On Sunday, Kobe Steel, Ltd. announced it has discovered that data inspection certificates had been falsified in its aluminum and copper business and products were shipped to customers, including vehicle manufacturers, to indicate they had met specifications. Today, the company announced that steel power products were also affected.
This incident of improper conduct came to light following self-inspections and emergency quality audits of the compliance status of contracts executed as to products shipped over the past year.
Products initially discovered include aluminum flat-rolled products, aluminum extrusions, copper strips, copper tubes, and aluminum castings and forgings that were shipped to customers