Asfaw Beyene knows more about San Diego's manufacturing industry than almost anyone in the county.

The professor of mechanical engineering oversees SDSU's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC), one of three and the oldest in the state of California.

The purpose of the IAC is to visit manufacturing plants, as defined by the Department of Energy, and look at three specific areas: energy conservation opportunities, waste minimization and productivity improvement.

Beyene takes an average of five student assistants with him to each plant survey. Afterwards, the students write a 60-page evaluation report, which Beyene checks and proofreads.

“Our student assistants are in charge of writing the report on the details of the manufacturing process," he said. "It is a great experience for them. In the past 13 years, we have conducted about 350 surveys and we send out the report 6 weeks after our visit to the plant.”

When the IAC was established it focused primarily on energy conservation. Later, waste minimization and productivity improvement expanded the breadth of the survey while, over the years, the IAC's software and training process also improved, Beyene said.

SDSU's Industrial Assessment Center has been responsible for savings of $27.5 million in the plants surveyed, and Beyene thinks there is room for further improvement.

He said the IAC can improve its interaction with local and state agencies to expand its outreach in the community.

For more information on the IAC, visit http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/eadc/IAC/.