Introducing environmental sustainability in a manufacturing processes course

Traditional heavy manufacturing processes such as casting and forging contribute significantly to environmental pollution and waste generation. These processes are energy intensive and require approximately one-fourth of the energy generated in the U.S. yearly. With future expectations of even higher energy demands, the acceptance of a manufacturing ideology that includes an emphasis on environmental sustainability is clearly needed. Introductory manufacturing processes courses in undergraduate curricula have traditionally covered processes used in heavy manufacturing with little emphasis being put on environmental issues. Since there are a myriad of processes available and currently being used in manufacturing, the typical course subject matter concentrated primarily on the specifics of the process and associated economics. This project involves the integration of environmental sustainability subject matter into a beginning manufacturing processes course. The approach involves addressing green issues and sustainability not as a separate course item but rather during each specific discussion on a particular manufacturing process. An effort was made to evaluate student performance by comparing test scores on "green" questions with those of other subject matter