Pentagon Bans Parts Made by 2 HCC Subsidiaries
A subsidiary of HCC Industries in Encino was barred by the U.S. Department of Defense last month from selling aerospace parts to defense contractors because they are potentially unsafe.
The parts in question are hermetically sealed, or airtight, connectors. According to Defense Department investigators, HCC’s subsidiary failed to conduct safety tests on the parts or failed to perform the tests properly.
“We have no confidence in their testing,” said Darrell Hill, chief of the qualification division of the Defense Electronics Supply Center, the Defense Department’s clearinghouse for electronic parts. “Obviously, we are concerned. Most of these connectors are used on a widespread basis.”
Hill said the connectors were used in military aircraft, but he did not specify which ones. While Hill confirmed that the parts are potentially unsafe, he did not go into detail about the safety hazards.
Made by Subsidiary
The connectors are made by HCC’s wholly owned subsidiary Sealtron in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sealtron also is the target of a criminal investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Cincinnati and was raided by the FBI in July. The criminal investigation centers on the company’s test procedures.
In September after a routine audit by the Defense Electronics Supply Center discovered testing irregularities on the part of HCC’s subsidiary, Sealtron was barred from selling parts to the center. Another HCC subsidiary, Glasseal Products of Lakewood, N.J., was prohibited from selling one type of connector to the center, also because of alleged testing irregularities.
HCC President Andrew Goldfarb said that there “has never been a problem we are of aware of with the quality or integrity of our connectors.” But he added that, “in our own internal investigation, we found there was a lot of poorly kept testing documentation, and we have installed corrective action.”
The connectors are about the size of a roll of coins and are made of glass, ceramic and metals. They allow electric current to flow freely through harsh environments, such as salt water or subfreezing temperatures, and are supposed to be tested to ensure they can withstand such conditions without cracking or breaking.
Used in Engine Controls
Sealtron and Glasseal connectors are used in an aircraft’s flight instrumentation and jet engine controls, according to a public filing HCC made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In addition to the parts being used on military aircraft, Goldfarb said, “I am sure our parts wind up on Boeing planes and McDonnell Douglas planes. It’s only logical that these parts end up on those aircraft.” Goldfarb, 41, said Sealtron sold “hundreds of thousands” of connectors last year.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was unaware of the Defense Department’s action to ban Sealtron and Glasseal parts from being used in military aircraft.
FAA inspectors said hermetically sealed connectors are commonly used in newer commercial aircraft, including Boeing’s 757 and 767, McDonnell Douglas’s soon-to-be released MD-11 and the Airbus A320.
The connectors in those models are located outside of the jet engine and supply electrical input and output to sensors that provide temperature and pressure information to an on-board computer. The computer is a pilot aid and monitors an engine’s thrust during takeoff and makes any necessary adjustments to engine thrust should there be a change in pressure or temperature.
Boeing spokesman William Clark said the Seattle-based aerospace giant did not directly buy any connectors from Sealtron or Glasseal, but “they may be in parts of our planes that were installed by our suppliers, such as engine manufacturers.” McDonnell Douglas spokesman Dave Eastman in Long Beach said, “We’re looking into it.”
Ban on Connector Sales
Sealtron and Glasseal, which have been in business since the mid-1950s, are prohibited from selling connectors to the Defense Electronics Supply Center until they revise their test procedures and reinspect samples of the connectors they have sold for the last two years.
There is a nationwide effort under way by the Defense Department, NASA, the Navy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to crack down on suppliers of alleged counterfeit and substandard parts, which have been found in the space shuttle, commercial and military jets, and nuclear plants and missiles.
The Defense Department ban will reduce HCC’s second-quarter sales by about $100,000, the company said. Sales for the second quarter ended Oct. 1 fell about 9% to $6.2 million from $6.8 million a year ago. The company said it expects to post a profit for the quarter, in contrast to a $528,000 loss in the same period a year ago.
