Group standard VW 10540-1

Issue 2014-01
Class. No.: 01155

Descriptors: manufacturer, code, manufacturer’s code, marking, vehicle part, damage analysis, warranty

Manufacturer's Code
for Vehicle Parts

Previous issues
VW 10540-1: 1972-10, 1999-06, 2005-06, 2006-06, 2011-07, 2012-07

Changes
The following changes have been made to VW 10540-1: 2012-07:
– Descriptors added
– Section 1, 4th and 6th paragraph changed (The manufacturer's codes are assigned ...)

1 Scope
Vehicle parts and function groups that are
– purchased as ready-to-install parts from suppliers,
– partially supplied by suppliers,
– taken from current production as original or accessory parts or
– manufactured in-house as original or accessory parts
must be marked with a permanent and easily legible three-character manufacturer's code (alpha‐
betical or alphanumerical). In order to guarantee unambiguity, the manufacturer's code must be
applied on the part in an isolated location.
Parts must be marked with the manufacturer's code so that precise damage and quality analysis
can be carried out if necessary and so that the manufacturer can always be identified in warranty
and product liability cases.
Manufacturer's codes are defined for all manufacturers and their individual production sites that
supply vehicle parts to the Volkswagen Group and its brands, including its subsidiaries/associate
companies.

Always use the latest version of this standard.

This electronically generated standard is authentic and valid without signature. Page 1 of 4
The English translation is believed to be accurate. In case of discrepancies, the German version is alone authoritative and controlling.

Technical responsibility The Standards department

EKDV/4 Uwe Stüber EKDV
EKDV/4 Uwe Stüber Tel.: +49 05361 9 29063 Tel.: +49 5361 9 29063 Maik Gummert

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be provided to third parties or reproduced without the prior consent of one of the Volkswagen Group’s Standards departments.
© Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft VWNORM-2012-05r
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VW 10540-1: 2014-01

The manufacturer's codes are assigned on request. The codes are sent to the manufacturer elec‐
tronically via the Group Business Platform or by e-mail.
Manufacturer's codes for foreign Group companies are sometimes issued separately according to
the issuing ranges defined in VW 10540-3. The contacts for assigning manufacturer's codes in the
Group companies abroad are likewise available via the B2B supplier platform at
http://www.vwgroupsupply.com/.
Suppliers can access information on contacts and procedures via the B2B supplier platform at
http://www.vwgroupsupply.com/.

A list of all manufacturer's codes (only for internal use) and contacts for the assignment of the
manufacturer's code is available at http://iproject.wob.vw.vwg/vw/EKDV.menu_15800.html .
The marking of vehicle parts is not obligatory for:
– Standard parts
– Semi-finished products
– Parts for which marking is not possible because of space limitations and/or on which the mark‐
ing cannot be applied in a legible manner (see DIN 1450 for a definition).
For parts which, due to their nature, cannot be marked with the manufacturer's code as per this
standard, alternative forms of marking, e.g., attaching the manufacturer's code by means of labels,
must be agreed between the appropriate Design Engineering department, the manufacturer, and
the department assigning the manufacturer's code. Exception: For valve springs, color markings as
per VW 10540-7 are assigned to the manufacturers as the manufacturer's code.

2 Requirements
All new parts and parts that are ordered for the first time must be marked immediately. Missing
markings must be added immediately. The marking requirements as per figure 2 must be complied
with. Any markings that do not apply must be deleted in the drawing.
The marking must last and be legible for the duration of the part's service life. Parts must be
marked using suitable manufacturing methods (embossing, etching, electric discharge machining,
etc.).
NOTE 1: Preferably, the marking must be applied by incorporating it into the manufacturing tool.
If possible, the code characters must be half the size of the logo diameter "d1" or the logo height
"h" as per VW 10514. However, the font size must never be less than 2 mm.
Assemblies (ASSY) that are sold as spare parts only must be marked once with such a code,
whereas any individual part of an assembly that is listed individually as a spare part must also be
marked with a code.
If possible, the part's marking should be visible when the part is installed. The position of the mark‐
ing on parts that are visible to the customer must be agreed upon with the Styling department and
the department that assigns the manufacturer's code.
For the marking, the typeface specified in DIN 1451-4 must be used (medium-spaced lettering). All
letters must be capitalized. To avoid confusion, the number 0 (zero) and the letters I and Q are not
used.
The following are permitted code formats:
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VW 10540-1: 2014-01

– Number letter letter, e.g., "2BR" for Volkswagen do Brasil

– Letter letter number, e.g., "XX1" for Skoda Auto a.s.
– Letter letter letter, e.g., "WWO" for Volkswagen Wolfsburg
– Letter number letter, e.g., "A1A". This format applies to those foreign factories authorized to
assign a manufacturer's code as per VW 10540-3, if an issuing range has been assigned to
them in this regard.
For additional marking requirements, refer to VW 10500.

3 Marking example (figure 1) and drawing specification (figure 2)

3.1 Example of a marking on a vehicle part

Figure 1 – Example for a part marking as defined in VW 10500

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VW 10540-1: 2014-01

3.2 Drawing specification for figure 1 (text macro: VW 01014, NO-E2)

Legend
1 Font height of the manufacturer's code on the part = 3 mm
2 Standard VW 10540-1; for valve springs, VW 10540-7 must be specified at this point
Figure 2 – Part marking (drawing specification)

4 Applicable documents
The following documents cited in this standard are necessary to its application.
Some of the cited documents are translations from the German original. The translations of Ger‐
man terms in such documents may differ from those used in this standard, resulting in terminologi‐
cal inconsistency.
Standards whose titles are given in German may be available only in German. Editions in other
languages may be available from the institution issuing the standard.

VW 01014 Engineering Drawings; Drawing Frames and Text Macros

VW 10500 Company Designation, Marking of Parts; Guidelines for Use
VW 10514 Logos; Marking of Vehicle Parts
VW 10540-3 Manufacturer's Code; Issuing Ranges for International Plants Issuing
Manufacturer’s Codes
VW 10540-7 Identification of Valve Springs
DIN 1450 Lettering - Legibility
DIN 1451-4 Typefaces; lineal linear-antiqua; stenciled lettering for engraving and
other processes