Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You recommend that the parts be manufactured using lesser tolerances,
and that mild steel be used.
Since your company is looking to reduce costs, you recommend that the shaft
and bushing be manufactured using tolerances that are not too close. Plus,
you specify that mild steel be used in an effort to save money. This is a
logical choice, especially since the parts are easy to install.
However, the parts are supposed to last for the life of the plant, and
these new parts will not. Y
our company is pleased with your decision because of the cost savings.
They're able to manufacture a greater quantity of parts more cheaply and quickly
than would have been possible with the closer tolerance option.
Five years pass, and the parts begin to show signs of wear and tear. They're
not holding up as hoped, and they're going to have to be replaced.
Not only are cheaper parts less reliable in the long run, they might not
be as safe. This means that using better parts can be the more ethical choice.
Would it have been better to use more expensive materials and closer tolerances
to keep from replacing the parts? This is a real-life decision made by mechanical
drafters every day. There's no black and white answer. You must consider the
function of the parts and any safety concerns, along with the economics involved.
Mechanical drafters can expect to face ethical considerations regarding cheaper
and lower quality parts when they get into the workforce. "
It's a growing issue," says drafting instructor Christina
Heinrick. "I think it's getting into the ethical area of design and engineering,
and... we do actually run courses that discuss engineering ethics, because
I think students are more and more going to be faced with these kinds of things
in the industry. Everybody's always trying to save a buck."