Posted on 04/21/2006 7:20:13 AM PDT by FerdieMurphy
Thanks for the ping!
Yes Ma'am!
Dumbasses or traitors!
Perhaps some of both?
Nitpicking.
Then why aren't we using samarium cobalt instead of reliance upon COMMUNIST China?
(Just as a matter of interest: does your keyboard sometimes omit the letter "t"?)
We think this as we whistle whilst walking past the cemetery.
That's what the morons or traitors who put us in these positions hope we continue to think.
The gates have been outsourced to the barbarians.
The reality is that when Magnequench was sold there were only a few years left on the patents. It is common practice in business to sell patents in this manner because it allows the buyer to penetrate and gain market share before the patent expires. This is old technology. While it may have defense applications it is more important for battery powered hand tools. Plus, at the time, and continuing today, there is a huge amount of infringement taking place.
The second piece if misinfo in the article is that the US is totally dependent on China to mine the rare earths. In a few days there will be an companion article published at Sierra Times about how the feds/EPA/BLM shut down Molycorp's Mountain Pass mine, ending the US's ability to produce rare earths. Bull crap. Molycorps settling ponds on BLM land were shut down because of the egregious spill. Those settling ponds, along with Molycorps entire mining and processing operations are now located on Molycorp's private property. As such, San Bernedino county is the lead agency in permitting, not EPA. As such, only an environmental impact assesement, rather than statement is required. Whatever Molycorp wants, the county will give them.
The truth is that Molycorp has no interest in gaining their thirty year permit/restarting operations since rare earth prices are depressed because of a worldwide oversupply.
See #49
bttt
We require material certifications WITH parts attesting to the source of materials, as well as Lockheed and Boeing approved sources when it comes to any processes performed on these materials.
I don't know what this article is talking about, but I have first hand experience in this area and see the documentation for materials that go into fighter jets, missiles, helicopters various weapons systems, motion control devices etc, and they meet the domestic source requirements.
I recently rejected and returned thousands of dollars worth of gears from a supplier who mistakenly used alloy steel from Taiwan.
I've never seen any materials come from China.
As major Govt contractor and supplier for the DoD I can tell you that our company and our all of our suppliers comply with all requirements of DFARS.
I must agree that there is some misinformation in this story. Many companies that build Audio speakers, use speakers that employ rare earth elements such as Neodymium (sp) magnets. I have some very expensive speakers that also have Neodymium magnets. I will admit that they make for an extremely strong magnet. I'm sure if this material was as rare as said, that Audio speakers would not be using this material. This story sounds kind of like the Cynthia McKinney story that Bush New the World Trade Centers were going to be blown up. I'm sure with all the transfer of American Industry to other areas of the world has put the American Military in a tight spot if this country were to get involved into a long and treacherous Non Nuclear World War.
With just about all American Textile companies overseas now, the idea of dressing a big military from Home sources might be difficult. Todays outsourced material world, has made for some confusing problems should the countries of the world go into isolation.
Every last screw, washer and fastener?
Maybe, but I don't think so.
Perhaps our government and the ChiComs are too smart for you.
You are an inspector for A company. There are other companies involved in these contracts and you can't know what they're bringing in and inspecting.
Right now the DFARS specialty metal requirements for us, are applied to gears, machined parts and any raw materials we purchase which could be used to make parts that end up in Lockheed, Boeing or Govt units.
When it comes to purchasing things like motors, synchros etc. it is extremely difficult, if not impossible at this point to flow down DFARS requirements to our suppliers, their suppliers etc to cover EVERY part that goes into the product we buy.
Traditionally screws, washers and other hardware items have been bought from commercial sources and have been exempt from First Article Inspection requirements including documentation like material and finish certifications.
In fact the Military Specs and Standards governing their manufacture are being turned over to commercial control, because the Government doesn't want to keep spending the money to maintain them.
I really doubt the they will push DFARS to cover ever screw, washer and fastener simply because it wouldn't be economically feasible at this point.
The government has been holding up shipments from some of the primes until either:
1) They prove 100% compliance or
2) Pay a penalty.
Guess what happens.
Not so amazing. What is amazing is that they have to fork over 50% control to a Chinese Partner who may or may not do anything other than take the partnership monies, and pay the help...pocketing a good chunk on the side...so what was supposed to be pay of say, $1.00 an hour, miraculously gets knocked down to 37 cents an hour. Can we say embezzlement?
And the U.S. partner can't get rid of their Chinese "partner" who is usually a party princeling, or a PLA reservist who "owns" 50% of the operation...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.