Kobe Steel, Ltd.

We once again deeply apologize for the enormous amount of trouble we have caused to our customers, suppliers, shareholders and many others concerning the improper conduct in Kobe Steel, Ltd. and its group companies. With regard to the verification status of the safety of its nonconforming products used in customers' products, Kobe Steel reports on the progress it has made on the verification at this time (as of December 1).

(1) Customers' responses at present

For customers to whom nonconforming products, which the Kobe Steel Group found in its self-investigation over the past one year, were shipped and for products other than those delivered directly to customers, the use of these products has been stopped. In addition, at this time Kobe Steel has not confirmed cases that would require immediate product recall.

(2) Current progress of safety verification

Owing to the enormous amount of cooperation from its customers, the Kobe Steel Group is earnestly proceeding to verify the safety of the nonconforming products. At this time as outlined in Table 1, the Kobe Steel Group delivered nonconforming products to 525 companies. Out of this total, safety has been confirmed at 487 companies under the three levels below, from A to C.

Safety verification by level

  • A: Customers have completed safety verification.
  • B: Customers have concluded that no problems exist at this time, but continue further verification.
  • C: Kobe Steel has concluded that safety can be assumed with a high degree of certainty in its technical opinion and has informed customers to this effect.

Table 1

Improper
products 		Company name Material Main use No. of
customers 		A B C Total
(A-C)
Aluminum
& Copper 		Aluminum &
Copper Business,
Kobe Steel, Ltd.
(October 8, 2017) 		Aluminum
flat-rolled
products 		Can stock
Cars 		57 35 7 0 42
Aluminum
cast &
forged
parts 		Aircraft
Rolling stock 		67 2 65 0 67
Aluminum
extrusions 		Cars
Rolling stock 		34 18 13 0 31
Copper
sheets 		Semiconductors
Terminals 		38 9 10 0 19
Kobelco & Materials Copper
Tube Co., Ltd.
(October 8 and 26, 2017) 		Copper
tubes 		Air conditioning 23 17 6 0 23
Shinko Metal Products Co., Ltd.
(October 13, 2017) 		Copper alloy tubes
Molds 		Electrical
machinery
Steelmaking
equipment 		176 157 8 10 175
Domestic subsidiary: 1
Overseas subsidiaries: 3
(October 13, 2017) 		Copper
tubes
Copper
strips
Aluminum
wires 		Air conditioning
Terminals 		36 21 4 11 36
Other Kobelco Research Institute, Inc.
(October 11, 2017) 		Target
materials 		FPD
Optical disks 		70 70 0 0 70
Steel Powder Division, Iron &
Steel Business, Kobe Steel, Ltd.
(October 11, 2017) 		Steel
powder 		Sintered parts 1 0 1 0 1
Domestic subsidiaries, etc.: 2
Overseas subsidiaries, etc.: 2
(October 13, 2017) 		Steel wires
Stainless
steel wires 		Bearings
Springs 		22 22 0 0 22
Shinko Kohan Kako, Ltd.
(October 20, 2017) 		Heavy plate
processing 		Heavy plate
processed
products 		1 0 1 0 1
Total 525 351 115 21 487
Previous report (November 24) 525 346 114 24 484
November 17 report 525 329 118 33 480
November 10 report 525 317 111 46 474
November 7 report 525 292 109 69 470
October 31 report 525 252 90 101 443
October 26 report 525 229 91 117 437

In order to complete the safety verification at an early time, the Kobe Steel Group is whole-heartedly devoting itself to cooperating with its customers in the verification.

Kobelco - Kobe Steel Ltd. published this content on 01 December 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 01 December 2017 06:41:03 UTC.

Original documenthttp://www.kobelco.co.jp/english/releases/1198566_15581.html

Public permalinkhttp://www.publicnow.com/view/FFA9053BE3B785DD31F90FFC8B234EE1256BF7D0