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INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

Kennesaw State students, faculty save manufacturers $1M in energy-related costs

By Kennesaw State University

May 24^th, 2024

Early one Thursday morning, donning safety glasses and steel-toe shoes, Kennesaw State University students stepped into a manufacturing facility equipped with notebooks and high-tech tools. Two faculty members and a manufacturing engineering manager led them through Kason Industries in Newnan, Ga. as the students analyzed large pieces of equipment.

Pointing a handheld ultrasonic leak detector at a machine, Kennesaw State graduate student Mehdi Lotfi gestured to a screen that lit up with a variety of colors.

“See those red spots?” he said. “That shows us there is a compressed air leak.”

Cortney Farrand, a graduate student in systems engineering, followed close by and jotted down notes.

The students are part of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at KSU, a consulting and research group that offers facility assessments at no cost to manufacturers. While the experience students receive is invaluable, the partnership has saved local manufacturers more than $1 million over the last two years.

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded KSU a contract to establish the IAC. Since then, more than 20 engineering students have visited more than 30 different small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Southeast to help identify opportunities to cut costs through energy-efficient solutions. Because cost-saving data is collected one year after the IAC makes recommendations, the $1 million savings accounts for just 14 of the manufacturers. So far, the team of faculty and students have recommended opportunities that, upon implementation, could save the manufacturers $4.9 million each year.

“This program is more than just an academic exercise,” said Amin Esmaeili, director of the IAC and assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering. “It’s a transformative experience that equips our students with skills they will need after graduation. A few of our students have gone on to intern with these manufacturers and get full-time jobs.”

The IAC program is a DOE initiative and is administered through the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. KSU’s IAC used grant money provided by the DOE to purchase tools many of the manufacturers cannot afford, like acoustic ultrasonic leak imagers and infrared thermometers. During their visits to various manufacturing plants across the state, the students meticulously analyze the current equipment and processes in place. They pinpoint areas where energy usage could be optimized, potentially leading to significant savings for the businesses. After each visit, the students prepare detailed reports outlining their findings and recommendations for more energy-efficient practices. These reports are then presented to the manufacturers, who have the discretion to implement the suggested changes.

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

“It’s been a great opportunity for us to work with the students and faculty members from Kennesaw State,” said Ken New, Kason’s manufacturing engineering manager. “They’ve done a lot of analysis on where we are wasting electric energy or steam energy, and they provided all the background information we needed to submit for our own DOE grant.”

After visits to Kason, the IAC recommended several changes including replacing fluorescent light tubes with LEDs, eliminating leaks in compressed air lines and valves, applying for tax-free status for natural gas purchases, and using solar panels to generate electricity. Their anticipated savings is around $109,000 annually, before the implementation of solar panels.

Thanks to help from the IAC, Kason applied for a DOE grant and was awarded $300,000 in March 2024 to install solar panels. Seven other Kennesaw State IAC clients have received grants from the DOE, totaling $1.4 million, for a variety of projects aimed at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.

In addition to the cost savings, New says the IAC provides students a level of expertise and insight that stands out when he’s looking to hire.

“The students already have a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills that are extremely valuable in manufacturing,” he said. “They are already learning to use the tools that we would want them to use when they come to us as an employee.”

Christopher Spencer, who graduated from Kennesaw State in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology, was hired full time by one of the manufacturers he worked with through the IAC. After a site visit with NAECO, a manufacturer in Peachtree City, Spencer sat down with the company’s president. That conversation led to an internship and then a full-time position.

“Being part of the IAC was amazing, and I know it will benefit so many students,” Spencer said. “I visited multiple facilities before I graduated, which allowed me to get a better understanding of what the real world is like in this field. Without it, I wouldn’t have my job now.”

While the IAC is housed in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, it has expanded to include students across campus. The Ground Work Agency, a full-service agency run by students in collaboration with the marketing and professional sales department in the Coles College of Business, is working with the IAC to amplify its initiatives across the state and recruit more manufacturers to the program.

INDUSTRY COLLABORATION

“As an educator and researcher, it’s exciting to witness our students apply their knowledge in meaningful ways,” Esmaeili said. “Seeing engineering and marketing students engage with local industries and contribute to a more sustainable future is incredibly rewarding. They get hands-on experience but also make a difference for these manufacturers.”

Clark Atlanta University and Southface Institute, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that promotes sustainability and green building practices, also work with IAC. Additional members of the team include Kennesaw State associate professor of mechanical engineering technology Javad Khazaii and associate professor of robotics and mechatronics engineering David Guerra-Zubiaga.

Funding for KSU’s IAC will continue through 2026, but Esmaeili expects to reapply and continue the program.

Footnotes

Photos by Judy Pishnery; Story, Videos, and Page Design by Abbey O'Brien Barrows

FootNotes

Photos by Judy Pishnery; Story, Videos, and Page Design by Abbey O'Brien Barrows

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