IMDS for a Part of a Multi-Part Assembly?

[lk2012]

Hi Covers,
hope someone can help me with an IMDS conundrum.

We sell a part which consists of several components to a customer. The customer chops the part in half and uses that half on in their assembly that goes to the OEM.

The customer wants us to submit IMDS data only for the half of the part that we sell them. Our plant won't hear about it and say that as long as they sell the whole lot they'll declare the whole lot.
The customer won't take no for an answer and insists on getting half the data.
our office is stuck in the middle between an irate (and not always very polite) customer and a plant that won't budge.
What can we do?


The plant mentioned submitting the data 'as reference', which the customer (and frankly neither do we) understand. has anyone got any experience with this type of IMDS submission?

I really appreciate some advice.
Lil

 

[Ron Rompen]

Re: IMDS for partial assembly???

You are definitely in a difficult position. I agree with your company though; the requirement is that you submit IMDS data for the part that you sell. It is your customers responsibility to submit THEIR IMDS information to their customer, based on what you have provided them.

Without knowing the specific details of your part(s) I would suggest that you have someone in your company who is familiar with IMDS show them how easy it is to modify an existing IMDS document to make a new one that they can then submit.

 

[lk2012]

Re: IMDS for partial assembly???

thanks Ron,
I'm not that well-versed in IMDS really.
Is there a chance for the customer to cherry pick from the IMDS we've sent?
that would make it so much easier!

 

[JQuality]

Your facility is correct. They are required to include all of the applicable information of the product they are selling to their customer. It is not the responsibility of your company to create a modified IMDS submission based upon what your customer does to your product after you sell it to them.

Your customer should modify the portions of the product that you have sold them from THEIR IMDS submission to their customer based upon the results of their manufacturing processes. It absolutely shouldn't be excluded from your submission.

What you sell to them is what should be on the IMDS submission, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[blargon]

Re: IMDS for partial assembly???

Tricky situation.
Your plant could send the whole product IMDS as reference, with the sections relevant to the customer highlighted...so they can generate their own IMDS for their part. As Ron indicated. That'd be a compromise that's worth suggesting.
Or could you assign a seperate part designation for this particular customer, to generate the IMDS?
Out of curiousity, does the customer use the other half for another assembly? I presume it's not straightfoward to send the customer just the half they require?

 

[Kales Veggie]

Hi,

I see two solutions.

One is that the plant budge. I do not understand their position.

Two is make of of semi-components. All components going into multi-part are semi-components and you submit a semi-component to your customer. Your customer can do chop as must as they want.

The plant has to budge.

Note: letting customer create their own MDS with your information is not a good solution. It violates IMDS rules and breaks the chain (i.e. issues with change control).

 

[Kales Veggie]

Re: IMDS for partial assembly???

Tricky situation.
Your plant could send the whole product IMDS as reference, with the sections relevant to the customer highlighted...so they can generate their own IMDS for their part. As Ron indicated. That'd be a compromise that's worth suggesting.
Or could you assign a seperate part designation for this particular customer, to generate the IMDS?
Out of curiousity, does the customer use the other half for another assembly? I presume it's not straightfoward to send the customer just the half they require?

I disagree with this, since this violates IMDS rules and create major problems with change control.

 

[Ron Rompen]

Re: IMDS for partial assembly???

thanks Ron,
I'm not that well-versed in IMDS really.
Is there a chance for the customer to cherry pick from the IMDS we've sent?
that would make it so much easier!

Yes, they can 'copy' your IMDS submission as a new MDS sheet, and modify it as appropriate (i.e. change weights, materials, etc) before submission to THEIR customer. There is even an option to do this now within the software, without having to manually re-enter everything.

 

[Ron Rompen]

Hi,

I see two solutions.

One is that the plant budge. I do not understand their position.

Two is make of of semi-components. All components going into multi-part are semi-components and you submit a semi-component to your customer. Your customer can do chop as must as they want.

The plant has to budge.

Note: letting customer create their own MDS with your information is not a good solution. It violates IMDS rules and breaks the chain (i.e. issues with change control).

Sorry but I must disagree. The customer is (presumably) required to submit their own MDS for what they sell to THEIR customer; the MDS which is supplied by Lil's company will form the foundation of that, but it can definitely be modified as appropriate.

 

[Kales Veggie]

Sorry but I must disagree. The customer is (presumably) required to submit their own MDS for what they sell to THEIR customer; the MDS which is supplied by Lil's company will form the foundation of that, but it can definitely be modified as appropriate.

For example packaging material and protective caps are not included in the MDS. So, not necessarily as sold.

Copying / modifying of an accepted MDS, especially modifying materials is not a good process.

A semi-component may be the best option to keep the links in the supply chain.

From IMDS user manual:

Semi-Component
A semi-component is used for items when the chemistry will not change, but the item will
undergo further cutting, shaping or forming before use. Semi-components are managed by
unit of measure, as contrasted to components which are used in unit quantities. Examples of a
semi-component include a wire cut from a spool, or paint used by the gram.