Here you can find questions and answers regarding IMDS content and usage in several categories. To see the content of each category and to read the answer to a question, please click on the category/question to expand the content.
You find OEM-specific IMDS documentation for suppliers in the Help category "OEM Specific Information" (no longer under FAQ).
What is the position of the IMDS Steering Committee concerning
Recommendation IMDS019 datasheets?
In order to accelerate the phaseout of IMDS Recommendation 019 semi-components, the IMDS Steering Committee agreed to deactivate the concerned published datasheets. Background information on the change can be found here:
Please be informed that the IMDS Steering Committee has reached an agreement together with the supplier associations to deactivate the IMDS Recommendation 019 semi-components with IMDS Release 13.0 (May 19th, 2021):
What happens to the published Recommendation IMDS019 MDSs
after deactivation?
With IMDS Release 13.0 the published Recommendation IMDS019 Semi-Component MDSs (SMDSs) will be deactivated (Company ID: 102677 / Name: ZVEI-Rec019). For these SMDSs, the IMDS standard behavior for deactivated MDSs is applied. When creating an entirely new MDS the IMDS019 SMDSs cannot be found and therefore cannot be referenced anymore. New MDSs copies or versions referencing directly one of the IMDS019 SMDSs under the top node or in any component-/semi-component node created in the tree will issue an Error message. These references can be exchanged by the user. To better understand the impacts of these deactivations we have summed up the following use cases:
Message type
Description
Error Message in IMDS Check Procedure
Copying an own, accepted or published MDS that references directly one of the IMDS019 SMDSs under the top node or in any component-/semi-component node created in the tree
Creating a new version of an own MDS that references directly one of the IMDS019 SMDSs under the top node or in any component-/semi-component node created in the tree
Warning Message in IMDS Check Procedure
MDSs released before IMDS Release 13.0 referencing any IMDS019 SMDSs
IMDS019 SMDSs used in any sub references of an MDS
MDSs in Edit Mode created before IMDS Release 13.0 referencing IMDS019 SMDSs under the top node or in any component-/semi-component node created in the tree
Creating a Forwarding Copy of an MDS referencing any IMDS019 SMDSs
The deactivation of IMDS REC019 datasheets is a major challenge to the electronics industry and it is not anticipated for customers to require all legacy REC019 containing data sheets to be updated. Updates to legacy Rec019 containing IMDS information should only be required if:
The legacy data contains an incorrect declaration regarding a Substance of Very High Concern / GADSL listed substance
The legacy data contains an incorrect application code for compliance purposes
The legacy data does not allow for a correct article based threshold calculation (e.g. 0.1% w/w)
Expressly requested by the OEM customer under a B2B agreement.
What happens to the Recommendation IMDS019 document?
It will be reworked by the IMDS Steering Committee and the supplier associations in order to give guidance to the electronics industry. The current document can still be found in IMDS but is labelled “under revision”.
Are there any plans to support E/E component data provision
without Recommendation IMDS019 SMDSs?
The IMDS Steering Committee is in continuous discussion with supplier association representatives. In these discussions a priority list of supportive tasks has been elaborated.
For example, a new enhancement for reporting identical components (resistors, capacitors) from different suppliers in one MDS (Multi-sourcing) is available since IMDS Release 13.0.
Furthermore, for legacy data (not produced anymore) it is still under discussion to use the Spare Part Flag to allow further referencing in these cases.
Further support will be given by a Working Group with representatives from the IMDS Steering Committee/AIAG/CLEPA/JAPIA/ZVEI in order to prepare a more comprehensive set of collaborative reporting guidelines for the electronics sector.
What is the position of the IMDS Steering Committee towards
companies in electronics that have never created an IMDS entry?
It’s the responsibility of the sourcing company to cascade the IMDS requirements.
If companies chose a supplier that is unwilling to provide the IMDS data then these companies should make sure that the supplier is able to provide them enough information to enable them to create an IMDS datasheet, describing all of the material categories, GADSL substances present and application codes present.
If a company is unable to get this information from the supplier, then it is unable to use the parts of this supplier as there is no evidence that it meets legal compliance.
Is it planned to prevent from sending any Recommendation
IMDS019 SMDS references at all?
To avoid further use of Rec019 SMDSs throughout the supply chain, the Warning would be changed to an Error for Rec019 SMDSs in foreign and own MDS references. A date for this change has not been fixed yet. The IMDS Steering Committee is in communication with the supplier associations and will inform as soon as there will be any decisions.
What needs to be considered before rejecting materials weighing less than 5 grams?
With the deactivation of REC019 please remember that the following Rules and Guidelines
should not cause a rejection of the IMDS data for materials weighing <5.0g:
Material Naming:
Rule 4.4.2.C – Most electronic materials will not be covered by a Public Norm, so MDSs
should not be rejected for this requirement.
Rule 4.4.2.D – MDSs should not be rejected for not meeting this requirement. In the next
version of REC019 an example of acceptable material names will be published but in the
interim this should not be a reason for rejection.
Norms / Standards:
Rule 4.4.2.I – this rule is optional for materials weighing <5.0g and an MDS should not
be rejected for this requirement.
