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Business and
Project
Management
Green Manufacturing
INTRODUCTION TO GREEN MANUFACTURING

Tan Xinyi Mindy S10046509F

PDI
19/11/2009
Content Page
S/N Content Page

1 Summary 3
2 Introduction 4
3 Findings 5
4 Conclusion 10
5 Bibliography 11

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Summary
Designers are becoming responsible for the environmental performance of their

products throughout the product life cycle, from extracting raw materials to the

disposal of the products at their end life.

The message that is needed to send out is the need to greatly reduce the use of raw

materials & impact on the external environment while preserving or improving the

functionality of the products.

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Introduction
The basic idea of eco-design is the reduction of environmental impacts throughout

entire product life cycles by improved product design.

The intention of sustainable design is to "eliminate negative environmental impact

completely through skilful, sensitive design". Manifestations of sustainable designs

require no non-renewable resources, impact on the environment minimally, and

relate people with the natural environment.

Applications of this philosophy range from the microcosm — small objects for

everyday use, through to the macrocosm — buildings, cities, and the earth's physical

surface. It is a philosophy that can be applied in the fields of architecture, landscape

architecture, urban design, urban planning, engineering, graphic design, industrial

design, interior design, and fashion design.

Sustainable design is mostly a general reaction to global environmental crises, the

rapid growth of economic activity and human population, depletion of natural

resources, damage to ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.

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Findings
Principles of sustainable/eco design

While the practical application varies among disciplines, some common principles

are as follows:

 Low-impact materials: choose non-toxic, sustainably-produced or recycled

materials which require little energy to process

 Energy efficiency: use manufacturing processes and produce products which

require less energy

 Quality and durability: longer-lasting and better-functioning products will have

to be replaced less frequently, reducing the impacts of producing

replacements

 Design for reuse and recycling: "Products, processes, and systems should be

designed for performance in a commercial 'afterlife'."

 Design Impact Measures for total carbon footprint and life-cycle assessment

for any resource use are increasingly required and available. Many are

complex, but some give a quick and accurate whole earth estimate of

impacts. One is estimating any spending as consuming an average economic

share of global energy use as 8000btu/$ and CO2 production of .57kgCO2/$

(1995$) from DOE figures.

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Strategies to Eco-design

Key questions to ask self are:

 What is the main purpose or application of the product?

 What are the most likely usage patterns?

 What is the intended lifetime, the usual lifetime?

 Who is the user? Business-to-business or business-to-consumer?

 What is the product size?

Agenda of Eco-design

 Selection of low impact materials

 Hazardous materials avoidance

 Cleaner production processes

 Maximization of energy & water efficiency

 Design for waste minimization

Innovation through Eco Design

CASE STUDY #1

Eco-mouse – an Eco Design role model

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The Austrian Centre of Excellence for Electronic Scrap Recycling & Sustainable

Product Design has developed an Eco Design computer mouse – Eco-mouse.

Eco-mouse represents the implementation of a comprehensive, ecologically based

approach, which consists of: improved power management, employment of

components with low levels of hazardous substances, a casing made of renewable

materials, lead-free soldering, and recycling-oriented product design. The objective

was to create a role model for Eco Design of electrical and electronic products and to

show the innovative benefits of Eco Design.

CASE STUDY #2

Surfboard

Made from plant based foam and resins

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It is essential, for the future of not just the UK economy but for the whole of mankind,

that sustainable eco-friendly manufacturing methods are developed.

The harmful effects of our disposable consumer lifestyle on our environment are well

known and well documented and as a result, the government is increasingly

introducing legislation to control the effects on the environment of the materials used

in the manufacture of many of our everyday products.

To directly address this issue, Sustainable Composites Ltd (SCL) was founded in

January 2003 to develop a range of eco-friendly manufacturing materials made from

sustainable crops such as hemp and castor oil. Working in partnership with

Movevirgo Limited and a number of other leading organisations and academic

institutions, SCL has extensive expertise in the development and use of sustainable

materials in composite manufacturing.

Our expertise was recently and successfully used in the development and

manufacture of the 'eco-board' a balsa cored, hemp coated surfboard for the Eden

Project.

Environmentally Sustainable

For any innovative and environmentally conscious manufacturer, where there is an

opportunity to use sustainable composite technology, SCL can provide the materials

as well as providing the technical advice and the development and processing

expertise required to make your project a success.

 Comment from the users of the surfboard

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"I really enjoyed riding the eco boards. I found them to be buoyant and fast. It felt

great to be riding a board that is actually great for the environment and our future."

By Nathan Hedge

Material used for my product

 Ceramic

 Glass

 Recycled Glass as a Ceramics Raw Material

Container glass is a vitreous silicate, the primary ingredients of which are silica sand

(SiO2), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and soda ash (Na2O). Although silica has a

melting point of over 3000°F, in the presence of the other fluxing and fining agents,

the sand forms a glass at temperatures below 2500°F. With proper cooling, the

silicate remains a glass at room temperatures. Most clay are silicates, as well.

The Clean Washington Center (CWC) has performed research on a number of ways

in which the properties and techniques of traditional ceramics can be combined to

help create markets for glass and to enhance the properties of ceramics. Several

businesses in the state of Washington have been created based on these

techniques. They represent an opportunity to perform small business development

manufacturing unique products from recycled commodities using readily available

raw materials and appropriate technologies.

 Glass Fusing

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At temperatures considerably below melting, particles of glass begin to bond through

a process called sintering. Sintering of soda-lime glass begins at about 1250°F.

Sintering can be used to create solid glass objects by heating glass particles to

above the sintering point and holding at that temperature until a dense body forms.

A number of commercial “castable” moldmaking products are available, which mix

and pour and set up like cement, but can withstand repeated firings to over 1500°F.

The CWC has also developed formulas for making inexpensive molds from local

materials. Glass fusing can be used to make tiles, plaques, simulated stones, bricks,

and pavers.

Conclusion
As the whole product life cycle should be regarded in an integrated perspective,

representatives from advance development, design, production, marketing,

purchasing and project management should work together on the eco design of a

further developed or new product as they have together the best chance to predict

the holistic effects of changes of the product and their environmental impact.

Environmental aspects which ought to be analyzed for every stage of the life cycle

are:

 Consumption of resources (energy, materials, water or land area)

 Emissions to air, water, and the ground as being relevant for the environment

and human health

 Miscellaneous (e.g. noise and vibration)

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Waste (hazardous waste and other waste defined in environmental legislation) is

only an intermediate step and the final emissions to the environment (e.g. methane

and leaching from landfills are inventoried). Equally are all consumables, materials

and parts used in the life cycle phases accounted and all indirect environmental

aspects linked to their production.

Having made up a list on which phase of the life cycle has which particular

environmental aspect, these aspects are evaluated according to their environmental

impact on the basis of a number parameters such as extend of environmental impact

potential for improvement or potential of change.

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Bibliography
 http://en.wikipedia.org

 http://www.suscomp.com/

 http://www.ecodesignarc.info

 http://www.sherinb.net

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