Unfulfilled Needs Related To Current Practices

As discussed earlier, due to the complexity of environmental design current practices are by no means standardised or fully developed. Therefore there are a number of problem areas apparent within current practices which need to be addressed. In order to evaluate which needs are currently unfulfilled it may be useful to look at what engineers see as the most important aspects of environmental design systems and methods. Ryding et al. (1993) have shown that the top 6 most important aspects of environmental design systems to manufacturers are as follows:

1. Identifying processes, ingredients and systems that are major contributors to environmental impacts.

2. Comparing different options within a particular process with the objective of minimising environmental impacts.

3. Providing guidance in long-term strategic planning concerning trends in product design and materials.

4. Evaluating resource effects associated with particular products including new products.

5. Comparing functionally equivalent products

6. Helping to train product designers in the use of environmentally sound products and materials.

Aspects 1, 4 and 5 of the list above are all covered to a good degree in the methods and systems which currently exist. However aspects 2, 3 and 6 are lacking in the current state of the art and need to be addressed.

7.2.1 Comparison of Different Options

The comparison of different options is addressed by most of the systems available and

particularly efficiently by the computer tools such as SimaPro, and PEMS. This comparison is carried with a view to reducing environmental impact. Most of the systems available, apart from ImSelection, Chen (1995), only compare options suggested by the user. Uniquely ImSelection will attempt to offer materials which meet user defined requirements.

If environmental impact is to be reduced to a minimum then other options may need to be explored. If the environmental design system could offer advice to designers in the form of materials or process selection then impact may be reduced further. For example if the user is comparing materials one may be more environmentally friendly than the other. However there may be another material, that the designer has not specified, which does even less damage to

The development of a system which will compare and select materials and processes, on an environmental basis, from user specified performance requirements, in addition to comparing user specified materials and processes, is a need which is currently unfulfilled.

7.2.2 Strategic Planning Guidance

A system to provide guidance in long-term strategic planning may not be possible at the present time. There is however a demand which has yet to be addressed. Much of the work carried out to date has laid down guidelines for environmental design and what it entails, see for instance Burall (1991) & MacKenzie (1991) and others, but very little work has been carried out to guide designers and engineers towards the best design strategies to adopt in an attempt address the environmental problems which are apparent in a particular case.

A system is needed which will guide designers on strategies. As strategies are dependent on key features of the product life-cycle this in turn generates a requirement for a taxonomy of product types - a product classification system. Such an approach will allow designers and engineers to describe the product or system in question in terms of life-cycle parameters and thus be guided as to which strategies to adopt. For example if a product has a very short life­ cycle and consumes no energy during that life-cycle then there a certain design strategies which may be adopted to effectively reduce its environmental impact in this case mainly materials selection, processes and disposal issues, such as energy recovery or recycling. Strategies such as lightweighting and life extension are obviously not appropriate.

Such a system of guiding designers to the most effective strategies does not exist at present. It has been suggested that ‘best practice’ in environmental design is ‘the careful consideration of the environmental problems particular to the operations in question and the adoption of appropriate strategies in order to address these problems as thoroughly as possible.’ Holloway et al. (1995). The development of a system which supports this will help further environmental design.

7.2.3 Training Designers in Environmental Design

Training in environmental design and associated disciplines such as LCA is very much at the forefront of environmental issues for engineers and designers. Much of the groundwork is already in place and the number courses being offered is on the increase. Devon (1993) has pointed out the importance of education and training in design and especially in ‘green’ design. Education and training should start from the early stages in schools and colleges and carry through to universities and eventually in company training such as Continuing Professional Development courses. These systems are now in place and environmental concerns are

becoming an everyday issue in the education of our children. The training of existing engineers and designers who are already in the work place is a more challenging task.

Many of the designers who are now required to take on board environmental considerations have little or no knowledge of the subject. MacKenzie (1991) has shown that environmental issues are no longer the speciality of experts and that what was once seen as a moral judgement on the part of the practitioner is now a vital design consideration.

Current education and training for industrialists is typically effected by the presentation of case studies and use of guidelines for design etc. There is an unfulfilled need for systems which actually encourage learning as part of their operation. Learning may be helped by use of expert systems and artificial intelligence techniques. As such systems contain expertise within

themselves, if there are written in a way which explains the decisions made and shows the rules and expertise used they will tutor the user, Barker (1995).

There is a need for a system which will forward suggestions to engineers and designers of how to reduce the environmental impact of products or systems while at the same time making known the rules and heuristics used. The more the system is used the more tuition in the underlying principles the user will receive.