Engineering news
Speaking yesterday (28 September) during the Sustainability in Engineering event, Protolabs project engineer Tasos Pantelis stressed the importance of prototyping, testing and reiterating for creating better product designs, ultimately preventing costly replacements and repairs.
“It is often heard, but the reality is there are some important factors that we need to consider not only after product is made, but in the very early stages of design,” he said during the webinar. Product design influences all stages of the circular economy, he added, including materials, production and transport.
Materials have embodied energy, for example – each kilogram of aluminium takes between 230-340MJ of energy to produce, Pantelis said, while a typical plastic from crude oil takes 80-100MJ, and a kilogram of recycled aluminium takes 11-17MJ. If the right decision is made early on, energy costs and emissions can be prevented.
Pantelis also highlighted the importance of lightweighting for sectors such as automotive and aerospace, and the capabilities of 3D printing for rapid prototyping and manufacture analysis, as well as creating otherwise impossible structures.
Ultimately, better-made parts have less of an environmental impact because they last longer.
To hear more about product design for greener parts, including serviceability and recycling, view the session on-demand now.
Become a net zero expert – watch free Sustainability in Engineering sessions on-demand now.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.