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New thinking versus the old
As recently as only 10 years ago, it was still possible to place
energy efficiency at the lower end of priorities in the design criteria and processes for
systems in several industries. The overriding priority therewith has tended to be 'feasibility' and this wholly
defined by technological engineering expediency, economic targets, and pre-existing market conditions. The result
often has been solutions aimed for serving the short to medium term requirement without much regard - or in
many cases studied disregard - to future-proof sustainablilty and impact. Expediency also breeds complacency and
diminishes motivation to harness potentially much more efficient yet still viable alternatives (solution candidates).
This situation may probably have continue to the present times were it not for the phenomenal
global changes that have come to exist in the past decade. Adverse climate changes and other environmental concerns such as
global warming brought on by CO2 emmisions, and the dwindling of traditional non-renewable reserves such as fossil fuels,
in particular have and continue to precipitate the need for totally new thinking towards efficiency and related waste
issues.
The paradigm shift has been perhaps most evident in the Automobile manufacture sectors, this
mainly due to the industry's direct involvement with fossil fuels by way of the Internal Combustion Engine
(ICE), and overall vehicle impact on the environment through manufacture process or public use . Stringent new legislation
requiring environmentally friendly vehicles and processes (recycling, etc) by 2020, the rising cost ofmanufacture set against
increasing customer expectations and yet with ever dwindling purchasing power, all these
present an urgent problem that threatens the very survival of any complacent manufacturer.
As a direct result, here-to-fore unthinkable undertakings, for instance use of hybrid or pure
electric drive, composite bodies, are becoming mainstream priorities if no the actual product for the manufacturers:
for instance Toyota and Honda who now produce as mainstream Hybrid Electric Vehicle models. 
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In a similar cause-effect manner , traditonal practices for many manufacturing processes have
become completely discarded in order to meet new requirements, for instance : TPS/Lean manufacturing, recycling, Health and
Environment policys all being adopted. Specialistic or proprietory design philosophies have also emerged that are solely
geared towards achieving maximum efficiency, both in manufacture and also within the resultant products;
for instance BMW's Efficentdynamics , Ford's Econetic, Mazda (and Various manufacturers) Stop-and-Go technologies.
Many similar trends can readily be seen in other industries, for instance Electronics (minitiurisation), Civil Construction,
etc.
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Why the apparent complacency?
Why has it taken such a long time and lots of public pressures for
industry to take efficiency it its own right as a leading if not an underpining design criteria? Excessively high
or uneconomical costs on the one hand, and untenable technological or engineering challenges on the other are the most quoted reasons,
and to a great extent do constitue valid causes. However it is the case that most of the new improvements seen
in later instances have often arisen using essentially the same technology, with often only a change in percieved best-practice,
process improvement, and more commitment leading to finding the better solution. In other words, thinking 'out of
the box', and putting expediency, economic targets, and pre-existing market conditions on the back burner.
This situation is a welcome development. However what a pity that it took so long for industry
to adopt meaningfully!
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The Maegumechs way
Meagumechs have long adopted the philosophy of maximising efficiency
as the underpining criteria in our design specifications and processes. The result of this over the years has been
a dramatic reinterpretaion of many common systems, re-designed on this philosophy , with many displaying significant improved
performances and actual positive value gain. The programs page highights some of the innovative solutions and proposals we
have been able to develop in this manner.
Some external reactions and contributions
on this article, or related discussion
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