the tag, the component that encases the transponder (or has it adhered to it) is referred to as “tag piece A” and the tag component without the transponder is referred to as “tag piece B.” Tag piece A, is attached to the inside the animal’s ear and the tag piece B is on the outside of the animal’s ear.

Tag Piece A:

Weight: _________

Shape: __ Strip __ Button (round) __ Panel (“flap tag)

Size: Length (if square or rectangle): _____ mm and Width: ______mm

Diameter (if round): _____ mm

Height: ___ mm (i.e., top of locking mechanism to flat side of the tag)

Weight: ___ grams

Primary materials used to manufacture the tag: ___________________

Tag Piece B:

Weight: _________

Shape: __ Strip __ Button (round) __ Panel (“flap tag)

Size: Length: _____ cm Width: ______cm

Primary materials used to manufacture the tag: ___________________

Stem

Length: _____ cm

Newton value at which the stem breaks: _________

7. Species

What species do you recommend this tag for?

__ Bison ___ Cattle Sheep/Goats ___ Pigs

__ Other (Please list) _____________________________________________

8. Quality Control Program

Attach your company’s quality control plan and any other documentation of your ability to produce the tag consistently according to the specifications. Include procedures that will ensure the uniqueness of the AIN is maintained.

9. Tag applicators

Provide two applicators used to apply the tag and indicate if the tagger functions with other devices (tag from other manufacturers).

10. Other

Please list the National Identification Programs of other countries in which this tag is currently an approved tag.

Table A.
Country	Date Approved	Country	Date Approved

Appendix A.

Table 1.	AIN Tag – Requirements and Description
Performance Requirements
A. One-time use		The tag must be designed for one-time use (tamper evident), making it impossible to remove and re-apply the tag without visual evidence of tampering
B. Unalterable		The printing on the tag may not be readily altered.
C. Readability		The AIN must be easily and reliably readable. The printing and color contrast of the U.S. Shield, lettering, and numbers are to be readable at a distance of 30 inches (0.75 m).
D. Tag loss rates		On average, when applied in a manner approved by the manufacturer, not more than 1 percent of tags applied will be lost in the year following application or in any year thereafter under normal field conditions over the expected life of the tag.
E. Expected tag life		The minimum time that a tag shall be expected to remain on an animal in a functional state (physically) is for the expected life of the animal.
F. Tag toxicity and animal injury		Tags shall do no harm to an animal or affect its health or well-being. Tags will not cause chemical contamination of meat or edible offal or damage the hide.
G. Tag deterioration		There will be no diffusion of colorant from tags. There will be no apparent physical deterioration (other than color) due to detrimental effects by UV light, rain, heat (45C) and cold (-30C) or other environmental influences such as chemicals, mud, urine, or manure for at least 5 years of wear.
H. Tag plasticity		Devices will not split or crack under normal use.
I. Tag coupling/tensile strength		Tag coupling/tensile strength: Evaluation standards conform to ICAR testing standards and, at minimum, must comply with ISO standards 37 and 527.
J. Tag abrasion resistance		Tag abrasion resistance: Tag shall not exhibit damage or change due to wear and will be subjected to ICAR testing standards and, at minimum, ISO standard 9352
Description of Printing
The tag must have the U.S. Shield imprinted on its surface. Two-piece tags must have the U.S. Shield and the AIN with the “840” country code imprinted on both pieces. The tag must bear the entire 15-digit AIN. The U.S. Shield shall have a minimum width of 0.2 inches (5 mm). The font for all characters imprinted on the tag will be Arial. Print size for bovine tags shall be a minimum height of 0.2 inches (5 mm) for numbers and letters. An indentation of the manufacturer’s unique, copyrighted logo or trademark must be easily observed on the tag. Having such information permanently imprinted on the tag is also acceptable. Insert a space between each 3rd digit of the AIN imprinted on the AIN tag; for example, 840 003 123 456 789.