IMDS "Semi-Components" & "Sub-Components" - Differences

Hi all,

Can someone please explain me the difference between “semi-components” and “sub-components”.

The IMDS that I submitted had an issue. My componant is a part which has couple of subparts made of metals. No hazrdous matl.

Thanks,

Tekno

A semi-component in IMDS is not the same as a sub-component as it is often used in industry.

A semi-component in IMDS is a "component" that will undergo further processing. Examples are wire, extruded rubber, sheet metal.

The difference between a component and a semi-component in IMDS is that the weight of the semi-component is unknown until it is linked to a component node.

The advantage of using semi-component (where appropriate) is to reduce the amount of work and be able to re-use already created modules in IMDS.

Read page 9/68 of the following document from Ford for a definition of these 2 terms. Kales is right.

.

I worked with IMDS for a few years during my time with a metal gear manufacturer. Steel is non-toxic, nor flammable,etc. IMDS is a un-necessary time consuming redundant process. If we had 2 customers using the same product, we had to go into iMDS and re-enter the same info for that specific customer code assigned. Big time waster.

harry said:

Read page 9/68 of the following document from Ford for a definition of these 2 terms. Kales is right.

.

Click to expand...

Ford most recent is 2010.

https://www.mdsystem.com/magnoliaPublic/en/public/faq/OEMInfo/Ford.html

ralphsulser said:

I worked with IMDS for a few years during my time with a metal gear manufacturer. Steel is non-toxic, nor flammable,etc. IMDS is a un-necessary time consuming redundant process. If we had 2 customers using the same product, we had to go into iMDS and re-enter the same info for that specific customer code assigned. Big time waster.

Click to expand...

Sorry to disagree. The OP did not ask for this personal opinion.

Steel can contain restricted substances that can fall under different environmental regulations. IMDS does not deal with flammable substances per se.

IMDS is about restricted substances and about recycling of "end of life" vehicles. IMDS has evolved to include REACh SVHC declarations in recent years. Not completing the MDS correctly and not complying with REACh can create potential legal liabilities for your company.

If information is entered in IMDS correctly, it is not necessary to re-enter your work when you have two customers. (If IMDS is approached in the wrong way, you will do a lot of work that is not necessary and wastes a lot of time and resources!. This might have been the case at the gear manufacturer).

As far as I know, Semicomponents are semi finished plroduct (for e.g. leather)

All the components of an assembly in IMDS may referred as its sub components.

Thanks

John

Can I just check my understanding on these two terms is correct?

Semi-components - typically a bulk product that you take a bit off to use on a later product such as adhesive tape, welding wire, roll steel, etc. It is used because the actual weight of this item that is used in the later product is not determined at this stage but only when it is put into a later product if that makes sense.

Sub-components - these are essentially halfway products to the component. I mean they are finished products that are put into a later component whole. A typical use of this type of MDS element is when you have complex constructions going into a component alongside more simple components. Since you can not have Semi-components in the same tree level as components or materials in the same level as components you need to create a sub-component made up of those materials which can sit in the same tree level as the other more complex components.

Components are to the left of the tree and are commonly the type of element in a MDS that goes to the higher tiers. Although they do use lower tree levels it is kind of a flow upwards into more complex parts which are the components.

Now this is convoluted I know and includes a few concepts I am trying to get my head round but I think it is more or less true. The concept I am learning is the tree structure and the parts in that tree being of the same level. I am right in this that if you have subcomponents (basically just a component when entering it onto IMDS as a new MDS) going into your final component and they can not include a semi- component or a material in the same level. By this I mean you are putting metal parts or components together (that consist of say pressed parts) and adding say tape which is not a component in the same stage you can not put in the same tree level.

Basically materials can go into components but not on the same level as other components??

I would not use the word "sub-components" at all, it makes it confusing.

A sub-component is a component from IMDS perspective.

A semi-component becomes (somewhere in the supply chain) a component (e.g. a casting gets machined, wire gets cut to length). A semi-component becomes a component by applying the semi-component to a component and "give it a weight".

Materials, components and semi-components can not be on the same level in the tree under a component. (to avoid "different node type" warning.)

It is not easy to explain in words. Sorry.

It's really not that complicated. Just don't use the same thinking as creating a manufacturing BOM and confuse yourself with "sub-this" or "sub-that".

It's a semi-component if your customer has to further process it to make a useable part. Example: you ship a coil of perforated metal that the customer cuts into the size and shape they need to make a useable part. You don't know the weight of your customer's useable part so you can't weigh it and assign a weight in IMDS.

It's a component if your customer uses what you ship to them exactly as-received. Example: you ship the same perforated metal but this time you ship a cut blank and not a coil. The customer doesn't remove any material from the blank during their process, i.e., they use what you shipped as-is. You can then weigh the blank and assign a weight to the part in IMDS.