BS1169: Research this mass recall in terms of manufacturing: Manufacturing Technology Assignment, UOG, Ireland

• Brief:
  In August 2000, Bridgestone/Firestone recalled 14.4 million tyres that would fail suddenly and were estimated to have caused 271 deaths and over 800 injuries on Ford vehicles.
• Research this mass recall in terms of manufacturing.
  o Was material selection a factor?
  o Was processing a factor?
  o Were there failures in Quality Control?
  o Was there a breakdown in communication between both supplying
  parties.
• The review paper must show evidence of your ability to critically analyse a manufacturing failure such as this, your ability to make recommendations to remedy the situation and your ability to make recommendations for preventative measures in all future products.

Breakdown:

• Discuss the Engineering ethics of how this recall was communicated to the public.
• Make a recommendation as to how communication between Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford could have reduced the chance of repeat
  failure.
• Write a 1500-word review on your findings.
• Discuss and share your experience with your peers on Blackboard Discussion forum for Assignment 1.

Learning Outcomes:

This assessment will fully or partially satisfy the following learning outcomes for this module:

• The ability to critically analyse a failed manufacturing process and the negative impacts this can have on an end user.
• The importance of strong Quality Control procedures and the need for rigorous validation testing during the research and development stage.
• The importance of communication in an engineering role and how it can impact upon the quality of an end product.
• The importance of understanding engineering ethics within your role and the real life impact engineering and economic decisions can have on an end user.