Latest news with #defects
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Construction firm sues over alleged €6.8m defects in glazing to Dublin office block
A construction firm is suing a glazing company over alleged defects in glass installed at the Exo Building in Dublin's Point village which it says cost some €6.8 million to repair, the Commercial Court heard. Bennett (Construction) Ltd, with a registered address in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, has brought proceedings against Spanish firm Tvitec System Glass SL and its Irish subsidiary sub contractor, Technical Envelope Facades (TEF) Ltd, formerly Tvitec System Ireland Ltd,, with a registered address in Mountainview Park, Tallaght, Dublin. It is claimed there was very bad leaking arising out of the works completed by TEF and that the glazing supplied was defective. The workmanship of the installation of the glazing was of sub-standard quality, it is also alleged. The defendants deny the claims. READ MORE On Monday, an application was made by Thomas Hogan SC, for Bennett, to have the case admitted to the fast track Commercial Court. It was opposed by Michael Cush SC, for Tvitec, on grounds of delay in bringing the proceedings. Mr Justice Mark Sanfey refused to admit the case as he considered there had been culpable delay by Bennett in bringing the proceedings. It means the case will now be dealt with through the normal High Court list. In an affidavit, Paul Bruton, managing director of Bennett, said his firm and TEF entered into an agreement in March 2018 for the supply and installation of glazing. TEF also entered into a collateral warranty with The Platform ICAV (formerly Davy Platform ICAV) which was the beneficiary of the project. The Spanish firm also executed a parent company guarantee with The Platform whereby it guaranteed the obligations and liabilities of the Irish sub contractor, Mr Burton said. The benefit of the collateral warranty and guarantee were assigned to Bennett in August 2024. Mr Bruton said TEF commenced works in January 2018 and various issues arose on an ongoing basis including cash flow issues TEF appeared to have on a regular basis, he said. In January 2022, following the Christmas break, TEF failed to return to site even though works were already significantly delayed, he said. A meeting between the parties followed and TEF advised it had financial difficulties and that the works were not profitable. TEF said it would only return to site if a further €850,000 was paid. Bennett says it has paid €10.1 million to TEF and paid another €625,000 'under duress' to get them back on site, Mr Bruton said. They returned but failed to complete the works and once again left the site, he said. Under the terms of the collateral warranty, the dispute could be referred to a conciliator but TEF refused to nominate a conciliator and refused to accept the Bennett-nominated conciliator who, as a result, had to resign in December 2024. Bennett had in the meantime embarked on extensive remedial works with different sub-contractors. Mr Bruton said the total sum being claimed against the defendants for the cost of remediating the works is some €7.4 million.
Malay Mail
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
JPJ recalls over 8,000 Kia, Yamaha, Mercedes-Benz vehicles over fire risk, clutch and fuse defects
PUTRAJAYA, July 9 — The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has recalled 8,322 Kia, Yamaha and Mercedes-Benz vehicles for inspection following defects to the structure, equipment or systems. Its director-general, Aedy Fadly Ramli said that the Kia vehicle involved in the recall was 5,123 units of the Rio UB 2010 to 2017 model, suspected to have the risk of shortcircuit that can cause its Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) to catch fire. Also, 1,649 units of Yamaha MT09 and 1,369 units of Tracer 9 GT from November 2021 to Februari 2025 are being recalled for improper functioning Throttle Position Sensors (TPS), while 149 units of the Yamaha Tenere 700 model from 2023 to 2024 are being recalled for clutch problems. A total of 32 Mercedes-Benz cars, model S 580 e, GLC 300 4MATIC, EQS 500, AMG SL 43, EQE 53 and EQS 53 from 2023 and 2025 are being recalled for improperly installed fuse boxes. 'The recall is important to avoid crashes due to defects,' he said in a statement yesterday, adding that owners would be contacted by the respective manufacturers to coordinate inspection slots. 'All owners with affected models are asked to plan ahead to enable the recall and inspection to be done as soon as possible. 'For further information, owners can contact or visit any sales and service centre,' he said. Aedy Fadly also said that all components affected will be replaced with the costs borne by the manufacturer. 'The JPJ will monitor the process and remains committed to ensure all vehicles involved undergo inspection and are certified safe,' he added. — Bernama
Auto Blog
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Nissan's Oddball Car Under Scrutiny After Airbag Injures Driver
Airbags Are Meant To Protect Drivers, Not Hurt Them According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), frontal airbags have saved over 50,000 lives over a 30-year period, between 1987 and 2017. That's significant, but when the deployment of an airbag goes wrong, this impressive safety device can quickly turn into a lethal weapon. The NHTSA is now investigating an event where the driver of a 2009 Nissan Cube was injured when struck by an airbag module, which incorrectly detached from the steering wheel in what was a single-vehicle crash. Although only one incident was reported, the issue is serious enough for the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) to look into the matter in more detail. 0:05 / 0:09 Walmart is selling a 'heavy duty' $89 step ladder for $48, and shoppers say it's 'sturdy and secure' Watch More Takata Airbags Implicated…Again Source: Nissan Airbags manufactured by Takata have been subject to a recall that affected hundreds of thousands of vehicles from various brands, many of them produced in the 2000s and 2010s. So, it should perhaps come as little surprise that the 2009 Nissan Cube involved in this latest incident is fitted with Takata PSDI-X inflators. Nissan and New Leaf LLC (previously known as Takata) have determined that the rupture was found at the weld point between the inflator cap and inflator housing. After striking the driver and causing injuries that required medical attention, the airbag module ended up in the Cube's back seat. The airbag cushion and inflator were still attached to the module housing. Source: Nissan The Cube's issue could be separate from the wider Takata recall, as the NHTSA stated the Cube's airbag failure 'appears to be inconsistent with known ruptures attributed to propellant degradation.' Almost 30,000 Cubes Could Be Implicated Source: Nissan Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. The ODI report mentions the 2009 Cube only, but that already means 28,388 models could be affected. As of this writing, no recall has been issued, as only a completed investigation can determine whether a recall is necessary. The 2009 model year was the first of the third-gen Cube, but it was also the first Cube to be exported to North America. It is one of Nissan's most unusual designs, and it's still a bizarre sight on roads today. Hopefully, the ODI determines that this scary airbag failure is an isolated incident and not a flaw that could affect all Cubes. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Pore no more: US scientists develop real-time defect detection for 3D metal printing
Scientists from the federally funded Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and the University of Virginia have developed a new approach for detecting defects in metal parts produced by 3D printing. By combining artificial intelligence (AI), X-ray imaging, and thermal imaging, this approach could pave the way for real-time self-correcting systems in the future. 3D printing of metals involves a method called laser powder bed fusion, where you build objects layer by layer by melting metal powder with a laser. However, a big issue in this process is defects, especially keyhole pores, which are tiny holes that form when the laser melts too deeply. These pores weaken the final object, which is a significant concern when printing high-performance parts, such as rocket nozzles or surgical implants. Keyhole pores also pose a significant challenge as they compromise the structural integrity of printed parts. These tiny voids form when excessive laser energy creates deep, narrow holes that trap gas, leading to internal cavities as the metal solidifies. Recurrent microscopic keyhole pores can act as stress concentrators, increasing the risk of cracks or failure under pressure. This is particularly hazardous in critical applications, such as aerospace, automotive and medical devices, where part reliability is crucial. Detecting and preventing keyhole pores is therefore vital in ensuring the performance, safety, and durability of additively manufactured metal components. To help achieve this, researchers developed a method to identify and predict these pores real-time using a combination of thermal imaging, X-ray imaging, and machine learning. This new process utilizes powerful X-rays (from a government laboratory) to capture snapshots of what was happening inside the metal as it was being printed. A camera also recorded thermal images (from the surface) at the same time. Then, a trained AI model was used to teach it how specific surface heat patterns predict pore formation. Once trained, the model could detect when a pore was forming just from the thermal image, with extremely high accuracy and within milliseconds. Thermal cameras are already installed on several 3D printers. However, until now, they couldn't reliably spot internal defects. The new method developed by the collaborative team of scientists utilizes existing cameras and AI to instantly detect flaws, eliminating the need for expensive X-rays every time. "Our approach can readily be implemented in commercial systems. With only a thermal camera, the machines should be able to detect when and where pores are generated during the printing process and adjust their parameters accordingly," said Kamel Fezzaa, a physicist at Argonne and a member of the scientific team. Eventually, this technology could be paired with automatic corrections, such as adjusting the laser or reprinting a layer, to fix problems as they occur. This makes 3D printing more reliable for mission-critical parts. It could reduce waste, save money, and increase safety. "Our X-ray beams are so intense that we can image more than a million frames per second," added Samuel Clark, another physicist at Argonne. "Next, the researchers will develop sensing technologies that can detect other types of defects that occur during the additive manufacturing process. The goal is to create a system that not only detects defects but can enable repairs during 3D printing," a release by the U.S. Department of Energy stated. The study has been published on the website DOE Pages.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Driver, trucking company charged after dangerous highway incident on Highway 11
Ontario Provincial Police have charged a driver and a trucking company after a commercial vehicle with significant defects was spotted on Highway 11 near Atikokan. The fully loaded vehicle had two damaged trailer tires, along with a disconnected air brake line on the spring brake chamber that have been clamped off with a pair of vice grips. (Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)
