ENGINEERING AND SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SERVICE OF ETHICS, SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The current scenario calls for sustainability and highlights or expands the need for future engineering professionals to be in tune with this macro-social debate. They should be able to develop their functions in sustainability requirements as demanded by an increasingly concerned market in linking economic activity to actions that reflect the sustainable model that awaits society, environmental legislation, and even regulatory bodies (Rosen, 2013, p. 373). Thus, higher learning institutions are faced with the challenge of preparing future engineers innovatively, not only from a technical perspective but also from a holistic view. The latter should comprise all levels of responsibilities as Engineers of a new era of sustainability. The development of research projects and the appropriate approach theme in mandatory subjects, as well as electives, have been shown to critical educational tools that now need to be used on a large scale. Engineering plays a crucial role in sustainable development through ethical service to humanity, the environment, and society. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Concern for the environment is a growing concern for organizations. The degradation of natural resources has been occurring steadily over the centuries. After the industrial revolution, damage caused by human action to nature was exceedingly above board. That is why modern engineers need to think about ways to stop this phenomenon because it has affected the quality of life of people worldwide. Moreover, it is vital to mention that environmental quality and risks are some of the most critical concerns of contemporary society. The motivating elements of this prioritization are the potential impacts of technological development and changes in lifestyle as well as the perception of health and safety hazards. That is why engineering knowledge is needed in sustainable environmental conservation.
The 21st century is facing myriads of challenges. Creating a sustainable society, eliminating inequalities, avoiding economic crises, and preventing ecological collapse is the great challenge of this era (Liu, 2016, p. 868). Henceforth, it is vital to create mechanisms to analyze development projects before they are rolled out. Environmental degradation and other challenges have, for a long time, negatively impacted humanity. In a world without a proper approach to counter ecological problems, a field such as production engineering can come in handy. Better still, economic analysis in the light of the sufficient awareness of its implications. Engineering, in general, applies mathematical foundations and uses acquired experiences to develop ideas and paths capable of bringing benefits to companies. The focus of knowledge is to design, execute, inspect, and manage different activities. Within this vast area of expertise, there is Production Engineering, which is in charge of optimizing systems in companies of any sector and size. It seeks to improve the quality of processes and products, eliminating waste in the production process. For this, it uses tools, machines, raw materials, and all human capital in the most efficient way possible (Kanadasan and Razak 2015, p. 86). In other words, in practice, Production Engineering is concerned with designing, installing, and improving production systems. The mathematical, physical, and social sciences knowledge gained from engineering can counter the contemporary environmental challenges.
Production engineering is a more recent course than other engineering disciplines like Civil and Mechanical, and therefore it can complement the other fields for sustainable development. The first references come from the end of the 19th century, when Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford began to transform practical knowledge into formal sustainable processes (Bonilla, Silva, Terra da Silva, Franco Gonçalves, and Sacomano, 2018, p. 2). It was Taylor who wrote a book called “Principles of Scientific Administration” 1911. For this reason, he is considered the father of Production Engineering. He was bothered by the waste of time, resources, and human resources in the processes (Lizot et al., 2019, p. 17). Seeking to resolve these issues, he developed a control method based on the timing of activities.
A production engineer uses the knowledge of technological and productive processes to increase productivity, mainly in industries. He can manage material storage processes, indicate machinery that optimizes the company’s performance, consider costs involved in the production, manage the work of employees and improve the quality of products in a sustainable way (Linke, Corman, Dornfeld, and Tönissen, 2013, p. 558). The engineering administrator is focused on establishing flows, routines, and controls of information and activities. Therefore, a production engineer is a knowledgeable professional who can align sustainability and development in an organization.
Production Engineering does not merely focus on the factory environment. Any sector of a company is linked in an extended unit of the production process. Thus, what is expected of a professional in this area is to be versatile. Also, they need to possess a comprehensive vision. Another essential aspect of the production engineer is inventiveness (Sarkis and Zhu, 2018, p. 753). Its function is to find the most efficient ways, which bring the lowest cost for companies. He has to “think outside the box.” Changing and improving are its main verbs.
The emphasis of a production engineer is to generate more with less, achieving the highest possible efficiency. Their decisions are always based on economics, which requires a good deal of analytical skills (Fernandes and Bornia, 2019, p. 106). These are sustainability issues and roles of production engineers. Some of the guiding principles of the Production Engineer include guaranteeing the quality of life of the population, defending the ecosystem, and developing products that meet the needs of the population more sustainably. Moreover, production engineers are supposed to be innovative, creative, and discover ways to manufacture products that do not yet exist in the market (Vimal and Vinodh, 2013, p. 214). Sustainability can also be enhanced by having a broad knowledge of business administration and human resources to increase production capacity and quality.
Ethical professionalism in administration, economics, and more so production engineering are crucial in the sustainable development of a nation. For example, a company’s financial, logistical, and commercial activities amount to how best the processes have been handled (Morales et al., 2016, p. 2797). In particular, a Production Engineer must have diverse knowledge and behave ethically to understand how to decree the best strategy for obtaining labor, equipment, and raw materials, reducing costs, and increasing the organization’s productivity criteria (Kluczek, 2016, p. 63). Due to technological advancement and the great repressed demand for new automated systems, Mechatronic Engineering was developed with the purpose of creating more homogeneous processes, increasing the security of assets and employees, reducing jobs in order to reduce fixed costs.
In recap, engineering and sustainable development cannot be separated if ethical service to humanity, the environment, and society are to be offered. Theoretically, a production engineer may be perceived to perform the functions of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineers due to the magnitude of roles they perform. Sustainable development in the field of production engineering demands a more significant input among engineers in this field. Moreover, it is vital to mention that the knowledge, skills, and overall expertise provided by production engineers offer essential triggers for sustainable development.
References
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