Biomimicry - Eco-reengineering the Engineer

摘要

Preparing engineers to understand and manage the many production systems and efficiency tools such as Integrated Management Systems (IMS), Just in Time (JIT) and others. TPS in the context of Lean Production and ‘Flow' was part of the toolset developed by the Toyota Corporation, which pushed them to the forefront of world automotive production. Benchmarking against best practice in the design of production systems and their associated efficiencies usually results in maintaining a competitive position in world-class engineering and design. There is however, an inspirational source of engineering and design best-practice, which is largely ignored and to which most engineers are seldom exposed, particularly in their professional training. Design in nature provides the best possible exemplars in energy efficiency, engineering design, lean production, just in time, and production and supply chain strategies. In the practice of Biomimicry (bionics), energy and design efficiencies can be achieved, which were hitherto scarcely explored. This paper discusses how design and engineering can through biomimicry (‘innovation inspired by nature'), explore a vast pool of inspirational exemplars in design and systems engineering strategies. Providing engineers with the skill-sets to become innovators in the exploration of such strategies and exemplars expose them to benchmarks, which will result in innovative approaches that will inform design efficiency and sustainable engineering solutions. Developing such a desirable skill-set will result in eco-reengineering engineers, in environmental sustainability, eco-design and biomimicry. Intervention strategies are discussed and examples explored with particular reference to biomimicry strategies.