SAARBRÜCKEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With its AI-based CoChecker, tec4U-Solutions GmbH provides a tool for legally compliant substitution of missing data. A key feature is that, compared to other common databases, the data has a reliable source and, in terms of its timeliness, accounts for the rapidly changing nature of material compliance.
The implementation standard DIN EN IEC 63000 specifies the steps that must be taken to demonstrate material compliance in a legally compliant manner. However, the practice followed by many companies of verifying, consolidating, and evaluating material data along the supply chain in order to subsequently make it available to interested third parties, such as customers or regulatory authorities is not sufficient on its own. Rather, a dedicated, secure database is necessary as a source of material data. Over the past two years, tec4U-Solutions has therefore invested considerable expertise in developing the CoChecker, an AI-powered tool within the established material compliance software DataCross, to close this liability-related compliance gap.
How does the CoChecker work?
The CoChecker uses artificial intelligence methods to substitute missing material data. To do this, it leverages the relative and technical attribute similarities among items to determine, using statistical methods and integrated logic models, a probability value that represents the material compliance of the item in question. In a first step, the CoChecker draws on its own extensive material database, which includes, among other things, 75,000 PCB components. If the data is not available in the database, it is searched for on the World Wide Web using the system’s own data crawler. The intelligent assistance system was developed in collaboration with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).
What makes CoChecker so special compared to other databases?
A key feature of the material database stored in CoChecker is that all data is either publicly accessible and continuously checked for up-to-date status, or may be published with the consent of the data owners (manufacturers, distributors, or importers). A violation of data protection laws constitutes a fundamental breach of copyright and often also of confidentiality requirements. Nevertheless, some database providers comply with these requirements only partially or not at all – especially when the data is sourced or maintained abroad. Particularly with regard to corporate liability risks, it is crucial to pay special attention to the origin of the data. In a liability case, the origin of the data in question will always be scrutinized. If its origin cannot be verified or if the data comes from sources that have not authorized its use, it has no legal value. Furthermore, such circumstances may give rise to additional liability claims.
What role does the timeliness of material data play?
Another key consideration is the date on which the data was collected. Often, for technical reasons, data is collected only once to ensure a product’s functionality. However, this approach frequently fails to account for the dynamic nature of material compliance. This means that many available databases contain records that, for example, suggest RoHS compliance, even though the RoHS status of these items is either unknown or may have since become outdated. As a result, companies may find themselves facing expanded liability. If existing defects are known but the data in the database is not updated, the data is considered outdated, despite better knowledge, and may therefore no longer be legally compliant. This can give rise to allegations of negligence or, depending on the individual case, even conditional intent.
Reliable data sources and up-to-date data combined in the CoChecker AI
In summary, this means that material compliance databases or search engines that generate this data in the field must be evaluated with great caution. Against this backdrop, the development of CoChecker has, from the very beginning, aimed to provide a compliant alternative to existing databases that guarantees both the legally sound origin of the data and its timeliness. This high standard of quality has meant that, despite the targeted use of AI technologies, development has proven to be challenging and time-consuming.
At the same time, development is not yet complete: Within the next planned releases of the material compliance software DataCross, additional AI elements will be integrated to ensure the generation of reliable and legally compliant data. As a new member of the Banyan Group, tec4U-Solutions receives maximum support through collaborations with sister companies that are among the leaders in the use of AI technologies. This will significantly shorten development cycles, particularly for process enhancements in DataCross. The future roadmap includes new developments and functional adjustments related to the creation of digital product passports as well as sustainable and circular product development.
Information on CoChecker at: https://cochecker.de/en/home-english/
Contacts
Press contact at tec4U-Solutions
Stefanie Huber, Phone: +49 681/92564-122, Email: s.huber@tec4U-solutions.com
