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The Integration of Sustainable Manufacturing |
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By John Myers, ConnectPress Editor
As sustainability and renewability have become popular recurring themes in the media over the last few years, there has been a renewed interest into how these concepts will filter into the manufacturing world. How will manufacturers integrate sustainable design techniques into their daily practices?
According to Terry Begnoche, member and industry relations manager for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) the answer is that they already are.
Convincing manufacturing organizations to begin looking at how they can implement sustainable design and manufacturing is a big part of Begnoche’s job. “Right now I’m spending a lot of time working with our members on the idea of sustainable manufacturing. The best way to interest manufacturers is through the lean approach,” he said. “Overall, I think that sustainable manufacturing and leaner, more efficient design are connected. It is very likely we will see it become the norm.”
In other words Begnoche explained, the drivers that encourage companies to find solutions to streamline their business practices are better communication among departments, leaner use of energy and materials and better manufacturing planning.
Begnoche explained the first step companies take to begin integrating a sustainable and lean manufacturing practice is to make sure they are asking themselves the right questions. “If during the design phase companies not only ask themselves, ‘what do we want’ and ‘what do we need’ but begin to realize that customers may want their products to not only be safe but also environmentally friendly we can start getting on the right track,” he said.
The next step companies are taking to integrate sustainable manufacturing into their business processes is the creation of software tools, such as products from both SolidWorks and PTC, specifically designed to keep designers aware of how their decisions will affect the long term sustainability of a product. “By adding those tools designers can be reminded to ask themselves about topics such as: how easy the products will be to dissemble and how long will they take to degrade. If you can design out the waste in your operation it will become much more sustainable and efficient,” Begnoche said. “We really think this is important because if you can help people make better products it will come back and help with both the engineering process and the environmental impact.”
He added how software tools are tied to one of the main economic drivers encouraging businesses to integrate sustainable manufacturing into their processes. Because these tools can be used to track elements like waste production, electricity use and overall carbon footprint they can also be invaluable for companies looking to expand their market outside the United States, especially to Europe. “Companies have to find ways to become more sustainable if they want to engage the global market,” explained Begnoche. “A lot of what we are doing is asking them to look at their energy use, to help maintain both their lean initiatives and their environmental initiatives to meet these goals.”
In one example the Eden Corporation was able to marry a number of their efficiency initiatives into the production of a green product line. This became a strategic initiative for the company to create a line of products for customers looking to purchase green-friendly designs. “We hear this quite a bit actually, companies that find that products have been created in a sustainable way become a value-add,” Begnoche explained.
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| Published 2009-09-25 20:28:18 |
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