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On Friday, the Financial Times reported that Boeing acknowledged some parts of their jets contain counterfeit titanium from China.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Boeing had told officials they had received titanium parts containing counterfeit documentation.
Boeing bought the counterfeit components from Kansas-based aerostructure manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems.
In the past, Spirit AeroSystems has had problems with quality issues. more
See, the Boeing engineers and installers were completely fooled by Chinese parts stamped with the words, “Pure Titaniam.” They were expecting the words, “Pure Titanium.”
Jeebus!
Not to mention the parts were likely installed by illegal Chinese immigrants hired per their DEI policy.
I like how Boeing threw Spirit AeroSystems under the bus. Isn’t Spirit AeroSystems a subsidiary of Boeing?
This is my job. I am an ANIS/ANIIS who goes around actually audits companies that fabricate nuclear parts/items/systems for US power plants and anyone else who follows ASME Code.
The process is robust and includes scrutinizing CMTR’s and supporting test reports. The nuclear sector maintains a very high level of transparency and accountability and treat everything like it is “Sub-Safe”. That is why it is expensive.
The airline industry has removed any and all aspects of quality control and third party oversight in favor of pure profit for executives. That is why it has declined so far and so fast. The push for more profit has led the manufacturers to accept fraudulent materials, poorly trained staff and zero accountability.
Buyer beware.
“Quality 1st, 2nd & 3rd”
I don’t blame Chyna. Anybody in manufacturing knows about Chinese corner-cutting since forever!
I blame Boing… where the fuk is Incoming QC???
Everything coming in from any vendor (materials, assemblies, sub-sytems, etc) should be thoroughly tested to make sure it meets design specifications!
Makes ya wonder if every failure results in “Die Yankee Pig-Dogs!” and a Chyna Fist-Pump…
Harbor Freight pricing should have been a red flag.
^^^Harbor Fright…
I saw an episode of MAYDAY a few years ago that said counterfeit parts have been a problem for years.
“…counterfeit parts have been a problem for years.”
True, but right now, there’s an agenda, or rather several agendas, involving Boeing and China, trade and alliances. I trust nothing being reported by the media in these matters as being either current or truthful.
The “information” being disseminated is only useful in determining what the real motives and plans of the government are. Nothing with this fascist government can be taken at face value.
Assholes Nixon and Kissinger opened China to trade in 1972.
Now we’re paying for it big time. China is thief and murderer. Number one in the world for evil.
I experienced counterfeit Chinese parts personally about 12 years ago. I had a 1988 Mercedes 300 TE that needed it’s high pressure fuel pump replaced. I took it to my good friend Frank Schmidt in Bellevue WA (one of the best independent Mercedes mechanics in the US) for the job. On the way home, on I-5 north of Seattle I lost power and the engine shut down. Strong smell of gas. A stream of it was pouring down and running on the highway shoulder. AAA tow back. Frank discovered that a Chinese company was making fake Continental fuel hose, with all the correct labels. But not the right rubber.
If it’s Boeing, I’m not going!
Immoral chinese trash that did this should pay a heavy price. Immoral bastards in USA that knew should pay a heavy price. The chinks are as sleazy as the muzzies and the crooks in congress here.
“The airline industry has removed any and all aspects of quality control and third party oversight in favor of pure profit for executives.”
If you’re talking FAA true. However, these companies are still AS9100. Where are those auditors.
We build air frame parts direct for the military. We need to comply with DFAR regulations. Every lot of parts we ship are reviewed for material certification and dimensional integrity. That doesn’t mean that some asshole distributor didn’t dummy up some certs. About ten years ago they caught an outfit down in SoCal, once again, falsifying certs on 6al-4v Titanium. I think Titanium is just to tempting for the bastards due to the price. Anyway those guys are still in jail. As high tech as China would like everyone to believe they are, they still haven’t learned how to manufacture decent material.
Also, when they falsify the material certification they’re also falsifying all the NDT (non destructive test) that goes along with it.
I think I’m done flying.
Chinks in the titanium?
I just read up on this a little more. Spirit AeroSystems self reported. There the ones that sounded the alarm. My guess is it was another greedy distributor. And Spirit AeroSystems build big format parts so we’re talking lots of weight.
Well, you got to hand it to the Chinks. While they sell us fake titanium for jets they fly balloons over our Airforce bases.
Over 40 years’ experience as a machinist, inspector and process planner.
Worked closely w/ engineers on prototype designs.
Represented our products to customers.
QM at an AS9100 registered aerospace supplier w/ automotive, commercial and military customers.
Never failed a registrar audit.
Never sold an out of spec part.
Now retired.
MIL-TP-41S
^^^^
I’m having a hard time believing all these aerospace manufacturers are suddenly ignoring their internal process controls.
^^^ That is why there are audits.
^^^^something else entirely is going on.
It’s called the old American greenback. Money does things to people. Example a certain party said he would remove All government/EPA constrictions if they donate 1 billion dollars into his campaign fund. They declined.
^^^ Citation?
We’re still surprised by China’s ability to corrupt people in any industry, and in any level of government or academia. Why?
China is the most immoral “civilization” in the history of the world. Is it any wonder they are able to bring people down to their level? The fault lies with human nature itself – and the fact that we’re dealing with them at all while knowing this.
Take a look at the hundreds of American and European corporations that have gone and operate there. They’re ALL aiding and abetting this immorality on a global scale.
Humanity: not ready for prime time. The end of an epoch approaches.
TW
So you’re saying there are no audits? We get audited quarterly. I don’t think the industry has changed.
Process controls = success=profitability
Companies clustered around the airport in Shannon, Ireland have long been distribution hubs for counterfeit aircraft parts. The Micks don’t seem to be doing much to stop them.
^^^Harry,
That’s not how certification and component acceptance works. As pointed out by others, the process is paperwork intensive even after initial qualification.
The rates of modern commercial airplane building means that the periodic audits that catch most of these things are several months after parts delivery, so yes, hundreds of airplanes can be affected. The “good news” is that airplanes are hundreds of thousands if not millions of parts so allow for these things to ne detected and corrected without air disasters.
Take millennia of cleverness, 70+ years of evil dictatorship, a supreme desire to overtake the west, and cruelty to its own citizens, and you got today’s Communist China.
And the west let it all happen for blood-soaked profits.
Back in the 60’s my aerospace engineer father obtained a BUNCH of titanium screws that didn’t pass inspection. Before he could possess them, he had to sign paperwork and swear they would never find their way into critical applications. He never used them for anything. I inherited them, now I have about 20,000 little Ti screws.
This could not have happened with some serious bribery, and likely bribery of obama/biden officals.
Brad- I said nothing of the sort.
As you know, third-party (registrar) audits are performed to verify supplier’s process controls are in place, meet required standards, are implemented and being followed and are properly documented. This to include preventive and corrective actions.
TW
In case you didn’t realize it I was asking for clarification. That didn’t seem like a logical response, at least to me. Third party registrars are not the only people that demand audits. Are they?
I stand by my previous statements.