Applying Automotive Tools to Heavy Equipment

The heavy equipment industry includes various tools used in different sectors, such as Heavy and medium-duty trucks, buses, Power Generation, Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Defense, Rail, Marine, Oil, and Gas. This industry is crucial in infrastructure development, resource extraction, and large-scale projects worldwide. Here are some key takeaways from the session on applying automotive tools to the heavy equipment industry:

• The heavy equipment serves various markets, some of which are mentioned in the summary. Recent years have seen significant changes in the industry due to technological advancements, automation, and sustainability.
• The compliance obligation for heavy equipment falls under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which requires the industry to follow Responsible Sourcing practices like Critical Raw Materials, CBAM, adhere to substance restrictions like REACH, RoHS, ELV, etc., and provide appropriate disclosures to their customers. This obligation extends beyond the HE industry and affects their complex supply chain.
• The heavy equipment supply chain faces challenges, such as keeping up with industry-specific substance restrictions and regional regulatory lists. If mining data from suppliers is complex, centralizing the information becomes even more cumbersome due to the involvement of different data collection systems and tools. For example, OEMS have in-house tools and portals for data collection and reporting, while smaller industries in the supply chain maintain data in their Excel sheets.
• The objective is to implement best practices in the heavy equipment industry, such as using HE Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to create a standard declarable substance list similar to GADSL, providing information on substances and materials from the supply chain to the HE industry. This can be done by forming a HEDSL committee, which will be responsible for conducting semi-annual reviews of the HEDSL. Collaborating with the International Material Data System (IMDS) and Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) is essential to monitor and address substance compliance issues.
• The second-best practice focuses on full material declaration (FMD) against HEDSL.