Seizure in the Leonardo plant in Grottaglie of numerous components – for the production of sections of the fuselages of the Boeing 787 – produced by the companies Ps and Mps on commission of the Leonardo group which is the injured party

The Brindisi Finance Police seized numerous metal components from Leonardo's Grottaglie (Taranto) plant for the production of sections number 44 and 46 of the Boeing 787 fuselages. The components were produced by the companies Special Processes and Manufacturing Process Specification on Leonardo's commission which is the injured party in the proceedings. Non-compliant supplies would have been produced from 2016 until January 2021.

Here are all the details.

THE ACTION OF THE FINANCE GUARD ON COMPONENTS FOR BOEING

The Guardia di Finanza of Brindisi, carrying out a decree issued by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Brindisi, carried out an evidential seizure in the Grottaglie (Taranto) plant of numerous metal components intended for the production of sections numbers 44 and 46 of the fuselages of the Boeing 787 ( central and central rear). The Leonardo company is an "offended party".

LEONARDO OFFENSE

These components – it is explained – were produced by the companies of the local aeronautical district, Special Processes and Manufacturing Process Specification (Mps) on behalf of Leonardo. The seizure was ordered – it is clarified – because, based on the preliminary investigations carried out, it is assumed that they "were produced using metals (titanium and aluminum) differing in quality and origin from those prescribed by the customer and, in any case, in violation of the relative technical specifications.

THE SEQUESTRIAL AND THE POSITION OF LEONARDO

The evidentiary seizure was ordered by the Public Prosecutor of Brindisi as part of an investigation involving eight people and the companies "Special Processes" and "Manufacturing Process Specification", investigated for various reasons for criminal association, commercial fraud and attack on air transport safety. The Leonardo Spa company appears to be an offended person: it filed a complaint on 7 December last.

WHAT BUYERS SAY ABOUT BOEING

According to what was hypothesized by the investigators, the seized components would have been produced using metals (titanium and aluminum) differing in quality and origin from those prescribed by the client and, in any case, in violation of the relative technical specifications.

THE REVELATIONS OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON BOEING

The case broke out last October after some news on the case published by the Wall Street Journal , taken up by international agencies and confirmed informally by the US group itself. The information released concerned problems with the Boeing 787 fuselages.

THE MPS COMPANY

To produce sections of the fuselages of the Boeing 787 on behalf of Leonardo, Processi Speciali and Mps, operating in Grottaglie, would have "stably" used "structural metal components by purchasing the raw material from suppliers not certified by Leonardo" and used "grade 2 titanium" Instead of the "titanium alloy" prescribed by the customer. Grade 2 titanium – it is written in the seizure decree, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore and by La Stampa – "has mechanical properties and structural resistance that are far lower than those of the aforementioned alloy".

THE HYPOTHESIS OF PM

According to the prosecutors' hypothesis, the passenger floor structure of the 787 would also have been produced with 'titanium 2'. Non-compliant supplies would have been produced from 2016 until January 2021. The "alerts" started from internal staff at MPS . In addition to the issue of the fuselage sections of the Boeing 787, the non-conformity of a total number of aluminum components equal to 4,193 units, all produced by Mps and delivered to Leonardo starting from 9 January 2019 and up to January 26, 2021.

WHAT THE DECREE OF SEQUESTRO SAYS

In particular, the non-conformity of "four different types of components produced in aluminum" was reported, it is reported in the evidential seizure decree: the "sliding housing" for a total of 4099 pieces, two types of "machined part Ca" for a total of 55 pieces and, finally, 39 pieces of «Splice».

WHO ARE THE INVESTIGATIONS

Eight people under investigation, for various reasons, for criminal association aimed at commercial fraud and an attack on the safety of air transport. These include the entrepreneurs Vincenzo Ingrosso and their sons Antonio, Alberto and Andrea, managers of the two companies involved.

WHAT MPS SRL DOES

The Mps company, based in Brindisi, is active in the aerial components sector, supplier to national and foreign companies (such as Boeing Italy and Leonardo). Founded in 2014, Mps Srl today has about 30 employees.

LEONARDO THE FRENCH FIGEAC AMONG THE CUSTOMERS OF MPS SRL

In 2019 Mps Srl continued production in the aerospace market with particular reference to first tier or primary contract customers of the main manufacturers. He has obtained three contracts with Leonardo Aerostructures, Figeac France and Leonardo Helicopters Division.

THALES ALENIA SPACE SATELLITE PRODUCTION AGREEMENT

In addition, in 2019 the Apulian company also signed a new agreement for the production of the machines of the new Thales Alenia Space satellite, an order that diversifies production.

Mps, what is the company doing at the center of the Leonardo-Boeing scazzo on 787s

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This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/leonardo-chi-sono-le-aziende-nel-mirino-dei-pm-per-boeing/ on Sun, 19 Dec 2021 10:22:56 +0000.