St. Louis, Missouri
June 18, 2000
June 18, 2000
June 21, 2000
2153-5965
5
5.371.1 - 5.371.5
10.18260/1-2--8473
https://peer.asee.org/8473
390
Session 3551
Integrating DFE as Core Course for Engineering Technology Programs
Dr. Charles U. Okonkwo
Arizona State University East
And
Dr. Marcia DeMendonca Northern Arizona University
ABSTRACT
Design for the environment (DFE) is an essential tool for manufacturing companies to become competitive in today’s global market. In the past, economic and technological decisions were solely based on market and profit outcomes, and little consideration was given to environmental and social impacts. With the increase in public awareness, pollution and health concerns become an important factor in today’s engineering practices. Engineers and technologists familiar with DFE tools can positively impact company’s market share and profitability without sacrificing sustainable development.
The ISO-14,000 standard will soon become the common standard among international corporations as a result of the world’s market rapidly moving towards globalization. Companies will embrace this standard similarly to ISO-9,000, which has gained broad acceptance among US and international companies. The DFE principles and practices are necessary tools for achieving major components of the ISO-14,000 objectives. Presently a large number of engineers are not trained in DFE practices. This situation creates some resistance to the implementation of DFE tools in product, equipment, facility and process design. Introducing DFE as a core course for all engineering and technology majors is central to the solution of this problem.
We propose a core course that incorporates topics such as life cycle analysis; environmental impact assessment, just in time (JIT) concepts, concurrent engineering, and application of DFE tools as the design solution for efficiency, profitability, sustainability and lean manufacturing of environmental friendly products.
Introduction
With market globalization presently at a fast pace, employers require engineering and technology professionals who are knowledgeable in environmentally safe design and processes. Authors such as McCright and Bergmiller (1), Wells (2), believe that there is a need for engineers trained
DeMendonca, M., & Okonkwo, C. U. (2000, June), Integrating Dfe As Core Course For Engineering Technology Programs Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8473
ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2000 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015