New ASTM standard informs sustainable manufacturing

Source: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.

ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability has developed E3012, Guide for Characterizing Environmental Aspects of Manufacturing Process, to help businesses incorporate sustainable practices and transition into science-based modeling, decision-making and production.

Notes National Institute of Standards and Technology group leader and E60 member Kevin Lyons, E3012 provides structure and formalism to ensure consistency in characterizing sustainable manufacturing processes; from there, computers can provide information and analytics on production and performance. “This standard furthers measurement science to quantify manufacturing practices to benefit industrial competitiveness,” he says, adding that users stand to realize reduced operational cost; improved prediction of product costs, schedules and quality control; enhanced manufacturing resources; and, incorporation of best practices.

Manufacturers, along with analysis or modeling software developers will be the primary E3012 users. The subcommittee that developed the standard encourages manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized businesses, to demonstrate and report on their use of the document with the goal of ensuring high-quality revisions in the future. ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability will meet October 24-27 in Orlando. Contacts: technical, NIST’s Kevin Lyons, 301/975-6550, [email protected]; staff liaison, Stephen Mawn, 610/832-9726, [email protected].