How can engineers speed up production while reducing harm to the environment?

We asked Professional Engineering how engineers can speed up production while maintaining quality and reducing harm to the environment.

"We need to look at optimisation, rather than doing things faster. Faster isn’t always the best solution. When driving, you increase speed, burn more fuel, put out more pollutants, QED impact the environment. So, logic dictates that we need to look at optimising to reduce the impacts overall. Not good news for those looking to reduce costs, but if we want to reduce harm to the environment we need to invest more."

Neil Henderson

"You forgot to add “at no additional cost”. This is the problem engineers face daily. Every industry strives to achieve this end goal in a different way – there is no simple answer."

Steve Downward

"I believe health and safety is getting ridiculous sometimes and taking more time than actual manufacturing. H&S should be based on common sense and knowledge rather than preventing any even remote possibility. The other side is some operations can be automated further, possibly using machine learning and computer optimisation."

Vitaly Voloshin

"Effective product design and effective manufacturing process design. The key to both is good communication – understanding the needs and abilities of everyone in the customer-supplier chain. If you understand that in a timely fashion you can then design accordingly. If a company aspires to be the best its boardroom must keep abreast of the latest developments and best practice."

Ian Weslake-Hill

"The key is to look at the production process as a whole. Is there an alternative; can modern manufacturing methods replace the more traditional? Is there a more production-friendly design that still meets the brief? Think differently."

Caroline Rose