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Table of Contents
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Customers needs and product specifications are useful for guiding the concept phase of product development; however, during the later development activities, teams often have difficulty linking needs and specifications to the specific design issues they face. For this reason, many teams practice design for manufacturing, which is of primary importance because it directly addresses manufacturing costs.
Manufacturing cost is a key determinant of the economic success of a product. In simple terms, the economic success of a product depends on the profit margin earned on each sale of the product and on how many units of the product the firm can sell. Profit margins is the difference between the manufacturer's selling price and the cost of making the product. The number of units sold and the sale price are to a large degree determined by the overall quality of the product. Economically successful design is therefore about ensuring high product quality while minimizing manufacturing cost. DFM is one methodology for achieving this goal; effective DFM practice leads to low manufacturing costs without sacrificing product quality.
Industry Definitions Of Design For Manufacturing
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DFM and Optimization
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The DFM process is one concurrent engineering technique that is used to bring down-stream
life-cycle product concerns to the forefront of the NPD process. The DFM process optimizes the
product design early in the concept design phase in order to ensure that the product can be easil
y manufactured. In this process the product's design is simplified as much as possible with it's
features being modified to fit the capabilities of the manufacturing facilities. The product's
design may be optimized by applying such DFM principles as the use of standard parts, elimination
of unnecessary components, integration of multiple components, selection of easy to assemble com
ponents, use of snap fits, etc... These procedures will not only produce a product that is easy
to manufacture, but also one that uses less material, is of better quality and is less expensive
to produce. Thereby, giving organizations a competitive advantage in today's world market.
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Concurrent Processes Are Key
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Design for manufacturing is done through the collaboration of many functional departments
. Crossfunctional teams are used in which manufacturing representatives make sure that manufactu
ring concerns are addressed in the design process. Functional departments no longer work as sepa
rate entities, instead they communicate and accomplish tasks in joint efforts. Many activities a
nd functions are overlapped and done simultaneously. In this process, the once sequential activi
ties and tasks are done in a concurrent manner.
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Changing The Design Process
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In order to implement a design for manufacturing program firms must be willing to undergo
change. These required changes involve tailoring the design and development process and the tra
ditional organizational structuring to fit the principles of DFM. Sequential processes must be i
ntegrated into concurrent design processes. Distinct departmental barriers must be broken down a
nd departmental collaboration must be embraced. Employees must be led away from individualism an
d trained to be team players. Designers must be educated on manufacturing operations and all emp
loyees must be aware of how the choice that they make affect operations later in the development
process. In order for all of these changes to occur there must also be a strong commitment from
upper management.
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Manufacturing Knowledge In The Concept Development and Design Phase
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In a DFM process manufacturing personnel must provide the design function with expert kno
wledge of the manufacturing operations. The most effective method is to have a manufacturing rep
resentative partake in the entire design and development process. This representative must provi
de the design function with manufacturing tolerances, processes, procedures, limitations, schedul
ing and production times. If possible, supplier and material information should also be provided
to the design team by the manufacturing representative. As a final check on the design, manufac
turing personnel should be able to review the product's design and specifications in the concept
generation and prototype phase.
Use Of Intelligent CAD Systems And Other Computer Technology In DFM
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Computer technology has revolutionized the design and development process over the last d
ecade. The increased use of CAD systems and the technological advances in expert system applicat
ions has provided designers with the tools to make DFM that much easier. Many designs may be mod
eled and analyzed on CAD systems thereby enabling design problems that would normally not be disc
overed until later in the design process, to be discovered in the modeling phase. Computer modif
ications are much easier and dramatically less costly than design modifications at latter phases
in the product development process.
Artificial intelligence is also beginning to be integrated into many CAD systems. This c
an provide the designer with expert information on manufacturing limitations and operations as we
ll as information on many other aspects of the development process while he is designing a compon
ent. This will enable the designer to develop designs which are manufacturable from the start.
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Companies apply design for manufacturability techniques at several points in the design a
nd development process. The techniques of DFM may be applied throughout the development process
but in order to receive the greatest benefit, DFM should definitely be applied in the concept gen
eration and prototype development stage of the design and development process.
With all the benefits that accompany successful DFM processes, companies should apply DFM
to any product which will ultimately end up in manufacturing.
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In today's competitive manufacturing environment design for manufacturability has proven
to be a successful tool in the design and development process. When DFM is successfully impleme
nted the results can be better quality, higher productivity, reduced time to market, reduced mate
rial usage and considerable cost saving to name a few. However, successful implementation of DFM
is not a trivial process. It requires dedication, commitment, and radical organizational change
s.
Even though many manufacturers now utilize some form of DFM there is a vast difference be
tween the companies that have successful DFM processes and those that do not. There are several
reason for failure or ineffective DFM processes. Despite all of the reasons for failure, the DFM
process can be very successful if most of the concepts and principles of successful DFM are foll
owed.
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