The International Material Data System is an electronic system for recording the chemical composition of materials in automotive components.

It is a joint project between major car manufacturers in partnership with ElectronicDataSystems (EDS). It replaces the Material Data Sheet for first batch reporting, and allows the manufacturer to review and collect data for compliance reporting to corporate and governmental standards and regulations. In particular it will enable the original equipment manufacturers to establish whether their cars contain any banned substances such as hexavalent chromium.

Through the IMDS a list of data is available for basic substances, the VDA list of notifiable materials (VDA 232-101) and a list of construction materials (such as steel-iron and aluminium)

When recording the details of a component on the IMDS system, the supplier needs to show the full chemical breakdown of the part. The composition of the base materials will be called down from the data stored on the system. The table below gives the necessary information to complete the composition of the coating layer once you have determined the surface area of the part.

IMDS Input information

Chrome content in passivate film

Finish Logical Name ID No. Zinc Nickel e-plate ZnNi(6-8) 213583 Zinc plating e-plate Zinc 231570 Clear passivate (trivalent) Passivation Blue Zn/ZnFe/ZnNi 900924 0 12 12 Clear passivate (Cr6 and Cr3) Chromate film blue Zn/ZnFe/ZnNi 899505 2 6 8 Yellow passivate Chromate film yellow Zn/ZnFe/ZnNi 899343 7 20 27 Olive drab passivate Chromate film oliv Zn/ZnFe/ZnNi 900850 15 90 105 Black passivation Chromate film black Zn 899586 15 90 105 Black passivation Chromate film black ZnNi 900836 15 90 105 JS500 Leach & seal sealer inorg./org. lubricated 975042 0 12 12 Bright nickel plate e-plate Ni (bright) 749088 Black on Stainless Blackening Salt PX3 3130589