International Railroad Discussion > Kobe Steel Quality Falsification Raises Fears on High Speed Rail

Kobe Steel Problems May Be More Widespread, Raising Fears on High-Speed Rail

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NY Times
by JONATHAN SOBLE
OCT. 12, 2017

> TOKYO — The chief executive of Kobe Steel warned on Thursday that
> more quality data about the company’s products may have been
> falsified than has previously been disclosed, suggesting that fallout
> could widen further from a scandal that has already affected hundreds
> of companies worldwide.
>
> “We are reviewing data, including from overseas. It is possible that
> there could be more cases of wrongdoing,” the executive, Hiroya
> Kawasaki, told reporters. He added, “Trust in our company has fallen
> to zero.”
>
> Mr. Kawasaki said it could take Kobe Steel two weeks to complete a
> review of its records to determine the full extent of the data
> falsification and decide whether any of the improperly certified
> products it shipped to customers presented a safety hazard. Makers of
> cars, airplanes and trains use metal from Kobe Steel, making such a
> safety assessment imperative.
>
> In Japan, where Kobe Steel is based, attention focused on the
> country’s renowned high-speed rail network. Two railways that operate
> Shinkansen “bullet trains” — Central Japan Railway and West Japan
> Railway — said their trains contained aluminum parts sourced from
> Kobe Steel that did not meet industry standards.
>
> Koei Tsuge, president of Central Japan Railway, which is also known
> as JR Tokai, said that the components were part of metal assemblies
> that connect wheels to rail cars, and that about 300 were installed
> on its trains. He added that although the parts fell short of the
> high design standards his company had requested, they nonetheless met
> specifications required for safety, and did not pose an accident
> risk.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/business/kobe-steel-japan-trains.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

Hitachi has acknowledged its trains may have used the faulty steel, but it hasn't found any problems so far. General Motors and Mazda are believed to have used the faulty steel, too.

BBC says says that "dozens of employees" may have been part of the falsification of reported tests / cover up.


http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41591284

KOBELCO is Kobe Steel's more popular name, in case anyone is doing research on his own.

I heard this on the news a day or two ago, and that report mentioned data falsification for aluminum and copper products. More recent report suggests other metals were also falsified, namely powdered steel and "target material" used for electronics (DVD, TV screens).

While customers have said there are no safety issues so far (including Boeing), it's too early to tell, since the scandal so far has only scratched the surface. For Japan's High Speed Trains, only one affected is the Tokaido Shinkansen, which of course happens to be the most frequent with the highest ridership. Other Shinkansens (JR East's Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, and JR Kyushu's) have not been mentioned as those affected by this scandal... so far.

The data falsification has gone on for 4 years (or as long as 10 years based on speculation) , so the older train sets (500 Series, 700 Series) should be unaffected. The N700 and its variants (N700A, etc.) are probably affected.

I see KOBELCO execs bowing their heads in the Japanese version of the reports. Bets are on for resignations...

I worked in a high-voltage electrician gang at Bethlehem Steel (RIP), Bethlehem, Penna in the mid '60s. No such hanky-panky on my shifts.
Miss Wiki says that the site now features "gaming," both slots and tables, and arts & crafts shopping.
Sad.

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I worked in a high-voltage electrician gang at
> Bethlehem Steel (RIP), Bethlehem, Penna in the mid
> '60s. No such hanky-panky on my shifts.
> Miss Wiki says that the site now features
> "gaming," both slots and tables, and arts & crafts
> shopping.
> Sad.

Parts of the Bethlehem Steel mill in Pennsylvania have been preserved as a memorial to the men and women who forged this country's backbone. Lehigh Heavy Forge also operates part of the plant, and the Sands Bethlehem Casino occupies the central area south of the new bridge. Rooms on the north side have a fine view of the NS Lehigh Line and the river.

The stacks make an impressive back drop for photos in the area.

My least fond memories of working at Beth Steel are of the Coke Works' choking yellow-green smoke and the other-worldly subterranean Blast Furnace Gas Engine levels.
But the pay was great and the job was always there for an on-again-off-again college student on the GI Bill.