We make coated paper products. I have been reviewing some old PPAP's that were prepared by my predisessor. On the Material Certification where a particular chemistry is called out on the dimension/specification, the supplier measurements/result lists: IDEM.

What does it mean? Is it an acronym for something?

We make coated paper products. I have been reviewing some old PPAP's that were prepared by my predisessor. On the Material Certification where a particular chemistry is called out on the dimension/specification, the supplier measurements/result lists: IDEM.

What does it mean? Is it an acronym for something?

I'm only guessing, but it's possible that it's the Latin idem, used sometimes in bibliographies and footnotes as a synonym of "ditto," meaning that the entry in question is equivalent to the last detailed entry that preceded it. In this usage, it's usually abbreviated "id." In other words, it might mean, "same as above."

IDEM Indiana Department of Environmental Management
IDEM Instituto de Derecho y Empresa (Spanish)
IDEM International Dental Exhibition and Meeting
IDEM Iranian Diesel Engine Manufacturing Co
IDEM Informations- und Dokumentationsstelle Ethik in der Medizin (German)
IDEM Index, Debt and Energy Market
IDEM Integrated Design and Modeling
IDEM Iterative Demapping and Decoding
IDEM Index of Democratization
IDEM Institute for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (South Africa)

Really? that many acronyms?


Ok, how about in the context of PPAP?

If my predesessor used idem for the suppliers measurements/results, with a physical characteristic as the dimension/specification, what does it mean?

Ok, here is a specific example. One of the dimensions/specifications is "coating: dispersion acrylic". Next block on the form in the suppliers measurements/results column has IDEM.

I assume, and we all know what happens when one assumes, is that this person was saying, "yep, that's what it is". Other dimensions have actual measurements, such as coat weight, thickness, and things.

I think its a well known brand/classification of carbonless paper. Why not google 'IDEM' and see for yourself.

Regards.

That's exactly why I posted the question here. I thought the experts here could enlighten me without having to wade thru 1.5 million pages on Google. After viewing the first 100 entries, I thought perhaps someone smarter than I would have the answer.

Being in Indiana and having plating in-house I can tell you that IDEM is
Indiana Department of Environmental Management. This could have something to do with the environmental effects of any coating process you may be using.
:cool:

This is actually something I include in my PPAP's and is a sign above my desk:

"I Don't Engineer Miracles" (IDEM) :lmao:

Being in Indiana and having plating in-house I can tell you that IDEM is
Indiana Department of Environmental Management. This could have something to do with the environmental effects of any coating process you may be using.
:cool:

How can that be a measurement result?

Ok, enough of the sarcasm. I asked a legitament question looking for an answer.


The information appears to be taken from our product datasheet and was incorporated into their drawing. Since the drawing was first made, there have been numerous personnel changes at the both the customer and my plant. Those who know anything about why it was placed there in the first place are long gone. It now appears to be sacred. The approval process to change nearly insurmountable. Change is futile, you will be assimilated...

I don't know what IDEM means when on a Material Certification, I'm sorry to say, and I've seen quite a few.

I do want to apologise for the tone in this thread. You did ask a legitimate question and the sarcasm was a bit more than called for. Folks here do get a bit quick to reply sometimes, but I think most questions are taken seriously.
On the Material Certification where a particular chemistry is called out on the dimension/specification, the supplier measurements/result lists: IDEM.
Personally, I'd call the manufacturer who sent you the Material Certification and ask. I've seen many instances where the material certerification had something on it I didn't understand and I've called and asked. Usually I see things I understand and the call is with regard to a limit or something, but I wouldn't hesitate to call them and ask them to interpret their Material Certification sheet. That way there should be no guessing or misunderstanding.

thanks Marc. I'll do just that.

thanks Marc. I'll do just that.

And please let us know when you find out.

The closest I found is the following and is found at this website:

http://www.question.com/dictionary/idem.html

Idem
pron. or adj.

The same; the same as above; -- often abbreviated id.


I searched the following websites for a definition: :frust: at no avail

ASTM.org
ANSI.org

Note added: I guess you and I, Jim, found a definition. But I didn't notice it on the response.

FWIW, I think Jim Wynne's surmise idem SYLLABICATION:i·demPRONUNCIATION (http://www.bartleby.com/61/12.html): [/URL] http://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/imacr.gifhttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/prime.gifdhttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/ebreve.gifmhttp://www.bartleby.com/images/pronunciation/lprime.gifPRONOUN:abbr. id. Something that has been mentioned previously; the same. ETYMOLOGY:Latin, from id, it. See [URL="http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE193.html"]i- (http://www.bartleby.com/61/wavs/95/I0019500.wav) in Appendix I. is correct. The usage is not included in the ASME drawing standards, nor was it included in the now obsolete US MILitary Standards for Engineering Drawings.

Marc's suggestion to go back to the customer is the best course of action.

As I mentioned previously, Idem is a brand of carbonless paper manufactured by Arjowiggins in Europe. They control a major portion of the world market.

They are so well known in the market that the word Idem (like the word Xerox) had become an industry jargon to mean anything about carbonless paper. In the context of your PPAP, I think it means the specification for carbonless paper (2 sheets with one colorless gelatine coating on one .......)

Like what Marc mentioned, please confirm with the industry people. Afterall its their jargoon.

Regards.

The information appears to be taken from our product datasheet and was incorporated into their drawing. Since the drawing was first made, there have been numerous personnel changes at the both the customer and my plant. Those who know anything about why it was placed there in the first place are long gone. It now appears to be sacred. The approval process to change nearly insurmountable.

I want to quickly thank everyone who posted. All in all, as I look back through the posts, we got some very good responses considering how acronyms have to be considered in context. shaggy1812, I know you were a bit frustrated, but acronyms are often a difficult thing to pin down, sometimes even in context.

I was in a hurry earlier today when I replied, which is why I've revisited this thread. If the acyronym first appeared on your data sheet and no one knows where it came from, don't feel alone. I remember one client I was working with - A major corporation - We were going through their documentation in the mid-1990's and found specifications cited in procedures, and even in some work instructions, which were from the 1970's and which no longer existed, nor did the company have copies of the cited documents. The lesson learned, obviously, is that documentation has to kept updated.

On a realistic level, not so many years ago procedures and such were typed and filed. Before the personal computer came into wide spread use, document control was very difficult, especially in large corporations. I'm old enough to remember feeling privilaged to have a relatively small, Olivetti portable electric typewriter when I was in college. I bring this up because in today's world document control is easily handled.

In your case, I can also emphasize with your problem in getting an Engineering Change through. It can be nearly impossible. I have seen some cases where it was - Well, I know of some that just never were approved, at least while I was there. I remember a assembly facility which got parts that didn't fit. They had small 'rework' areas set up because design engineering, which was in a different state, refused to make appropriate changes for one reason or another. The production people simply did what they had to, eventually. You can't get a design change, but the part doesn't fit so you end up with rework on parts you can't reject even though 100% of the incoming parts had to be reworked.

I wish you the best of luck in getting the ECN!

Idem is indeed 'the same'.

In Europ (Claes ?? ) we use it often and it finds its origin in Latin and Mathematics.

For the Mathematic part, we have to go back to the 'dark ages'...

Liebniz wrote in 1684: “x : y quod idem est ac x divis. Per y seu x/y.”

I use it often in checklists, where the first comment is written down, and the following (if the same) is idem or id.

HTH

Hey thanks everyone. Being from the Dayton OH area, I thought all carbonless paper was NCR paper.

I contacted the customer, go voice mail mid-day yesterday and have heard nothing back. Maybe tomorrow.

Thanks again.