Overview
- Authors:
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Balkrishna C. Rao
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Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
- Seminal volume on frugal engineering focused on creating frugal products from scratch
- Outlines a frugal design & frugal manufacturing approach
- Presents frugal innovations in a variety of industries
Keywords
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Climate Change
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Frugal Engineering
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Frugal Design
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Frugal Manufacturing
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Advanced Frugal Innovation
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Grassroots Frugal Innovation
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Sustainability
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Factor of Frugality
About this book
This book presents a novel method of engineering to create advanced frugal products from scratch. It outlines a frugal design and frugal manufacturing approach, and delineates concepts and principles underlying different types of frugal innovations. The contents present advanced frugal innovations (AFIs) in a variety of sectors bringing out their widespread presence in rich and emerging economies of the world. This book discusses applications of such innovations in aerospace, automotive, healthcare, particle-physics, and other important sectors, emphasizing the significant potential of frugal engineering. AFIs are not jugaad, rather, they are engineered to harness frugality with cutting-edge research using classical and modern scientific principles. Frugal engineering uses advances in science and other knowledge-areas, including 3D printing, biomimetics, artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, and others, to frugalize pillars of engineering in modern problems. This book willbe of interest to academics, industry professionals, policymakers, product designers and developers, among others. It introduces the reader to the wonderful world of frugal engineering. In doing so, this book shines light on the significant difference that meticulous creation of these innovations through systematic application of science, engineering, and other knowledge-bases can make to the cause of sustainable development. Frugal engineering of AFIs is indispensable to achieving the sustainable development goals. We can help manage our every growing need for energy and resources effectively by going frugal in the current age of climate change.
Authors and Affiliations
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Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Balkrishna C. Rao
About the author
Balkrishna C. Rao is a professor in the Department of Engineering Design at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. Prof. Rao has served from June 2022 to October 2022 as the ICCR Visiting Chair Professor of Indian Studies in Leibniz University Hannover where he taught and conducted research on frugal engineering of advanced frugal products. His research interests include sustainable manufacturing and frugal engineering. In frugal engineering, he has coined the term “advanced frugal innovation (AFI)” and also developed the factor of frugality approach to designing and fabricating advanced frugal products in any sector. He has also developed the concept of net finished shape (NFS) for zero waste in frugal manufacturing. Prof. Rao earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, US. He has also served as a research associate at Purdue with the School of Industrial Engineering. The long stint at Purdue has resulted in research contributions to the automotive- and aerospace-sectors in the US with involvement in nanotechnology for manufacturing. At IIT Madras, Prof. Rao uses his long research experience in engineering and manufacturing for infusing frugality into product development for a better world.
