"TECHNOLOGY WEDGES" FOR IMPLEMENTING GREEN MANUFACTURING

“TECHNOLOGY WEDGES” FOR IMPLEMENTING GREEN MANUFACTURING David Dornfeld Berkeley Manufacturing Institute Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability Mechanical Engineering Department University of California Berkeley, California Paul Wright Berkeley Manufacturing Institute Ford Prototyping Laboratory Mechanical Engineering Department University of California Berkeley, California KEYWORDS Green Manufacturing, Technology, Technology Wedges Sustainable ABSTRACT Environmental issues in manufacturing are receiving increasing attention as part of the global concerns about environmental impacts and energy efficiency. This paper outlines a strategy using the “technology wedge” concept to address the improvement of manufacturing processes towards the goal of green manufacturing. After defining the nature of the wedges and how to assess their impact, an example of a potential wedge technology is reviewed. The wedge concept can be useful in assessing directions for new process developments in manufacturing as well as improving existing processes. are driving efforts towards “green manufacturing.” This is part of a much larger international concern over the overall accomplishment of sustainability in design and manufacturing. Sustainability, as defined here, implies a level of resource utilization that is very comprehensive in its scope. It must be in accord with a level necessary to insure that, over time, the resource will a) not only be available; but b) demand is reduced to approach a level of what is naturally sustainable. That is, the “gap” between current use and sustainable use must be understood. This is a hard measure to meet but it is, ultimately, what is necessary. The topic of “green business” is very popular today in the business and general press. Companies from GE (with its “Ecomagination” campaign) to Wal-Mart (with its sustainable supply chain for some products) are finding it both profitable and responsible to promote green products. Some, like Toyota, even mention the need for the entire manufacturing process, including the supply chain, to be green. Interface Carpet have Companies like aggressively tackled the problem relative to their production and made impressive progress that, at the same time, is on the road to facilities and production that meet the full definition of sustainable manufacturing. Not surprisingly, the INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Increasingly, concerns about and cost of energy and raw impacts of industrial activity, and use of consumer products at the the availability materials, the the efficient re- end of their life Transactions of NAMRI/SME Volume 35, 2007