Came across this the other day. Looks like Toyota and others may be affected.
It's hard to make Aluminum. It's easy to fudge quality documentation. 
Came across this the other day. Looks like Toyota and others may be affected.
It's hard to make Aluminum. It's easy to fudge quality documentation.
Oh that's seriously bad, especially in the train and aircraft industry where it's used on stressed components. Automotive too I suppose (the Mondeo example of hoods probably isn't exactly immediately life threatening.)
Bad timing too, Japan's aerospace industry was just starting to make some inroads internationally.
I'm sure the lawsuit will be debilitating, not just a grazing shot. You just know that all these manufacturers around the globe are going to have a beef with them.
In reply to The0retical :
The problem is, hoods are part of a modern vehicle's crash structure. I could easily see a recall involving replacement hood.
I read in another publication that some affected aluminum could be found in some vehicle's suspension systems. !!!
My favorite website (to hate) goes on an on about "Kobe steel" like it's an actual variety you can look up in a book. This makes me giggle a little.
But no, it is not funny, it's bad. I recall the counterfeit bolt issue from years ago, this is bound to be similar. VCH perhaps you recall the brake disc castings with pita-bread size porosity inside them. It's hard to cast/forge things properly, but it's really easy to fake it.
tuna55 said:My favorite website (to hate) goes on an on about "Kobe steel" like it's an actual variety you can look up in a book.
I wonder if they also state that it is fed beer and massaged daily.
volvoclearinghouse said:In reply to The0retical :
The problem is, hoods are part of a modern vehicle's crash structure. I could easily see a recall involving replacement hood.
I read in another publication that some affected aluminum could be found in some vehicle's suspension systems. !!!
How wide spread are aluminum suspension parts? I'll admit I haven't kept up with that particular evolution very well. My impression was that it's more limited to the exotics and low volume high end cars filtering down to only a few more mainstream vehicles.
The hood makes a lot more sense now that you mention it, it just seemed kind of silly in a vacuum.
My E46 was about as pedestrian as BMWs get, and it had aluminum control arms in 2003. It’s not a small issue of exotics.
Aluminum control arms started around the early 90s in higher end stuff and are super common nowadays.
In reply to The0retical :
Final gen P71 had aluminum front suspension.
My 05 Grand Prix had an aluminum cradle and control arms. I'd imagine if GM was using it for those that it's got to be pretty ubiquitous now.
I guess a steel company should stick to what they know...steel.
Doesn’t somebody have to commit Hari kiri?
Reading now that they also fudged quality reports on steel, as in the cords used in tires. Yikes
In reply to tuna55 :
The0retical said:How wide spread are aluminum suspension parts? I'll admit I haven't kept up with that particular evolution very well. My impression was that it's more limited to the exotics and low volume high end cars filtering down to only a few more mainstream vehicles.
Pretty much everything nowadays has aluminum arms and in many cases aluminum uprights.
tuna55 said:But no, it is not funny, it's bad. I recall the counterfeit bolt issue from years ago, this is bound to be similar. VCH perhaps you recall the brake disc castings with pita-bread size porosity inside them. It's hard to cast/forge things properly, but it's really easy to fake it.
Yes, I recall both- the counterfeit bolt issue and the porosity we used to find in castings. I said at the time that was how they smuggled immigrants over here, in the porosity of the castings.
I read an article yesterday that claimed some of the questionable material made its way into pipes that were delivered to the Fukishima power plant. Those interviewed at the plant said that those pipes were "spares" and "never used".
spitfirebill said:I guess a steel company should stick to what they know...steel.
Doesn’t somebody have to commit Hari kiri?
'Perform' seppuku, would be a more correct translation. :)
All that and their stock dropped 9%?
Also, I don't think Kobe has enough money to compensate everyone. I am amazed they said that.
spitfirebill said:Doesn’t somebody have to commit Hari kiri?
Harry Caray?
tuna55 said:All that and their stock dropped 9%?
9% in one day, 40% since the scandal broke.
"CEO Kawasaki...has run Kobe Steel since 2013, overseeing moves to expand the No. 3 Japanese steelmaker’s presence in aluminum."
Hmm, I wonder what his plan was? And what will his future be?
1. Spend the rest of his life in jail
2. Get a 85 million dollar parachute and live happily ever after on some island.
3. Keep working as CEO and have lunch with execs from VW and laugh and laugh...
In reply to pinchvalve :
I'd guess 2 but more likely 3.
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