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Japanese Metal Manufacturer Faked Specifications To Hundreds of Companies (jalopnik.com)

Posted by msmash on from the fake-it-till-you-make-it dept.

schwit1 writes: Kobe Steel, a major Japanese supplier of steel and other metals worldwide, has admitted that it faked the specifications to metals shipped to hundreds of companies over the past decade.

Last week, Kobe Steel admitted that staff fudged reports on the strength and durability of products requested by its clients -- including those from the airline industry, cars, space rockets, and Japan's bullet trains. The company estimated that four percent of aluminum and copper products shipped from September 2016 to August 2017 were falsely labelled, Automotive News reported.

But on Friday, the company's CEO, Hiroya Kawasaki, revealed the scandal has impacted about 500 companies -- doubling the initial count -- and now includes steel products, too. The practice of falsely labeling data to meet customer's specifications could date back more than 10 years, according to the Financial Times.

For rockets the concern is less serious as they generally are not built for a long lifespan, but for airplanes and cars this news could be devastating, requiring major rebuilds on many operating vehicles.


2 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. So, the first question... by EndlessNameless · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How long until there is a documentable claim that this behavior killed somebody?

    Next question that comes to mind: How long until I find out if my car was built with substandard materials?

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    According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
  2. Where's the beef? by WaffleMonster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've been hearing about Kobe on English language broadcasts for a while. One constant throughout is a complete lack of contextual information.

    We all know they "Falsified data" on strength and durability of aluminum and copper... what does this mean in real terms?. Did they just check the "A-OK" box and fill in fake data without bothering to run the tests? Did they run the tests and then knowingly alter results? What is the difference between what they reported and actual conditions of materials sold? What is the risk? I would be most interested in any references that address these basic questions.

    So far every downstream manufacturer who has looked into this has not been able to find anything wrong or at least they are not admitting it publically.