Engineers must consider the environmental impact of their product designs now more than ever before because of the increasing threats of global climate change and resource depletion, industry professional Stephen Endersby said in a lecture Friday afternoon. Endersby, a product manager at the software company SolidWorks, spoke to a packed Spanos Auditorium as part of the Thayer School of Engineering's Jones Seminar Series.
Endersby's lecture emphasized what he called "holistic engineering" -- examining the effects of an entire system instead of the effects of each of its parts.
"We need to look beyond point solutions and look at how the whole system interacts," he said. "Each product creates a whole spider's web of interactions."
To illustrate these interactions, Endersby examined the design, construction, energy input and output of an "everyday" washing machine.
"We are now very much a disposable universe," he said. "But by designing for longevity through upgrades, we can avoid waste and minimize financial risk."
Constructing machines with replaceable parts, for example, reduces costs for both producers and consumers, Endersby said.
Engineers' specialities must be expanded to encompass all aspects of product design, he said.
"Nowadays, you don't really have a single discipline in design anymore," he said.
Endersby's idea of "holistic engineering" also requires as much pre-production design and planning as possible, he said, citing Jaguar Cars' design methods, which he said allow the company to design the ideal products without wasting materials and energy in the manufacturing process.
"Everything is virtual before they make the prototype," he said. "They make sure that when they get to production, there won't be any surprises."
While pre-planning requires more advance work, Endersby said the post-production benefits far outweigh the costs.
"You're really only committing man hours this way, instead of cost or material," he said.
Tracking a product electronically through a certain number of years to determine the environmental impact and wear of products can also decrease waste and consumers' repair costs, even years after they make purchases, he said.
"To engineers, I just urge you to consider the wider impacts of your products," he said. "If we aim for low-impact use, we can reduce the energy problems we'll be facing in the next 20 years."
Producers can convince consumers to purchase environmentally responsible products by appealing to their morality, Endersby said.
"After all, clients pay the bills," he said. "If you can convince them that green designs offer a financial and a moral benefit, then they'll go for it."
Despite the perceived environmental and social benefits of holistic engineering, Endersby said he fears that many companies will be slow to make any visible changes in their production methods because engineers are largely not responsible for making these types of decisions.
"The larger the company, the more inertia it has, unless the change is being driven by the person at the top," he said.
Endersby's lecture was the first Jones seminar of Spring term. In the series, the Thayer School brings professionals to discuss science and technology's relationship with society. The lectures occur every Friday afternoon in Spanos Auditorium, and are open to the public.
