International Material Data System (IMDS)

The International Material Data System (IMDS) is the global central database for the automotive industry. It was jointly developed by leading automobile manufacturers—including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, General Motors, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo—and is operated by the IMDS Association. Through IMDS, suppliers report the material composition of their parts and components to OEMs—from the smallest Tier-N component to the full vehicle material data set.

For automotive suppliers, IMDS is mandatory. Anyone supplying parts to OEMs or Tier-1 suppliers must create their components in IMDS and have the data sheets accepted by their customers. Without an accepted IMDS data set, a series production launch (SOP) is not possible.

Why IMDS Exists: Regulation as a Driver

The origin of IMDS lies in the EU End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC), which obligates OEMs to prove that their vehicles contain no prohibited substances and are recyclable at the end of their life cycle. OEMs can only fulfill this duty if they know the complete chemical composition of every part—down to the substance level.

Today, regulatory pressure extends far beyond the ELV Directive:

• REACH: Regulation on the registration and restriction of chemicals.
• RoHS: Restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
• Digital Product Passport (DPP): Future requirements for machine-readable material data.
• GADSL: The Global Automotive Declarable Substance List.

Structure of an IMDS Record: Hierarchy and Modules

In IMDS, materials are recorded in a hierarchical structure:

1. Materials (Material Data Sheets, MDS): The base level describing a material's chemical composition, including all chemicals with CAS numbers and weight percentages.
2. Semi-Components: Combinations of materials forming a semi-finished product (e.g., a coated steel sheet).
3. Components: The part level, combining multiple MDS and semi-components into a deliverable part.
4. Modules: Aggregations of multiple components into a complex assembly.

The OEM's complete vehicle data set is created by aggregating these records across all Tier levels.

The IMDS Workflow: From Creation to Acceptance

The process follows four distinct steps:

• Data Creation: The supplier enters all materials and components into IMDS. All substances must be recorded with CAS numbers. Substances on the GADSL must be explicitly highlighted.
• Submission: The finished data set is submitted to the direct customer in the supply chain (e.g., Tier-2 to Tier-1).
• Review: The recipient checks the record for completeness, plausibility, and compliance with GADSL requirements.
• Acceptance: Once accepted, the record is available for the recipient's own vehicle data set. Only after acceptance is the IMDS process considered complete for that part.

GADSL: Prohibited vs. Declarable Substances

The Global Automotive Declarable Substance List (GADSL) is the central reference for IMDS, distinguishing two categories:

• Prohibited Substances (P): These must not be contained in vehicles sold in certain markets (e.g., lead, cadmium, mercury, or hexavalent chromium under ELV).
• Declarable Substances (D): These are not banned but must be declared if they exceed defined thresholds (e.g., many REACH SVHCs—Substances of Very High Concern).

The GADSL is updated regularly. Suppliers must review their IMDS records whenever the list changes.

Connecting IMDS to Production Documentation

While IMDS is primarily handled by engineering and procurement, it has direct links to the shop floor. If a production process introduces materials not specified in the original design—such as lubricants, cleaning agents, coatings, or welding consumables—these must be captured in the IMDS record.

Any change in the production process involving different auxiliary materials requires an evaluation and potential update of the IMDS data set before the next production run.

FAQ

Who is responsible for IMDS—Procurement, Engineering, or Quality? Responsibility is typically shared. Engineering provides material specs, while Procurement collects data sets from sub-suppliers. We recommend a dedicated IMDS coordinator to consolidate this data.

How long are IMDS records valid? There is no formal expiration date. Records remain valid as long as the material composition is unchanged. However, material substitutions or supplier changes require a new submission.

What happens if a part contains prohibited substances? The data set will be rejected. The supplier must either prove a legal exemption (under ELV, RoHS, or REACH) or substitute the material. Without a valid exemption, the part cannot enter series production.

Common reasons for rejection?

• Missing sub-components or process auxiliaries.
• Incomplete or incorrect CAS numbers.
• Weight variances (rounding errors or forgotten parts).
• Failure to highlight GADSL substances.