Design for Manufacturing Principles

Design for manufacturability (DFM) is a set of engineering principles and practices that aim to optimize the design of a product or a component for its manufacturing process. DFM helps to ensure that the product can be manufactured efficiently, cost-effectively, and with high quality. DFM can be applied at different stages of the product development cycle, from conceptual design to detailed design, prototyping, testing, and production.

The main goals of DFM are:

• Improve manufacturing feasibility: DFM helps to avoid or minimize design features that are difficult, expensive, or impossible to manufacture, such as complex shapes, tight tolerances, excessive parts, or incompatible materials. DFM also helps to select the most appropriate manufacturing process and equipment for the product, considering factors such as production volume, quality requirements, lead time, and environmental impact. By improving manufacturing feasibility, DFM can reduce the risk of defects, delays, rework, or scrap.
• Reduce overall cost of manufacturing: DFM helps to reduce the cost of manufacturing by eliminating or simplifying design features that increase the material, labor, tooling, or overhead costs. DFM also helps to optimize the use of resources and materials, such as reducing waste, energy consumption, or inventory. By reducing the cost of manufacturing, DFM can increase the profitability and competitiveness of the product.
• Improve the quality of the product: DFM helps to improve the quality of the product by ensuring that the design meets the functional and performance specifications and expectations of the customer. DFM also helps to enhance the reliability, durability, safety, and usability of the product by avoiding or minimizing design features that can cause failures, errors, or dissatisfaction. By improving the quality of the product, DFM can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Many of the principles for DFM will be process specific. In later chapters we will discuss specific traditional manufacturing methods and the “design for …” concerns for each method. However, there are some general principles that are applicable to most if not all manufacturing methods:

• Use common materials that are known to be effective for the application, are readily available, and compatible with the chosen manufacturing process and equipment.
• Minimize part size and weight by removing excess material or using lighter materials.
• Simplify part geometry by avoiding complex shapes or features that require special tools or processes.
• Use generous tolerances and clearances that are consistent with the functional requirements and quality standards of the product.
• Design for ease of inspection and testing by providing adequate access and visibility to critical features and functions.