How to implement successfully a green manufacturing

Nowadays, it seems like “Going Green” and efficient manufacturing have become synonymous with one another.   It makes perfect sense for this to be true though, since one of the primary goals for any manufacturer and also any environmentalist is minimizing waste and saving energy.  Some will say that going “green” is just what companies should do because it is better for the world we live in or because we only have one planet.  Without argument, both statements are entirely true; however, successfully implementing green manufacturing practices requires a business case.  Kate Bourdet of the 3D Perspectives Blog notes, “The European Union estimates that more than 80 percent of a product’s environmental impact is determined in the product conception phase.”   So then the question is, wouldn’t it make sense – as a business case – to build an optimized operation that not only achieves all manufacturing goals but also employs green practices in doing so?

A common vision ...

Magestic Systems, Inc (MSI) and Dassault Systèmes (DS) have made this a possibility.  Both companies operate with the understanding that for “green” manufacturing to succeed, industrial development needs to continue to progress and simultaneously needs to avoid foreclosing the needs of future generations.  This relies on planning and the ability of designers, engineers, and manufacturers alike to take into account all costs of a product, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic to a product are costs that go into buying material, operating a machine; extrinsic to this product, however, are costs such as where a shop purchases its energy – from coal-fired or renewable sources.  Choices made in the planning of a product lifecycle can greatly minimize its impact on the environment. 

... that result in solutions ready for the market

DS has built suites of software applications from CATIA, to SIMULIA, to ENOVIA that all advocate advanced planning and enable manufacturers to produce quality products without much trial and error, if any. PLM applications, like the DS suites, encompass the macro side of manufacturing, the plan.  Partners like MSI focus on the micro side, creating technologies that fit into plans set forth through PLM to create an optimized system.  TruNEST™ CAA V5 Composites Based offers advanced true shape nesting with best in class algorithmic logic to minimize toxic waste created during the cutting of composite materials.  TruNEST™ also allows manufacturers to optimize their use of energy by reducing cycle times, programming optimal tool paths, and maximizing throughput – all of which saves manufacturers money. MSI has advanced that technology with TruLASER™ View CAA V5 Composites Based by enabling operators to lay up plies with minimal wasted effort.  CATIA V5 design data provides measurements and designates where and how plies should be laid up as well as how the plies should be kitted to even further streamline the process.

Are you ready for the transformation?

TruNEST™ CAA V5 Composites Based and TruLASER™ View CAA V5 Composites Based comprise one piece of the DS PLM solution that not only makes sense as a business case, but also on an environmental level.  Together, the technologies highlight the teachings and blog posts of Dr. David Dornfeld of University of California-Berkeley and the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability.  He says, “reduced cost of ownership (CoO) is still the mantra in most industries…Time is money...energy is money...consumables are money.  If you can make the same product using fewer resources/energy [then] that seems like a good strategy.”   (see entire post) Dornfeld directly correlates efficient manufacturing and reduced cost of ownership with “green” manufacturing practices.  These principles of minimizing waste and optimizing energy provide the foundation for DS and MSI technologies.  Through PLM, Dassault and Magestic Systems continue raise the bar for the entire manufacturing landscape.  By investing in development for tomorrow, the two companies together look to discover new best practices for today.

What about you? Is your Company going in that direction? Do you agree that these are profund reasons or do you consider them as pure hype? Please leave a comment!

Dylan MacLean for Magestic Systems and Jacques