Japanese daily Asahi reported that manufacturing of cast & forged steel Japan Steel Works Ltd has admitted to nearly a quarter-century of faking inspection data on components shipped to electric power plants. The fabricated data concerned rotor shafts, which are used for turbines and generators at power plants, and retaining rings that fasten the coils of generators. Japan Steel Works however said that “No concrete problem that affects quality and performance has been confirmed at this point.”Japan Steel Works said the falsified data practice had continued for 24 years until February this year. If products failed to meet the standards during inspections, the company’s product department instructed the inspection department to fake the data so that they would pass. Japan Steel Works also said it had altered or omitted some of the measuring procedures to avoid delays in the delivery of the products. The company acknowledged that the products in question were shipped for use at thermal or nuclear power plants, but it did not disclose the names of the facilities, saying it is still in the confirmation process.Japan Steel Works did not provide information on the total number of products affected and where they were delivered to but acknowledged that it is talking with its customers about the possibility of replacing the products.The rotor shafts and retaining rings were manufactured by Japan Steel Works M&E Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary based in Muroran in Hokkaido in Japan. A whistleblower exposed the wrongdoing in February.
Japanese daily Asahi reported that manufacturing of cast & forged steel Japan Steel Works Ltd has admitted to nearly a quarter-century of faking inspection data on components shipped to electric power plants. The fabricated data concerned rotor shafts, which are used for turbines and generators at power plants, and retaining rings that fasten the coils of generators. Japan Steel Works however said that “No concrete problem that affects quality and performance has been confirmed at this point.”Japan Steel Works said the falsified data practice had continued for 24 years until February this year. If products failed to meet the standards during inspections, the company’s product department instructed the inspection department to fake the data so that they would pass. Japan Steel Works also said it had altered or omitted some of the measuring procedures to avoid delays in the delivery of the products. The company acknowledged that the products in question were shipped for use at thermal or nuclear power plants, but it did not disclose the names of the facilities, saying it is still in the confirmation process.Japan Steel Works did not provide information on the total number of products affected and where they were delivered to but acknowledged that it is talking with its customers about the possibility of replacing the products.The rotor shafts and retaining rings were manufactured by Japan Steel Works M&E Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary based in Muroran in Hokkaido in Japan. A whistleblower exposed the wrongdoing in February.
