IMDS Recommendation 019

?The International Material Data System (IMDS) is a central platform used by automotive companies for managing the information on materials and substances used. It also enables suppliers to comply with standards and regulatory compliance of their products. Some suppliers may have used the Recommendation 019 (REC 019) provision in their IMDS declarations in the electronics supply chain. REC 019 provided companies a modular approach to electronic components reporting, including components containing lead (Pb), which meant they did not have to report at the individual component level.

In September 2019, the IMDS Steering Committee voted to deactivate REC 019 because of the lack of supplier’s due diligence during the reporting process. Deactivating REC 019 removes the modular reporting process and requires electronics suppliers to collect Full Material Declarations (FMDs) from their supply chain. Collection of FMDs for complex material composition and very small weight component in the electronic assemblies creates a significant challenge to electronic suppliers. Removal of REC 019 will result in automotive suppliers needing to have a well-established data collection and management process, to meet IMDS obligations.

ComplianceXL provides services that enable the Automotive supply chain to manage their IMDS, with specific solutions designed to support companies faced with the challenges of dealing with REC 019 deactivation issues. Some of the support services we provide include:

  • Gap assessment of existing MDS
  • IMDS Consulting and advisory services
  • Update MDS as per new requirements
  • Supplier engagement – data collection and validation
  • New compliant MDS creation

The REC019 Semi-component MDS (SMDSs) will be deactivated along with the IMDS Release 13.0. So it is essential for electronics suppliers to be proactive and start conducting reviews of their material data in IMDS to ensure compliance to IMDS requirements. As this can take considerable effort for a company to do internally, ComplianceXL can enable you to complete this exercise efficiently and quickly as your IMDS partner.

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