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While the connection between high quality and sustainable goals might not be immediately obvious, eliminating product defects is incredibly important for both aims, he said. “They shouldn’t be seen as enemies.”
Speaking towards the end of the webinar, which focused on topics including the circular economy, how to assess an organisation’s CO2 footprint, using the Internet of Things, and applying lean thinking to enable action, he warned that too many politicians think the cost of sustainability is a hindrance rather than an opportunity.
“After the last couple of days that we’ve had – the cost of fires, rebuilding, insurance – the economy is taking a hit. When they wake up to that, I think there will be more governmental pressure,” he said.
“Engineers, us as individuals have influence, we can nudge companies, we can nudge projects, we can make direct decisions and influence. If the engineering community adopts that mindset of ‘Actually we can integrate the sustainability requirements into the product that we’re designing, or the manufacturing system that we’re creating’, then we can go forward.”
Lean manufacturing is a quick win, he said. “If you’re eliminating waste, you’re making this world, this Earth, a more sustainable place. Maybe [people might say] ‘We’ve done that, we’ve been there’ – but actually, we haven’t squeezed the thing dry. There is a lot to be had.”
Read more: 4 key messages from Advanced Manufacturing 2022
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