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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.

INTRODUCTION
DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS
SUPPLIER OVERVIEWREGULATIONS DRIVING FULL MATERIALS DISCLOSURES
a. GADSL
b. GADSL REASON CODES
c. ELVd. REACH/SVHCe. WASTE FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE AND SCIP
f. RoHS
5. ALLISON TRANSMISSION APPROACH
6. SUPPLIER INFORMATION
7. IMDS
8. COMPANY ACTIVATION IN IMDS
9. CREATING AN MDS
10. SCIP DATABASE
11. TARIC CODE DETAIL
12. HEAT TREAT: AUSTEMPERING AND NITRIDING
13. CONFIDENTIAL SUBSTANCES
14. INTERNAL RELEASE, PROPOSE AND SEND
15. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION
16. WEIGHT DEVIATIONS
17. SUPPORTINTRODUCTION
Our mission at Allison Transmission, Inc. (ATI) to improve the way the world works demands that everything we doleads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment. ATI’s propulsion systems are subject to ever increasing market
demand and legislation that creates challenging and complex compliance requirements.
In order for ATI to continue to sell products around the globe, we must be able to demonstrate our products arecompliant with all applicable laws, regulations, and rules. To execute our mission, we need to know what is in our
products. Depending on the business, market, and product, companies face different rules of product compliance.
This IMDS Requirements User Manual (“Manual”) is intended to inform you, our supplier, about the regulatory
requirements of ATI products, about ATI’s system for its suppliers to provide the necessary information, and what
we require of you as a valued supplier of materials, parts, and components. ATI is not trying to mandate how you,as a business, comply with the relevant laws for your own products (if in scope) – if in doubt, seek professional
advice. Caution: IMDS (International Material Data System) was developed and is operated by EntServ DeutschlandGmbH (legal successor of the EDS Operations Services GmbH), a DXC Technology company ‐ subsequently called"DXC". DXC takes the IMDS ToU seriously. If you have any doubt regarding adherence to the ToU, contact DXC.
The provisions contained herein do not limit in any way your liability regarding applicable legal and regulatory
provisions. DXC’s Terms of Use (TOU’s) can be found here:
https://public.mdsystem.com/documents/10906/16811/IMDS+ToU+5.1_final_2018.pdf
Rules such as GADSL, RoHS, REACH, and ELV require compliant supply chains. Suppliers of components for
production, equipment, services, and consumption goods play a vital part in the development and production of
ATI’s products. A true holistic approach means that the ATI’s commitment to environmental care must be reflectedin our supplier network.

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DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS
Article – An object which, during its production, is given a special shape, surface or design which determines its
function to a greater degree than its chemical composition.
Basic Substance – Elements, compound chemicals and pseudo‐substances which comprise all materials.
CE Marking – The CE marking means that the manufacturer or importer affirms the good's conformity with
European health, safety, and environmental protection standards. It is not a quality indicator or a certification
mark.
Homogeneous Material – Homogeneous means that there is a consistent material composition which cannot be
separated mechanically into two or more different materials. Homogeneous materials are, for example, plastics,
metals, alloys and coatings.
ILI Committee – Published and preferred datasheets that are available in IMDS for most metal standards.
Material – raw, non‐functional substances (e.g., steel, glass, rubber, PVC) prior to manufacturing use.
Material Data Sheet – An element representing a component, semi‐component, material, or entire product.
Contains the item structure, internal contact, and customer information.
Mechanical Separation – It is generally possible to separate materials by means of cutting, trimming and abrasion.
Module – An element representing a component, semi‐component, material, or entire product. Contains the item
structure but no internal contact or customer information. Internal use only.
Part – Component / assembly with a fixed weight value; node name indicates specific part functionality within
vehicle. For the purposes of this manual, part and component may be used interchangeably.
Semi‐Component – A bulk part whose utilized weight value is specified by the customer, not supplier (electricalwire, casting blanks).
Standard Materials – Published by DXC or the IMDS/ILI Committee typically representing standard metals andalloys.
Acronyms:
ATI – Allison Transmission, Inc.
BSL – Basic Substance List
CAS ‐ Chemical Abstracts Service
DXC – DXC Technology is an information technology services and consulting company
EC – European Community
ECHA ‐ European Chemicals Agency
ELV – End of Life Vehicle Directive
EU – European Union
FAQ – Frequently Asked Question
FMD – Full Material Declaration
GADSL – Global Automotive Declarable Substance List
GASG – Global Automotive Stakeholder GroupHPE – Hewlett Packard Enterprise
IMDS – International Material Data System
MDS – Material Data Sheet
OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer
PPAP – Production Part Approval Process
PVC ‐ Polyvinyl chloride
REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, of Chemicals
RoHS – Restriction on Hazardous Substances

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SCIP ‐ Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products) database
SOC – Substance of Concern
SVHC – Substances of Very High Concern
ToU – Terms of Use
WFD – Waste Framework Directive

SUPPLIER OVERVIEWATI has chosen to use DXC’s IMDS database as a tool for compliance. This Manual explains how the IMDS
requirements need to be fulfilled for every part (current, new and modified) delivered to ATI’s global
manufacturing plants and customization centers. All IMDS questions should be directed to
imds@allisontransmission.com. All IMDS submissions need to be submitted to ATI organization ID #28623 athttps://www.mdsystem.com. This is our only active account. At times, ATI may request a FMD to your IMDS inbox
and we ask that you monitor it regularly. While submitting the MDS, include the ATI part number, part description,
supplier ID number, weight, revision level and current contact information for the data to be accepted. ATI strongly
recommends that its suppliers flow the requirements down to their respective supply bases. ATI may need toperform supplier audits and testing, as needed, depending on product risk. Failure to fulfil these compliancerequirements may lead ATI to seek alternative solutions.

REGULATIONS DRIVING FULL MATERIAL DECLARATIONSGLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE DECLARABLE SUBSTANCE LIST (GADSL)GADSL covers declaration of certain information about substances relevant to parts and materials supplied by the
supply chain to automobile manufacturers. The information is applicable to the use of these parts or materials in
the production of a vehicle up to its usage and relevant to the vehicle’s re‐use or waste disposal.
The intent of GADSL is to become the company specific list for declaration of parts composition within theautomotive industry. It provides a definitive list of substances requiring declaration with the target to minimize
individual requirements and ensure cost‐effective management of declaration practice along the complex supply
chain. The scope is to cover declarable substances in the flow of information relevant to parts and materials
supplied throughout the automotive value chain, from production to the end‐of‐life phase.
GADSL only covers substances that are expected to be present in a material or part that remains in the vehicle orpart at point of sale. Declaration thresholds are defined by specific application of the substance in automotive
parts. Any reportable substance below the declaration level does not have to be reported. These levels, unlessotherwise indicated, are < 0.1 g/100g (weight %) of homogeneous materials, not on the total content in thecomponent or assembly.

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Examples:

WITHIN THE SCOPE OF GADSLNOT WITHIN SCOPE OF GADSL

Hexavalent chromium in the corrosion prevention
coating of a fastener (a transmission part – also
referred to as a “hard part”.

Hexavalent chromium present on a part transfer pallet(since this is not vehicle associated). Packaging
material for parts is out of scope of GADSL, because
packaging material does not remain on the vehicle
during use.
A nonylphenol ethoxylate used as a surfactant in a
facility maintenance chemical (as it is not in thevehicle at the point of sale).
A solvent initially present in paint, but which
evaporates during the production process (as it is notin the vehicle at the point of sale).

A synthetic base oil used in a prefilled transmission
reservoir (since this material is present in the vehicle
at the point of sale).
A cobalt compound remaining in the cured (dry) stateof a transmission’s paint.

P = Prohibited
A substance designated “P” is prohibited for all automotive uses in at least one region / market or may not exceed
a regulated threshold limit for all automotive uses in at least one region/market.
D = Declarable
A substance designated “D” must be declared if it exceeds the defined threshold limits.
D/P = Declarable or Prohibited
A substance designated as “D/P” has both allowed uses and prohibited uses in at least one region / market.
Substances marked D/P and P must also be declared if they are present above the stipulated threshold (e.g. 0.1%
in weight).

GADSL REASON CODES
Reason codes have been developed to explain why a substance has been included in GADSL. Each declarable
substance will be listed with one of the following reason codes to facilitate dialog within the supply chain:
LR = Legally Regulated: A substance legally regulated because its use in a vehicle part or material poses a
significant risk to health and or the environment.
FA = For Assessment: A substance projected to be regulated by government agencies, upon decision by the GASG
Steering Committee.
FI = For Information: A substance tracked for information purposes only, upon decision by the GASG Steering
Committee. After discussion at the GASG Steering Committee and on an exceptional basis, an automobile
manufacturer may include an individual substance or family of substances on the list under this (FI) reason code.
LR, FA and FI substances should not be construed to mean that the substance is prohibited from being used in a
vehicle part or is to be de‐selected from use.
Substance families: If all members of a substance family are “D” or “P” the entry “all members” is listed after thefamily name. The entry “substance name, selected” means: This substance family refers to a limited list of single
substances, which meet the criteria for being declarable or prohibited. In certain cases, substance families havethe classification "D, except". This means that all substances within that family are declarable except those that arelabeled with "P" (e.g., Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers).

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CAS numbers for individual substances of a chemical family or group on GADSL are listed in the Reference List
which is part of GADSL. This list is available on the GADSL website http://www.gadsl.org. The sole purpose of thisreference list is to facilitate communication and declaration relating to GADSL within the automotive supply chain
to the automobile manufacturers.
The IMDS contains detailed information on materials and substances in automobile parts. IMDS Recommendations
give instructions on how to report the presence of declarable substances in parts and materials. In addition,
specific requirements of individual vehicle manufacturers can be found. GADSL is standard in IMDS. The complete
list of substances in IMDS is called the BSL. To simplify identification and reporting of GADSL‐listed substances they
are marked separately with D or P in IMDS System.
The IMDS Recommendations table can be found at https://www.mdsystem.com .
After logging in, navigate to the Help drop down and select Recommendation.

Download the applicable annexes or the latest revisions.
Recommendations are found here:

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END OF LIFE VEHICLE DIRECTIVE (ELV)
ELV is an EU directive that restricts certain substances in the Automotive Industry’s goal of reducing theenvironmental impact at the end of the vehicles useful life. Enforcement began September 18, 2000 (2000/53/EC)
and set the stage for other product compliance regulations such as RoHS and REACH.
ELV is applicable to vehicle manufacturers that manufacture or import vehicles into the EU. ATI products mustcomply with ELV to meet our customers’ requirements. As the burden of ELV compliance is on the manufacturers,
the manufacturers agreed upon a common tool (IMDS) for which their supply base could provide their material
declarations.
The current ELV directive may be found here:
https://eur‐lex.europa.eu/legal‐content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32000L0053
Current exemptions will be found in ANNEX II.

REGISTRATION, EVALUATION, AUTHORIZATION AND RESTRICTION OF CHEMICALS (REACH)& SUBSTANCES OF VERY HIGH CONCERN (SVHC)REACH is EU legislation designed to protect human health and the environment. Enforcement began June 2007.
REACH aims to monitor and restrict the movement of hazardous chemicals through the EU, including substances in
preparation form and incorporated into articles. It replaces 40 years of old EU chemical legislations by compilingthem into one.
The Candidate List continues to grow and currently has many SVHCs. SVHCs that are added to the Candidate List
are those that are a candidate for elimination. These include carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins,
persistent, bio‐accumulative toxins, very persistent and very bio‐accumulative toxins, endocrine disruptors, andsubstances of equivalent concern.
REACH applies to EU legal entities, but requirements flow down the supply chain globally. REACH requirements
apply to all industries and vary depending on the product (substance/material or article).
Registration – A substance must be registered with the ECHA, if the substance is intentionally released
from an article > 1 ton per year.
Authorization – Banned substances, will need special authorization in order to continue to be allowed to
be used in the EU.
Potential banned substances are taken from the Candidate List (aka: SVHC) list. (Link below)
Companies using SVHCs may have Notification (to ECHA) and/or Communication (to Customers) of
requirements depending on the amount of the SVHC.
It is critical that suppliers provide ATI an FMD regarding the amount of any SVHCs in their products so that the
supply chain does not need to be re‐surveyed every time a new SVHC is added to the Candidate list. This
information is also needed to determine ATI or ATI Customers’ reporting obligations.
The current list of SVHC’s may be found here:
https://echa.europa.eu/candidate‐list‐table

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WASTE FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE (WFD) AND SUBSTANCE OF CONCERN IN ARTICLES (SCIP)
SCIP is the database for information on SOC in articles as such or in complex objects (Products) established under
the WFD. Companies supplying articles containing SVHC on the Candidate List in a concentration above 0.1%
weight by weight (w/w) on the EU market must submit information on these articles to the ECHA, beginning
January 5, 2021.
The SCIP database ensures that the information on articles containing Candidate List substances is available
throughout the whole lifecycle of products and materials, including the waste stage. The information in the
database is then made available to waste operators and consumers.
The WFD’s goal is to measure and address the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste on theenvironment and human health, and for improving efficient use of resources which are crucial for the transition toa circular economy. ATI participates in this directive. The SCIP database has three main objectives:
1.
2.
3.

Decrease the generation of waste containing hazardous substances by supporting the substitution ofsubstances of concern in articles placed on the EU market.
Make information available to further improve waste treatment operations.
Allow authorities to monitor the use of substances of concern in articles and initiate appropriate actions
over the whole lifecycle of articles, including at their waste stage.

A complete Candidate List of SVHC may be found here:
https://echa.europa.eu/candidate‐list‐table

RESTRICTION ON HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES (ROHS)
RoHS is an EU legislation that restricts certain substances in electrical and electronic equipment with the goal of
reducing the environmental impact of such equipment. Many ATI products are considered electrical and electronicequipment. Enforcement began July 1, 2006 (2002/95/EC). It was later revised June 8, 2011 (2011/65/EU) andenforcement began July 3, 2013.
Countries beyond the EU (China, Korea, India, etc.), have also adopted RoHS‐like legislation. It is critical that
suppliers provide ATI with up‐to‐date compliance information. New substances may be added to RoHS andexemptions expire, which may change the compliance status of your products.
RoHS requires CE Marking, a declaration of conformance, and technical documentation.
Common homogenous materials containing restricted substances:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Lead – Solders, termination coating, paints, pigment, PVC stabilizer
Cadmium – Coatings, solders, semiconductors, contacts, PVC stabilizers, pigments
Mercury – Fluorescent lamps, batteries, sensors, relays
Hexavalent Chromium – Coatings to prevent corrosion (on zinc, aluminum or in paints).
PBB, PBDE – Flame retardant in certain plastics
DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP – Plasticizers in certain plastics and cables

The latest version of RoHS may be found here:
https://eur‐lex.europa.eu/legal‐content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011L0065
RoHS exemptions have expiration dates and may be found here:
https://echa.europa.eu/en/web/guest/exemptions‐art‐4‐restrictions‐rohs

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ATI APPROACH
ATI will accept FMDs using IMDS. IMDS facilitates the regulatory requirement for FMDs for the below listed
regulations. You may access the IMDS site here: https://www.mdsystem.com

Regulation/List

IMDS IMDS Comments

ELV

X

Included in GADSL, Tree Search(Exemptions, aka Applications)

GADSL

X

Tree Search, Where‐Used

REACH SVHCX

A2 (REACH Reg. Overview), Where‐
Used, Included in GADSLREACH Annex XVII(Restriction)

X

Chemistry Manager, A2 (REACH
Reg. Overview)

REACH Annex XIV(Authorization)

X

Chemistry Manager, A2 (REACH
Reg. Overview), Tree Search,
Where‐Used

California Prop 65

X

Tree Search, Where‐Used

Biocide Product
Regulation (BPR)

X

Chemistry Manager, Tree Search,
Where‐Used, Included in GADSL

Conflict Minerals

X

Tree Search, Where‐Used, CM
Analyzer (if also have CDX Login)

SUPPLIER INFORMATION
Current Parts: Required Supplier MDS collection began 1/1/2022. If you have not submitted an MDS to ATI IMDS
Organization ID #28623, you are required to do so now.
New Parts: You should submit your material reporting to IMDS 4 weeks before the planned PPAP approval date.
This timing highlights the need to start collecting substances data as soon as possible to be able to answer in time
to meet the MDS request date. ATI will target addressing IMDS submissions within 2 weeks after receipt.
Modified Parts: Inform ATI of any part content modification (may come from a Tier N Supplier). To contact ATI
concerning a proposed modification to a part, download the AT‐1927‐30 Supplier Product Change Evaluation form
from the ATI supplier portal https://www.allisontransmission.com/fr‐fr/suppliers/supplier‐forms. Complete theform and send it to the ATI Commodity Manager to start an ATI internal investigation. When a modification isapproved by ATI, initiated by either you or ATI, you will need to submit an updated version of the MDS within 3
weeks after the modification approval or 2 weeks before new PPAP date.
If the part number changes, the MDS needs to include a new IMDS id (i.e., create a new MDS), not just a newversion of the current accepted MDS.

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IMDS
ATI requires a Full Material Declaration (FMD). ATI will expect you to provide a FMD in industry standard format
within 14 days of our request. If we do not have the information, we cannot provide compliance information tocustomers and regulatory authorities, and this lack of compliance information will limit our global market access.
ATI requirements are taken from IMDS Recommendations which can be found on IMDS website
https://www.mdsystem.com. All basic substances, Materials, Semi‐Components and Components IMDS
submissions are subject to the Rules of the IMDS Recommendations. The IMDS Recommendations can be found in
the Help section after logging into the IMDS system. Using the IMDS system, requests are made for one‐part
number at a time (unless creating a project).
All User Interface features are free. Participating Automotive OEMs pay DXC for the system use, development,
maintenance, and enhancements. Pay Licenses for enhanced capabilities are available for purchase directly withDXC Technology.
General information on registering can be found on IMDS Information Pages.
https://public.mdsystem.com/en/web/imds‐public‐pages.
IMDS User Manual can be found at: https://public.mdsystem.com/documents/d/imds‐public‐
pages/imds_usermanual_14‐0_en

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COMPANY ACTIVATION IN IMDS
Company Activation in IMDS is free and can be completed in a few short steps. Tutorials are available on the IMDS
website.
https://www.mdsysytem.com
https://public.mdsystem.com/documents/10906/16811/imds_registering_tips.pdf

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CREATING AN MDSATI purchases Materials, Semi‐Components, Components, and complex components. All IMDS submissions shouldbe created in one of these formats. Most of our supply partners will be creating “Components” in the IMDS
system. However, all IMDS entries begin with Materials. Materials in IMDS must be homogeneous in order tomeet several legal requirements. For more information about the definition of "homogeneous", see IMDS 001
Annex I, section 1.1.
Materials can either be entered by our suppliers (preferred), an IMDS entry sent/proposed from ATI, or selectedfrom the published materials list. We strongly suggest selecting only those published by your supplier and/or the
manufacturer of the material or those published by the IMDS Committee / ILI Metals Committee.
If you are creating an MDS to represent something with layers (such as a plated metal or coated wire) or a productsold on a roll or in bulk, you should be using a “semi‐component” for your submission. “Semi‐components” do nothave a defined weight until used; although you do enter a usage metric when you create the “semi‐component”.
This should be a rare instance for ATI suppliers. If Allison does additional machining on the part in question,
propose your IMDS as a “semi‐component”. It is important to know how the parts you sell to Allison are used. Use
the technical review meeting to ask any questions. If you are creating an MDS to represent something used inwhole numbers (e.g., a part in an assembly) that has a defined weight, then it should be represented by a“component”. A component’s weight is given at the time of MDS creation, and it remains constant throughout the
manufacturing process. The measured weight of a part or assembly, also known as the “stated weight of thecomponent” in IMDS, must match the drawing / bill of materials specifications.
The IMDS Committee has established precise acceptable variance thresholds between the measured weight andcalculated weight depending on the total weight of a part.
Best Practices:1.

Set your preferences to receive emails for receiving a request, receiving an accepted notice, and receivinga rejection notice. This can be done by going into Administration > Personal settings.

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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Place your vendor code in the Supplier number field.
Ensure your DUNS number is correct.
Checkmark the IMDS as Forwarding Allowed.
Ensure any lead exemptions have not expired.
If you receive a rejection, you must wait 24 hours before re‐submitting. However, re‐submit within 5 daysof the rejection date. The preferred method for re‐proposal is re‐versioning your current IMDS.
Where possible, use IMDS Committee Published Materials.
Marking of Polymeric Parts should be “Yes” or “Not Applicable”.

COMMON REASONS FOR REJECTION
ATI requires Suppliers to follow the rule of IMDS Recommendation 001 and its’ annexes. Rejected datasheets
should be re‐versioned and re‐submitted to our Organization ID 28623 within 5 days of the rejection.
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.
6.

7.

8.

9.

Incorrect Allison Part Number:
Do not add extra characters to the part. The Allison part number should be 7‐8 digits and exact. In someinstances, your part number may have a “C” at the end or have “Casting” in the part description. In thiscase, submit the IMDS as a semi‐component. If you have any questions as to how you should submit,
either “component” or “semi‐component”, contact imds@allisontransmission.com. Ensure this isdiscussed during the technical review meeting.
Wrong Classification and Composition:
Material needs to be classified correctly. Classifications 1.1 and 2.1 should be used sparingly with theirsub‐classifications used instead (e.g., 1.1.1, etc.). Classification 7.3 should only be used in appropriatematerials. Classifications 8.1 and 8.2 are expired and should not be used. Consult the IMDS
Recommendations.
Incorrect Material Name:
Report the unique material name. Material names should be taken from respective material standards.
Do not use brand names or generic names. For example, enter “Steel 1010” instead of “Steel”.
Incorrect Tolerances ‐ by weight and/or composition
Check weight before submitting. Follow IMDS tolerance guidelines.
Standard Material Number:
The standard material number shall be filled in for all metals.
Preliminary IMDS Marked as “Yes”
This Preliminary “Yes” is only used in development and prototype IMDS. Allison requires IMDS for the
Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
Hidden / Deleted Substances:
No hidden or deleted substances should be used when creating an MDS. MDS’s with hidden or deleted
substances will be rejected.
Incorrect structures (Nodes, Modules, Materials, Semi‐component):
MDS should not contain mixed nodes. Material MDSs should contain at least two material nodes or one
substance. When a material contains two or more material nodes, they should form a homogenous
material. Layers should be separate material nodes.
Rust preventatives:
Rust preventatives and preservatives are not in the final transmission and should not be included in MDS.
All parts are washed before assembling the transmission.

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SCIP DATABASE
On the SCIP dissemination page, https://echa.europa.eu/scip‐database, content is visible, however, the supply
chain is not revealed directly, as no company names are exposed, not even of the reporting company. To respect
other companies’ requirements for supply chain confidentiality, it is strongly recommended not to include any
company names (neither yours nor ours) in the names and descriptions of Modules/MDSs as those names might
become visible in the SCIP dissemination portal.

TARIC CODE DETAIL
Taric codes are needed because it is a requirement for the SCIP Database. IMDS provides a look up search criteria.
If you are not familiar with this number, you may find a list of Taric Codes at:https://taxation‐customs.ec.europa.eu/customs‐4/calculation‐customs‐duties/customs‐tariff/eu‐customs‐tariff‐
taric_en

HEAT TREAT: AUSTEMPERING AND NITRIDING
In most heat treatments, you do not change the chemistry of the product. However, due to the necessity of having
the information in the system, lack of change does not exempt our suppliers that heat treat from entering data. In
an austempering process you don’t change the chemical composition. It is an isothermal heating process so there

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is no change to the original MDS. The nitriding and case hardening processes are thermal processes where N(Nitrogen) and/or C (Carbon) is diffusing into the steel. The result is an inhomogeneous concentration of N and/or
C in a thin surface layer (about 100 µm thickness in a nitriding and 1 mm in the case hardening process).
Due to the inhomogeneous distribution, the concentration of N or C depend on the depth and cannot be describedin IMDS. Since Nitrogen and Carbon are not elements which are declarable or prohibited or can be a source fordanger in the handling or recycling process, the IMDS committee decided in this special case that Nitriding or Case
Hardening need not be reported in IMDS.
How to develop an MDS:
In the above cases of austempering, nitriding and case hardening, there are no specific materials that needs to becreated.

CONFIDENTIAL SUBSTANCESIMDS Submissions must follow IMDS Recommendation 001 and its annexes. Allison encourages transparency. Do
not mark a substance “confidential” unless it is covered by intellectual property laws and/or other contractual
agreements.
Substances that are not declarable or prohibited according to GADSL, or are not an SVHC, or do not require anapplication code, may be marked “confidential”. These substances have a check box “confidential” in the detail
section of the basic substance on the ingredients page. If a substance is marked “confidential”, it may only be seenby users in the creating company and by “trusted users” in another IMDS company. All other users see is"Confidential Substances". It is not possible to transfer “confidential substances” via data download into in‐housesystems – not even by OEMs. It is not possible for users in other IMDS companies to make a copy of the tree andretrieve the actual data.
No substance that is flagged as D, P, or D/P can be marked “confidential” at the time of the material creation. No
joker/wildcard can be marked “confidential”. There is no joker/wildcard "confidential substance" or "secret
substance".

INTERNAL RELEASE, PROPOSE AND SENDIn IMDS, there are four possibilities to submit an MDS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

"Send": the MDS will be sent to 1 recipient.
"Propose": the MDS can be sent to several recipients.
"Release Internal": the MDS will only be available for internal use only.
"Publish": the MDS will be available for everybody that uses IMDS.

An MDS may be Proposed or Sent. ATI requests that Suppliers “Send/Propose” MDS’s for acceptance or rejection.
Once accepted, the MDS cannot be deleted. However, it can be re‐versioned by the sender and re‐submitted to
ATI organization ID #28623.
ATI does not recommend “Publishing” your MDS. Publishing your MDS makes it visible to anyone in the IMDS
database.

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ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION
ATI recommends that your Compliance Administrator turn on all notification preferences within IMDS to enable
automatic email notification of acceptance or rejection.

All rejections will include a comment stating the reason for rejection. For information regarding how to fix and re‐submit rejected IMDS’s, refer to the IMDS Rejection Guide found at https://www.sustainable‐markets.com/overcome‐imds‐rejections/ . If you have specific Allison Transmission related questions, email
imds@allisontransmission.com.
Common rejections reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Incorrect Description or ATI Part/Item Number
Variance Between Measured Weight and Calculated Weight
Failure to Use IMDS Committee Published Materials When Creating Entries with Metals, Platings orPassivation Coatings
Creating/Using a Polymer Entry Composed of a Single Substance

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5.
6.
7.
8.

Building MDS Trees That Do Not Follow the Proper Tree Hierarchy
Incorrectly Applying ELV Annex II Exemptions
Incorrectly Dealing with “Unreportable” Process Chemicals
Creating a New Material Datasheet Instead of a New Version of the Original MDS

WEIGHT DEVIATIONS
The measured weight of a part or assembly, also known as the “stated weight of the component” in IMDS, mustmatch the drawing and/or bill of materials specifications.
The IMDS Committee has established precise acceptable variance thresholds between the measured weight andcalculated weight depending on the total weight of a part. The weight deviation must not exceed a certain
threshold. Exceeding the threshold will result in a warning in the MDS check. The threshold depends on thecomponents measured weight. They are listed below:
Measured Weight per Item
<1g
>1g – <999.99g>1kg – <9.99kg>10kg – <99.99kg<100kg>100kgAllowed Max. Deviation
100%
10%
5%
2%
1%
0.5%

If you feel you may have an outdated drawing, or are concerned about weight deviations, email
imds@allisontransmission.com and we will work with the appropriate ATI personnel to ensure part weight
accuracy.

SUPPORT
For issues related to IMDS data entry, to support ATI by e‐mail, web meeting or with limited training sessions,contact:
ATI: imds@allisontransmission.com
For questions regarding IMDS reporting requirements refer to the contact at IMDS Public Pages contact
information at:https://public.mdsystem.com/en/web/imds‐public‐pages/oem‐contacts
For questions regarding the registration of your company, login, or other issue related to the system contact yourClient Manager or the IMDS Service Center at:
https://public.mdsystem.com/en/web/imds‐public‐pages/imds‐service‐centers
For technical questions regarding the MDS data refer to the IMDS User Manual:https://public.mdsystem.com/documents/d/imds‐public‐pages/imds_usermanual_14‐0_en
For questions regarding training:https://public.mdsystem.com/en/web/imds‐public‐pages/imds‐training‐courses

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For tutorials visit:https://public.mdsystem.com/en/web/imds‐public‐pages/tutorials
To access IMDS FAQ’s:
https://public.mdsystem.com/en/web/imds‐public‐pages/faq
For questions regarding rejections:
https://www.sustainable‐markets.com/overcome‐imds‐rejections/

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