VIEW FROM
THE CHAIR
the most fundamental
decisions are usually about
materials and the method of
manufacture. There is often
a wide choice of cost,
weight, strength, stiffness,
ease of manufacture,
availability of materials and
manufacturing capacity, as well as
nish and corrosion resistance to be
considered, in order to nd a compromise that best meets the requirements.
In recent decades, we have become more and more
aware of pollution and its effects on the environment we
depend on. The effects on wildlife, vegetation and the
overall temperature of the planet, with sea level rise and
loss of polar ice as a consequence, are all becoming more
apparent, along with the urgency to do something to reverse
them. This means we have some extra factors to consider
when making those fundamental choices.
Producing ‘raw’ materials, no matter what the source, and
putting them through a manufacturing process to produce a
component is usually an expensive, energy-intensive activity.
It also produces signicant amounts of waste, both of the
material itself and the other materials used in the process,
Embracing
the planet
Pollution and its impact on the environment
are altering the way we approach design, as
Colin Ledsome CEng FIED points out
often including large quantities of water.
Add to that the effects of packaging, transport and storage, and most
products have had a signicant environmental impact before they begin their
useful life. Designers should be aware of the environmental consequences
of their manufacturing decisions, including where to manufacture, as well as
the impact of the product itself.
Pressure is coming from political and market sources to give products
longer lives in service, and make them easier to maintain and repair to
extend those lives. This is an extra design requirement we should consider,
even if it is not part of the original proposal. One option we have is to make
it easier to give a product the potential for further ‘lives’ in service by
designing it from the outset with that in mind.
Get Involved
W hen something is
in the process of
being designed,
If you would like to contribute to any discussions, write to:
Colin Ledsome
BEng MEng CEng FIMechE FIED MCMI FBIS MDS, Chair, at:
The Institution of Engineering Designers,
Courtleigh, Westbury Leigh, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3TA.
Or email: chair@ied.org.uk
4 www.ied.org.uk
peshkova /stock.adobe.com
Take a look at BS8887 Design for Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly and End-of-life Processing (MADE):
Part 3 1918 Guide to choosing an appropriate end-of-life design strategy.
/www.ied.org.uk
/stock.adobe.com
link