• Question: HOw does your job effect the atmosphere and environment?????

    Asked by 466appb35 to Huw, Gosha, Ray, Stacey, Steve on 16 Mar 2015. This question was also asked by Holly.
    • Photo: Steve Cox

      Steve Cox answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      3D printing using PLA (Poly Lactic Acid), which is what usually use, is something that doesn’t really affect the atmosphere. It’s a bio-degradeable plastic made from corn starch and sugar cane and when it gets melted by the print head to produce the print doesn’t make any toxic fumes. (I’m sitting right next to my printer which is printing parts whilst I’m typing this answer).

      Regarding the environment – 3D Printing is an Additive Manufacturing process which means you only add material where it’s required so there’s hardly any waste material which is great and is quite different to many manufacturing processes where you start with a large block of something and then remove what you don’t need which can create a lot of wasted material which has to be disposed of (or if you’re lucky it may be recycled) .

    • Photo: Huw Williams

      Huw Williams answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      My job is all about making our engines more reliable and ensuring they stay flying around for as long as possible without need of a service.

      By doing that it means we have fewer parts that break and so less waste from things things that are thrown away.

      In addition I’m also helping to develop new engine concepts which will reduce emissions by about 50% vs. our current latest design. This will help to cut greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming.

      So by being an engineer you get to contribute to project which help protect the environment in lots of different ways.

      Huw

    • Photo: Gosha Barzowska

      Gosha Barzowska answered on 17 Mar 2015:

      My company manufacture aeroplanes so we do affect the atmosphere by Co2 emmisions and other pollution. However we are wroking hard to minimise the effect on the environment around us by imporving design that will contribute to the reduction of fuel burn and many more: check out this video that explains the future improvements planned by Airbus: http://videos.airbus.com/video/iLyROoafZFPA.html

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