Design for Manufacturing & Assembly Best Practices

Beginning with fundamental cost drivers and ending with checklists of cost and risk reduction recommendations, DFMA provides a practical toolset of approaches used in creating the most efficient/effective manufacturing and assembly processes.  Encompassed in this approach are considerations incorporated into the design and development activities associated with the product lifecycle, including reliability, testability, maintenance/service, ergonomics, safety and environment to name a few characteristics.  Generally, these parameters are all included in the design to look at the product from cradle to grave and ensures that all stakeholders in the product, from designer and factory workers to end users, will have their needs addressed.  When DFMA is implemented in a systematic manner there are benefits to speed to market with successful roll-out, lower production costs through increased automation as well as a reduction of design complexity.

Product and process must be co-developed to achieve high manufacturing yields with minimum rework or rejections.  Process capabilities must be matched to the product design tolerances in order to achieve:

• Reduction in process related manufacturing defects
• Improved long term product reliability
• Virtual elimination of rework/repair
• Reduction in Unit Production Cost
• Enhanced effectiveness of Statistical Process Control
• Increased focus on “sensitive” design elements
• Decreased need for engineering/process changes

To achieve these conditions, concurrent engineering discipline…… download below