Japan’s Toray, a Major Supply Chain Link, Says It Falsified Data
Like Kobe Steel and Mitsubishi Materials previously, Toray said
that when quality inspections revealed that products from Toray Hybrid Cord fell short of those standards, workers sometimes faked inspection data to make it appear as though the products met them.
28, 2017
TOKYO — Another pillar of Japanese industry admitted falsifying quality data on Tuesday, as Toray Industries, a manufacturer of
materials like carbon fiber, said one of its subsidiaries had for years been providing clients with false product-test reports.
But Toray’s chief executive, Akihiro Nikkaku, said Toray had decided to go public in part because of the added scrutiny
and the pressure created by the Kobe Steel and Mitsubishi Materials disclosures.
Toray said it had identified 149 instances in which Toray Hybrid Cord altered data after internal
tests showed its cords failed to meet manufacturing standards demanded by customers.
The deception, which Toray said took place between 2008
and 2016, echoed similar practices admitted in recent weeks by Kobe Steel and Mitsubishi Materials.
Sakakibara said that It’s a grave situation,