As can be seen in Figure 1, there are at least five subassemblies that go into making a gas tank. These subassemblies are identified A through E, and include items like vents and filters, as well as level indicators.
The process of creating a unique name starts at the point where the individual item (in this example, the filter, vent, pump,
sensor or gas tank) is created. Each subassembly label carries its own data elements: its unique item identification number (name), part number, supplier and serial number.
The following 2D symbol has each of these subassemblies' discrete data elements encoded within it, plus one unique identity for the entire, assembled gas tank. This data migration also shows the child-to-parent relationship, and is applicable regardless of what is carrying the data.
(Note: The 2D symbol is not displayed to scale.)
Figure 2: "As Built" 2-D Symbol