As the name suggests, design for manufacturing is a process used for designing the parts of different machines. The professionals use computer-aided designing for bringing out the best design at lower costs. It operates on five principles that help the users bring out the best product design without compromising quality. In other words, design for manufacturing is nothing but simplification and optimization of the existing product design. It is also known as Design for manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) in the market, and they mean the same. This article will discuss the principles of DFM. Read on to know more.
Table of Contents
1. Process
Preparing any product includes the quality of material being used, quantity to be produced, the amount of money being used, and the worth of the final product. Therefore, in design for manufacturing, the team must check everything from scratch so that the best quality product is brought out while using minimal costs. The designers ask many questions before starting the process to layout their action plan. Any product that would need a secondary process will have a different plan of action than others. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the process part in DFM for great quality products in lesser time and money.
2. Design
What else can be essential than design in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly? Nothing as such. Drawing the design or using computer-aided design for creating the blueprint of your product is essential. It helps you point out the intricacies of the design, like the thickness of the wall, draft, texture, tolerance, and more. In addition, it would help if you spoke with the manufacturer to confirm that the design is well within the manufacturing principles and selected processes.
3. Material
After the design, the next crucial thing is the material. You have to choose the correct and the best material for your product. While choosing the product, you must go through the material properties such as heat resistance, tolerance, strength, optical properties, etc. It will help you list the accurate material for your product. In addition, it is suggested to discuss the material with your manufacturer; they may have a different opinion on this and can also suggest the right material. More often than not, there are cases when the manufacturers suggest using alloy for longer durability and strength of the product.
4. Environment
The product must be designed to withstand the environment it will be used in in the coming future. Therefore, you must study the general operating conditions of the product. It will help in listing down the parts and material of the product. You can prepare the best product at low costs, but it won’t matter if the product can not work in the normal working condition. For example, You will not want a pen tip to melt or the ink to jam in regular weather.
5. Testing and Compliance
It is important to test the products in compliance with all the safety standards. In addition, you should check the certification from authorized agencies for all the parts and materials used in building the product. Moreover, the manufacturer has to get all the certifications for the final product. Therefore, it should be tested for quality, safety, industry, and other standards. Non-compliance may lead to the product being rejected for sale or use in any industry.