IMDS - International Material Data Systems: Implications on Electronic Suppliers

Key Summary

• IMDS has been the automotive industry’s global product declaration system for over 20 years, with more than 200,000 companies submitting about 90 million declarations.
• Regulatory pressures, including the SCIP database, triggered immediate changes to IMDS electronics data.
• Major updates include removal of Rec019 semi-components and replacement of the 8.x electronics material classification with specific IMDS classifications.
• Cross-industry collaboration, including AIAG, IPC (Now Global Electronics Association), SIA, and ESIA, is shaping best practices for electronics reporting.
• Future developments include testing mixed nodes and clarifying article vs. material definitions under the 05A ruling.

This blog piece was written by AIAG’s Supplier Alliance Committee, which works globally with JAPIA and CLEPA to provide feedback to the IMDS Steering Committee on specific issues impacting suppliers

The International Material Data System (IMDS) has been the global automotive product declaration system for more than 20 years. With over 200,000 companies collecting about 90M declarations, the automotive industry has gathered unparalleled information about product and material content.

Historically, IMDS Recommendation 019 (referred to as Rec019) semi-components allowed automotive electronics companies to use a generic shortcut if they collected and stored the underlying compliance information. Companies were also required to add any materials not in line with the generic composition. Recently, the Substances of Concern in Products (SCIP) database under the Waste Framework Directive and other chemical and product regulatory pressures have led to the immediate modification of most IMDS electronics data. While many companies use industry materials declaration standards (e.g., IPC-1752 or -1754) and other formats beyond IMDS, the SCIP database and other data-reporting requirements are driving the need to capture material classifications for SVHC identification purposes.

Highlights of the Recent IMDS Changes

• Removal of the populated laminate based Rec019 semi-components in IMDS
• Removal of the 8.x Electronics material classification to be replaced with specific IMDS material classifications had the biggest impact on the electronic component suppliers.
• Cross-industry agreement on material classifications for electronics materials (e.g., mold compound as 5.4.3 Other Duromer)
• Retention of rules and guidelines for materials in >5g components, norms and standards are optional
• Best Practice – when creating a non-standard material, with no applicable norm or standard, especially metals, include a comment in the remarks field noting that an ‘industry norm or standard is not applicable’

What’s Next?

• Future Model Office testing for the ability to use ‘mixed nodes’ – meaning a product can be composed of a component, semi-component and/or material on the same tree level
• Further need to identify what are considered articles instead of materials under the 05A ruling
• Joint efforts by AIAG, IPC, SIA & ESIA members in developing and proposing best practices for electronics reporting into the IMDS have resulted in paving a path forward. Further improvements are expected, and all electronics input is welcome.

AIAG is always looking for new members to participate on its Supplier Alliance Committee – please contact Lecedra Welch at lwelch@aiag.org for more information.