Sustainable manufacturing: from car parts to nanobumps and ecosystems

 

 

Bert Bras, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

 

Dr. Bert Bras is a Professor at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology since September 1992. His research focus is on sustainable design and manufacturing, including design for recycling and remanufacture, bio-inspired design, and life-cycle analysis. His primary research question is how to reduce the environmental impact of companies while increasing their competitiveness, i.e., how to promote sustainable development. He has authored and co-authored over 140 publications. His work is funded by the National Science Foundation, Ford Motor Company, Boeing, among others. He was named the 1996 Engineer of the Year in Education by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers, received a Society of Automotive Engineers’ Ralph R. Teetor Award in 1999, and the 2007 Georgia Tech Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities Award. In 1999-2000, he was part of a group of experts charged by the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy through the WTEC – World Technology Evaluation Center with evaluating the state-of-the-art in environmentally benign manufacturing. He visited companies, universities, and governmental institutions in Europe, Japan and the US. From 2001 to 2004, he served as the Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development.

 

Drivers and approaches to inclusive sustainable design

 

 

Paul Chamberlain, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

 
Prof Paul Chamberlain graduated from the Royal College of Art and was co- founder of London based FLUX Design LTD. Paul is currently head of the Art and Design Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. He has a long prestigious track record in both industrial and academic design practice and research which explores the role of artefacts in multi-disciplinary human-centred research. He has led major projects with diverse academic specialists and commercial partners realising new knowledge that informs and is demonstrated in commercial outputs. He has applied this research in the design of medical, healthcare, special needs and therapeutic products and systems that have achieved international recognition through publication and awards. He has delivered keynote lectures at leading international venues on innovation strategies and sustainable approaches to design and manufacture. His work has been instrumental in the creation of Lab4Living (www.Lab4living.org.uk) a collaborative research initiative between Design and Health research at Sheffield Hallam University  which seeks to develop and propose creative strategies for the development of future living environments.

 

Efficient and environmentally friendly ink-jet printing of electroceramic thin films

 

 

Isabel Van Driessche, Ghent University, Belgium

 
Isabel Van Driessche is professor at Ghent University, Belgium, since 2004. She is head of the department Inorganic and Physical Chemistry and leads the research groupSCRiPTS, that has activities in the broad field of solid state chemistry related to the synthesis, properties and applications of inorganic and ceramic materials, both as bulk and thin films. One of the main interests is the establishment of the relationship between synthesis routes via solid state reaction, spray drying, chemical solution deposition, etc. and the properties and phase purity of the resultant ceramic and composite materials.

The research group SCRiPTS has a staff of 15 PhD researchers, 2 technical engineers, together with 2 post-doc scientists and 2 professors. I. Van Driessche has coordinated about 25 national and international research projects and is currently coordinator of the European FP7 project ‘EFECTS’. She is author of 90 international papers and 50 conference proceedings and holds 3 patents and patent applications.

The EFECTS project proposes an alternative processing of electroceramic layers based on chemical solution deposition (CSD) processes and using ink-jet printing at ambient pressure. The consortium aims at developing smart and environmentally friendly inks that require lower energy input. Commercially available ink-jet equipment will be tested for use with these inks.  The main advantages of this approach are the lower investment cost, the faster deposition with higher yield and the processing under ambient pressure enabling a complete continuous processing.

 

Mass Customization: models and algorithms

 

 

José Pinto Duarte, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal

 
José Pinto Duarte is currently Full Professor at the Technical University of Lisbon Faculty of Architecture, researcher at the Instituto Superior Técnico, and a Visiting Scientist at MIT. He holds a B.Arch. (1987) in architecture from the Technical University of Lisbon and an S.M.Arch.S. (1993) and a Ph.D. (2001) in Design and Computation from MIT. He was the founder of the ISTAR Labs – IST Architecture Research Laboratories (http://www.civil.ist.utl.pt/istar),  co-author of “Collaborative Design and Learning” (with J. Bento, M. Heitor and W. J. Mitchell, Praeger 2004), and author of “Personalizar a Habitação em Série: Uma Gramática Discursiva para as Casas da Malagueira” (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 2007). He was awarded the Santander/TU Lisbon Prize for Outstanding Research in Architecture by the Technical University of Lisbon in 2008. His main research interests are mass customization with a special focus on housing, and the application of new technologies to architecture and urban design in general.

 

Short-Term and Long-Term Implications of Sustainable Manufacturing

 

 

Steve Evans, Cranfield University, UK

 
Steve Evans spent 12 years in industry, finally as Engineering Systems Manager at Martin–Baker Engineering, the world leading manufacturer of ejection seats. He has been Professor of Life Cycle Engineering at Cranfield University since 1998 and has recently become Director of the national EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability. His research seeks a deep understanding of how industry brings environmental and social sustainability concerns into its design and manufacturing practices, with a duel emphasis on urgent & practical change now and system level change that offers hope for a sustainable future.  Steve works with organisations to develop solutions that move us towards a sustainable future. His work includes sustainable factories, food systems for people with reduced access to food, sustainable city re-generation design, and cars with water for exhaust that do 280mpg (equivalent). Steve has acted as Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords on Waste Reduction, is Board Member of the Centre for Sustainable Engineering, Trustee of the Low Carbon Foundation and is a Partner in the two cleantech start-ups.

 

Sustainability Science and Manufacturing

 

 

Timothy G. Gutowski, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , USA

 
Timothy G. Gutowski is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA. He was the Director of MIT’s Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity (1994-2004), and the Associate Department Head for Mechanical Engineering (2001-2005).  From 1999 to 2001 he was the chairman of the National Science Foundation / Department of Energy panel on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing. He has over 150 technical publications, two books and seven patents and patent applications. His recent book “Thermodynamics and the Destruction of Resources” Cambridge University Press 2011 is with Bhavik Bakshi and Dusan Sekulic. His previous book was “Advanced Composites Manufacturing”, John Wiley, 1997. His research interests focus on the relationship between manufacturing and sustainability at various scales.

 

Biomimetic design and parametric tools

 

 

Andres Harris, Architectural Association School of Architecture, UK

 
Chilean-born Architect (1980) has always been interested in exploring new design strategies, responsive architecture and pushing the limits of architecture in many ways.

Andres graduated with distinctions at Universidad Finis Terrae University, Santiago de Chile, where he soon started to teach as an assistant professor as well as work in the Architecture filed before emigrating to London after two years of working experience in Chile.
Andres was awarded a scholarship to pursue the MSc in Emergent Technologies + Design at the Architectural Association and during the course he participated in two built projects: Termas de Quitralco Shelter, and The EmTech Canopy at the AA. During his AA year, he also collaborated in a research with Mike Weinstock, then Academic director of the AA and Director of the Emtech Programme, on two publications.
Right before Graduating from the AA, he joined Foster + Partners, London. During his first year at the practice he was a member of the Atelier Foster+Nouvel, participating in a unique joint venture with the French architect Jean Nouvel and worked on a project in which his parametric-design skills proved to be essential. At the same time he started as Media Studies tutor at the AA.
At Foster+Partners he has participated in Corporate building designs in Asia, worked in two consecutive successful competitions in Korea and China and worked on a mixed-use building from Concept to Detail design.
His Academic work and interest on Biomimetic Design has been published and acknowledged in Europe, Asia and the Americas, and has lectured in Europe and the Americas, recently participating as a key-speaker at VII SISTECCER in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andres is an architect at Foster + Partners, London and is still aiming to develop his skills and share his knowledge by lecturing in different places throughout the world and teaching at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London.

 

Supporting an inclusive, sustainable approach to design and manufacture

 

 

Russell Marshall, Loughborough University, UK

 
Dr Russell Marshall is a senior lecturer and head of the Design Ergonomics Group in the Design School at Loughborough University. His research interests cover a broad range of topics within Product, Industrial and Engineering Design including: Digital Human Modelling and tools and techniques for facilitating and empowering designers in human-centred and inclusive design practice; Ergonomics and Human Factors in design, Modular product design, and drawing and visualisation. Russell is also principal developer of SAMMIE the digital human modelling system.

 

How does Design Thinking Inspire Sustainable Innovation?

 

 

Gina Romero, IDEO, USA

 
Gina Romero integrates business and manufacturing thinking to help teams and clients develop and implement successful project design and developemnt strategies. She is a project lead, manufacturing and materials specialist and leads IDEO´s Manufacturing/Realization Group in Palo Alto, California. Her areas of expertise include soft goods manufacturing, packaging, plastics processing and quality control.
Throughout her career she has been involved with design and development from the conceptual stages of design including conducting user studies and initial design reviews with project teams and finding potential vendors through to the final product release and product realization. Her role on each project varies depending on the need; one day she may bring inspiration and the next she may be creating the supply chain and distribution channels or a project.
Gina´s knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes extends from fabrics to cold rolled steel and the myriad of material manipulation techniques in-between. She has also spanned many industrial areas of the globe including the US, Asia, Europe and Brasil and has succeeded in bringing products to life thriving on the education and challenge
each culture brings to the program.
Within IDEO, her project portfolio ranges from a Transcutaneous immunization delivery device (Intercell), to a new, single-use caulk dispensing mechanism (GE Singles) to developing a laptop for the Brasilian market. Prior to IDEO, Gina worked as a Product Developer at Fox Racing, Inc., Bell Sports/Giro Sport Design and the Libman company.
Gina´s experience makes her comfortable in whatever situation and project she encounters. She holds a Bachelor´s of Science degree in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Manufacturing from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and an MBA from Jones International University.

 

Argenia, natural codeness for artificial uniqueness

 

 

Celestino Soddu, Politecnico di Milano University, Italy

 
Celestino Soddu obtained his Master’s Degree at Università di Roma “La Sapienza” in 1970. In the same year he passed the State Examination for the Register of Professional Architects and Engineers. He has taught Architectural Representation, Composition and Technology in Italian universities since 1971. He is now professor of Architectural Generative Design at the Politecnico di Milano in the Faculty of Engineering-Architecture. In 1987 designed Argenia, the first generative software for architecture and industrial design. In 1997 he founded and is presently director of the Generative Design Lab at the Department of Architecture and Planning of the Politecnico di Milano. In 2001, at the Industrial Center of Hong Kong Polytechnic University pratically experimented Argenia in the generative intelligent industrial productions of unique objects. Beginning in 1998 he has organized and directed the annual International Generative Art Conference. He has presented his generative projects and artworks in many personal exhibitions, including exhibits at the Hong Kong Museum, Visual Art Centre, MF Gallery in Los Angeles, IDB Cultural Center in Washington DC, the Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, the Italian Embassy in Beijing, the International Finance Center of Hong Kong and the Commerce Chamber in Milan. He is the author of numerous books in Italian and English. Video interviews and programs for international televisions were created about his architectural research activity in Italy, China, US and Spain. More information can be found in his website http://www.soddu.it.