Toyo Tire & Rubber data falsification affects rwy. rolling stock parts

[bikkuri bahn]

OSAKA (Jiji Press) — Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. said Wednesday the company has newly found that material test data were falsified for 87,804 antivibration rubber parts for ship engines, railway cars and other industrial equipment.

...

Rubber cushions and vibration absorbers are chiefly aimed at enabling ships and trains to provide comfortable rides, and rubber degradation can be detected through regular inspections or in daily operations, the officials said

 

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002493861

[Davo Dentetsu]

I think if it's being inspected all the same, there shouldn't be any need for concern?  However, if I were a company, if my newly purchased train has parts that don't last as long as I've been told, I'd look into some sort of compensation.

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, this is not apparently a safety-critical issue.  This case is a continuation of prior, likely more serious revelations that the firm sold substandard seismic dampers for large building foundations.

[Kb4iuj]

Most motor mounts last as long as the motors. Hence, replaced during reconditing of the motors. But, look at this about pile driving. Quite serious, as their noting the building is leaning.

 

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002504090

 

This quite interesting. While visiting Chicago I saw a large building was about to go up over near the Metra & Amtrak stations and they had a unique tool for drilling out these piling. Mind you this tool was mounted on a large truck. One does have to wonder how deep they must go being so close to the lake and especially the Chicago River. Which was about a block over.

Last time I was in town they appeared to be working on the tenth floor enroute to higher elevations. So with all that said. Driving pilings is in some regards a thing of the past unless one is building a bridge where ultra mega weights are not a big concern.

Edited October 19, 2015 by Kb4iuj

[cteno4]

The dampers usually sit on top of the foundation to isolate the building structure from the foundation and thus ground (assuming they did a proper foundation!)

 

Presumably if these are not good enough they can jack the building up to change the dampers, I expect they do have a limited lifespan so this is probably engineered into the system to replace them. Might be sooner in this situation!

 

Jeff