This article highlights the roles and responsibilities of process design engineers in the creation of a cell phone, explaining that process design is a complex process that goes beyond simple assembly. Engineers use scientific knowledge and ethical responsibility to design and control processes for optimal results, reminding us of the hard work behind technological advances.
What is the cell phone you’re holding made of? Is it metal, plastic, or glass? And how does it get made?
Process, the word “process,” has a very broad meaning. Depending on the field, process in engineering means “the entire process of getting from raw materials and energy to the desired product. If that doesn’t sound familiar, how about this? The process of producing a cell phone from metal, silicon, plastic, rubber, energy, etc. is more complex and precise than simple assembly, and involves many different scientific principles and technologies at different stages. It’s only when all of these things come together that we get the cell phones we use.
Chemical engineering, which I am studying, is a very interdisciplinary field. It is a major that always follows all engineering fields that are based on chemical knowledge, such as petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, electrochemistry, inorganic and nano, semiconductor, and process. Among these various sub-majors, I am interested in ‘process design and control’. The ‘process’ I described earlier using cell phones as an example is related to every part of the world. The world is a collection of many processes. Waking up in the morning, eating, and getting through the day can be considered a “process for the day”, and going to school and taking tests can be considered a “process for achieving learning goals”. Our daily lives are a series of giant processes, and our quality of life depends on how efficiently and well these processes are designed and managed.
In industry, processes often refer to large systems (running factories and producing products), and this is where the engineers who design and control the processes shine. There are always limited resources and time, so engineers have to design a feasible process that takes into account all the math, science, and numerous conditions (avoiding environmental pollution, preventing accidents, etc.) to achieve optimal results. After the design phase, they have to analyze the process in operation to see how close the actual process is to our expectations and what modifications and controls can be made to achieve better results.
Wait a minute here, have you ever thought about what ethical responsibilities we have in the process design process? This is something that engineers have to work tirelessly on, as small mistakes by engineers can lead to irreversible disasters, such as the explosion of the Columbia and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It is not just about acquiring mathematical and scientific knowledge, but also having an open mind to review and study new technologies and theories that are being developed day by day, as well as inculcating numerous rules of thumb (rules of thumb that have been learned through countless trials and errors throughout human history) to develop the so-called “engineering sense”, which cannot be achieved in a short period of time. Engineering is not just a theory, but a practical discipline that affects real life, which requires a great deal of responsibility and ethical consideration.
It requires a wide range of studies across many disciplines, from basic calculus to be able to deal with complex differential equations, physical chemistry and thermodynamics to understand the nature and feasibility of reactions, organic and inorganic chemistry to understand and optimally design reaction structures, and simulation programming skills to simulate realistic processes. In addition, environmental and sustainability considerations have become increasingly important in recent years. When designing processes, finding ways to minimize environmental impact and use resources efficiently has become an important role for engineers.
We’ve all seen how fast things have changed in computer and mobile displays: from large, heavy CRTs to LCDs, PDPs briefly appeared and then disappeared due to cost, to LEDs, OLEDs, and TFT-LCDs, it’s only been about 50 years since LCDs first appeared, and the cycles of change are getting shorter and shorter. And behind the scenes, there have always been “process design engineers” thinking and researching.
But this pace of progress shouldn’t be measured simply in terms of technical achievements. It should also be about how we deal with the new problems that arise as technology advances, such as the problem of e-waste or resource depletion. For the “process design engineers” who are always looking at the inconveniences and shortcomings and constantly striving for a better direction, this world is another huge process, and people’s lives will become more and more comfortable and comfortable in the future. Because of their tenet of “Design Everything,” you are able to enjoy the benefits of civilization today, and I hope you can imagine the hard work of countless engineers behind the scenes that went into that little phone in your hand. As we enjoy the benefits of technology, the least we can do is to remember the hard work and thought behind it.
