The failure of some British top companies.

[rov1200]

In the past year both BP and Rolls Royce are failing to match the standards of a global top company. What has gone wrong?

[jno]

with BP, risk taking - which might be necessary in a competitive field, but they should have had a Plan B (and the regulators shouldn't have let them not have one). With RR, don't know yet.

I don't think it's specially British. Toyota has had to do big recalls, and it's a fairly meticulous Japanese company. Sometimes worst-case scenarios happen, and it's always a matter of judgment how thoroughly and expensively you prepare for them - eg what's better - for the railways to spend a fotune on ice-clearing equipment they might or might not use one or two days a year, or to spend the money elsewhere, keep fingers crossed, and have to close down in bad winter weather? There's no right or wrong answer, really.

[Gromit]

Both companies are doing well as far as sales of their products are concern. Their share prices have plummeted because of accidents, the Mexico spill in the case of BP, and the Qantas engine problem in thew case of Rolls Royce. The markets see these problems and think they will be expensive to the company to fix, so they sell their shares. It has nothing to do with under performing or failing to be a top global company.

[Davethedog]

BP have had one error admitidly abig one however 1) The component that failed was American by design and build also the actual damage wasn't as bad as the hysterical american press would have you believe.

Rolls Royce is a german company

[Davethedog]

Sorry Rolls Royce Cars are German.

The engines are British however don't you think its strange that only planes in a certain part of the world have these problems?

[Gromit]

//...don't you think its strange that only planes in a certain part of the world have these problems? //

That's a bit cryptic. Do you mean Australia? Don't understand the comment.

[jno]

Gromit, the problem clearly only occurs when planes are in the southern hemisphere and the engines are therefore upside down. This should have been taken into account by RR.

[Gromit]

Not so sure Rolls Royce is German either. The company that makes aero engines, which I assume the question was about is British. It was the Motor company was hived off to Volkswagen.

[modeller]

RR German or British ? This may give the answer .

http://www.pilotfrien...%20Aero%20Engines.htm

[Gromit]

The Trent 900 engine used in the Airbus is not made by the subsiduary company Rolls Royce Deutschland, which appears to be a small operation.

http://en.wikipedia.o...lls-Royce_Deutschland

The Airbus engines are built by the British Company Rolls Royce plc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_plc

[237SJ]

The Trent is made in Derby and is RR`s pride and joy. The company hasn`t "failed" but they must be quite worried. This is the third time a Trent (albeit different series) has blown itself to bits. (other two didn`t make the press)

[rov1200]

With all Rolls Royce experience of building jet engines you would have thought that any design flaws would have been overcome at the testing stage. It makes you think that the failures are due to the materials or faulty manufactured components.

As mentioned it can't do the reputation of the company any good and there is an alternative supplier. It would be a disaster if it has to be scrapped and its back to the drawing board.

[Gromit]

// It’s not uncommon for a new engine to have problems like this during a teething period. There are always going to be issues that need to be fixed, but the last Airworthiness Directive issued on the Trent 900 required immediate compliance. An Airworthiness Directive is an order to fix aircraft issues that comes from regulatory agencies. In this case, it started with the European regulator, EASA, and then was adopted by the FAA here in the US. Once that happens, most other agencies around the world will adopt as well.

What was the problem? Here’s the raw read, and then I’ll translate into actual English:

[ Wear, beyond Engine Manual limits, has been identified on the abutment faces of the splines on the Trent 900 Intermediate Pressure (IP) shaft rigid coupling on several engines during strip. The shaft to coupling spline interface provides the means of controlling the turbine axial setting and wear through of the splines would permit the IP turbine to move rearwards.

Rearward movement of the IP turbine would enable contact with static turbine components and would result in loss of engine performance with potential for in-flight shut down, oil migration and oil fire below the LP turbine discs prior to sufficient indication resulting in loss of LP turbine disc integrity. Some of these conditions present a potential unsafe condition to the aeroplane. ]