What’s Next: IMDS Release 14.2 & Beyond

During this session, the updates to the IMDS system released every quarter since August 2023, including their roadmap for feature releases and enhancements, were discussed. Here is a summary of the changes:

IMDS 14.1 (August 2023)

Functional Changes

• Rejection reason in inbox/outbox search result and export - When a part's status in IMDS is marked as 'Rejected' or 'Modified', the reason for rejection will be displayed in both Inbox and Outbox search results. However, the displayed text will be limited to 50 characters if the rejection reason is too long. In case you want to see the complete rejection reason, you can export the search results in an Excel file, where the complete text will be available.
• Search for SCIP Material Category by ID - A new search parameter is going to be added to the dialog that will allow adding a SCIP Material Category to a material. With this new parameter, users can search for a category directly by ID, like how the "Taric code" search parameter is used for adding SCIP Article Categories to components.
• Default selection of Org - Unit in new MDSs - Whenever a user sends, proposes, publishes, or releases an MDS the org. unit will be assigned under the “Supplier data” tab and it will be stored as the user’s default Org Unit. If the user creates a new MDS the default Org Unit will be preselected automatically.

Check Changes

• No error when sending MDSs with default contact - Going forward, we will no longer show error messages for MDSs that have a deactivated assigned contact person if there is an active default contact person available. This means that instead of creating a new version, we may suggest using an older MDS even if the contact person assigned to it is no longer active.
• Error for inactive application codes - To prevent the continued use of deactivated application codes, all warning messages related to an inactive application code will be converted to errors.
• Error for editable references to hidden data - Direct references to hidden substances, standard MDSs, and application codes in editable MDSs will trigger new error messages. Hidden data needs replacement before releasing MDS. Since hidden data cannot be found and referenced in a new MDS/module, this only affects new versions of existing MDSs/modules referencing such data.

Master Data Changes

• Split AC 5(b) - To comply with the latest version of ELV Annex II, the application code 5(b) will be split into two new application codes 5(b)(i) and 5(b)(ii). The existing application code 5(b) will be hidden, and the two new ones will be added.
• Rename AC 8(f)(a) and 8(f)(b) - To comply with the latest version of ELV Annex II, the application code 8(f)(a) and 8(f)(b) will be renamed to also contain the new identifier:

IMDS 14.2 (Nov 2023)

Functional Changes

• Add search criteria for valid MDSs when searching published MDSs - This improvement has been made to address issues with older MDSs that have been causing warnings and errors since the release of version 14. To address these concerns, the default setting has been modified to ensure that only MDSs that meet specific criteria, such as being published by a reputable company, being less than ten years old, or being marked as still valid, are displayed to users. This will significantly enhance the search experience, particularly for those who are looking for the latest and most reliable MDSs.

Check Changes

• Add gold to “Chk: Classification 1-4 w/o silver” to permit a high percentage of gold in classification 7.2 Glass / Ceramics - Earlier in 2023, the “Chk: classification 1-4 w/o silver” group was introduced to enable glasses with more than 80% silver in Classification 7.2. In this release, the group’s name, “Chk: Classification 1-4 w/o silver, gold,” is being modified, with gold removed. This alteration means that it will now be possible to create Classification 7.2 glasses with gold concentrations exceeding 80% without triggering a warning. It’s important to note that apart from this name change and gold removal, no other adjustments will be made.
• Amend Filler (dual-use) check for filled Thermoplastics - In the latest IMDS release, version 14.0, a new check has been introduced to ensure that all filled thermoplastics are classified as 5.1a and contain at least 5% filler substances. However, some substances can also act as fillers for other purposes. To address this, a new substance group called "filler" has been created. When these substances are used as fillers, they must be correctly marked to prevent warnings for MDSs from pre-release 14.0 materials. This change is expected to reduce warnings and simplify supply chain processes.

IMDS 14.3 (Future)

Functional Changes

• Add bio-based content for material classification 7.1.
• Polymer symbol wizard change using ISO 1043 -3/-4*

Check Changes

• {None currently planned}
• Master Data Changes
• Deactivate problematic pseudo-substances using ISO 1043 -3/-4 mappings.

IMDS 14.3 (Future)

AI relevant feature

• R246 – LCA (PCF) [Lifecycle Analysis (Product Carbon Footprint)]
• R248 – MCCP [Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins]
• R249 – TNPP [Tris(nonylphenol) phosphite]
• R250 – Mandatory Chemistry Manager Data
• R230 - Application Codes in Lubricants

Non-AI relevant feature

• R04 – MMDS Create, add links to std. MMDS & Rec-001/001a.