10/20/22, 11:18 AM DFM/DFA | Design for Manufacturing / Assembly | Quality-One
Design for Manufacturing / Assembly
(DFM/DFA)
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DFM / DFA
– Design for Manufacturing / Assembly –
⇓ Introduction to DFM/DFA
⇓ What is DFM/DFA
⇓ Why Perform DFM/DFA
⇓ How to Perform DFM/DFA
⇓ Learn More About DFM/DFA
Introduction to Design for
Manufacturing / Assembly (DFM/DFA)
The last few decades have brought several new challenges for
manufacturing companies. Technology and improvements in
transportation of goods has enabled companies to source
parts globally. This has also resulted in more manufacturers
having entered the market place. Competition for business is
fierce. Manufacturing companies in the developing world
market are able to offer products at lower prices. In an effort
to maintain business and achieve growth many manufacturers
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are continually developing new products to widen their
customer base. They must be quick to market with a high
quality product or be left behind. Properly planned and
implemented Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA,
DFM/A or DFM/DFA) processes are enabling companies to
develop high quality products in less time at lower production
costs. Higher quality at a lower cost usually means more sales
and greater customer loyalty.
What is Design for Manufacturing /
Assembly (DFM/DFA)
DFMA is a combination of two methodologies, Design for
Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA). This
combination enables a product design to be efficiently
manufactured and easily assembled with minimum labor cost.
Through the use of DFM/A, a company can prevent, detect,
quantify and eliminate waste and manufacturing inefficiency
within a product design. DFM/A is a break from tradition. With
DFM/A, the Design and Manufacturing Engineers work
together as a team in developing the product’s manufacturing
and assembly methods simultaneously with the design.
Conventionally, the design engineer designs the product then
hands the drawings to manufacturing who then determine the
manufacturing and assembly processes. Many engineers
automatically separate the two into DFM and DFA since they
have been defined separately for several years. For effective
application of DFM/A the two activities must work in unison to
gain the greatest benefit.
Why Perform Design for Manufacturing
/ Assembly (DFM/DFA)
The DFMA methodology allows for new or improved products
to be designed, manufactured and offered to the consumer in
a shorter amount of time. DFM/DFA helps eliminate multiple
revisions and design changes that cause program delays and
increased cost. With DFM/A the design is often more
comprehensive, efficient to produce and meets the customer
requirements the first time. A shorter total time to market
frequently results in lower development costs. The application
of the DFMA method results in shorter assembly time, lower
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assembly cost, elimination of process waste and increased
product reliability.
How to Perform Design for
Manufacturing / Assembly (DFM/DFA)
Many companies today are integrating the DFM and DFA
practices through design and manufacturing teamwork. The
Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly
(DFA) techniques are two different classifications. DFM
techniques are focused on individual parts and components
with a goal of reducing or eliminating expensive, complex or
unnecessary features which would make them difficult to
manufacture. DFA techniques focus on reduction and
standardization of parts, sub-assemblies and assemblies. The
goal is reduce the assembly time and cost. But if you think
about it, they must be integrated to prevent one from causing
negative effects on the other. The designer may seek to
combine parts to reduce assembly steps, quantity of parts and
hardware. If the resulting parts are difficult or expensive to
manufacture then you have gained nothing. We must work
together to accomplish both goals. The principle goals for
simultaneous DFM/A are detailed below.
Reduce Quantity of Component Parts and
Simplify Part Design
The designer should review the assembly design part by part
and determine if any part can be eliminated or combined with
another part. The designer should determine the theoretical
minimum quantity of parts required for the assembly. One
method for determining minimum part quantities is to first list
out all the components in your assembly, including hardware.
Then ask the following questions:
Can the part be manufactured using the same material as
other parts?
How does the part in question move in relation to other
moving parts?
Can the parts be combined without need for any special
process or tooling?
If combined with another part how does that impact ease
of possible disassembly?
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If combined with other parts how would it impact ease of
manufacture?
Through reduction of component part quantities you also
reduce the amount of hardware and the number of assembly
steps required. The likelihood of assembly errors are
subsequently reduced in relation to the reduction in assembly
steps.
Design Parts for Ease of Fabrication
The designer should consider the method of fabrication that
may be used for producing the parts, the required material
specifications and required production volumes. Some
particular guidelines to review are as follows:
Specify materials that are commonly used and
compatible with existing production processes that will
minimize processing time and will meet all functional
requirements
Review the part and eliminate unnecessary features that
could result in additional process steps, extra effort and
complex or expensive tooling
Design reviews with members of process engineering,
quality control and the fabrication team are beneficial
when possible. In most cases the meetings result in a few
changes to the design that increase utilization of existing
tools or improve machine utilization, preventing the need
for capital expenses for special tools. In addition, the
meetings improve knowledge transfer of design intent to
all levels of the organization.
Design Within Known Process Capabilities and
Avoid Tight Tolerances
The designer should become familiar with the process
capabilities of any equipment required for the manufacture of
the part. In addition, review current process controls to assure
that any Special Characteristics (KCCs or KPCs) can be
monitored. Avoid tight tolerances beyond the proven
capability of the manufacturing processes. Determine if
improved process capabilities are required early in the design
or program schedule to allow time for any process
improvement activities and the establishment of proper
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process controls. In addition, the designer should evaluate any
interactions between component parts to avoid tolerance
“stack-up” issues. Parts should be dimensioned in the center
of the tolerance range to allow for the greatest variance and
still remain a functional conforming part. In addition, avoid
one sided tolerances and use surface finish callouts only when
required, as that may result in unneeded additional part cost.
Chamfered or radius corners should both be allowed if it will
not change the function of the part. This will permit
production control to route the part to different machines
based upon demand.
Utilize Common Parts and Materials
Whenever possible the design should incorporate common
parts and materials, including parts already in use in other
similar products or assemblies. Common parts and materials
help minimize inventory levels and will result in lower cost and
higher quality. One of the most successful new product
introductions Quality-One has been a part of incorporated
50% carry over / common parts from a similar product. The
new content of the design was greatly reduced therefore the
design risk was reduced. In addition, the learning curve of the
assembly team members was reduced.
Mistake Proof Product Design and Assembly
(Poka Yoke)
Designers should look for ways to mistake proof their designs,
making the proper assembly of mating parts instantly
recognizable and impossible to assemble incorrectly. By the
addition of tabs and slots, asymmetrical holes and
interference features the parts can be made difficult or
impossible to assemble in reverse or oriented improperly. The
designer should also avoid the need for any special
adjustments or alignments in the assembly process. With
enough thought put into the design of an assembly many of
the parts can be made mistake proof. The designer should
also consider how the part or assembly could be inspected for
quality purposes. For some parts, conformance to design
requirements may be verified with basic go / no-go tools. In
other cases the parts may need to be measured and the
designer should indicate any key or critical to quality
dimensions or features.
Handling Requirements and Part Orientation
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The design engineer should consider how the parts are going
to be handled and oriented during the manufacturing and
assembly processes. If this is not done, the impact could range
from non-value added motion and part movement to possible
operator safety issues or requirements for special fixtures or
lifting devices. There are several basic principles that can be
applied to improve parts handling and orientation. A few
examples can be found below:
Drawings should consistently indicate the proper
origination when fed into a process. An example would
be how parts are oriented into a brake press for either
bend up or bend down operations.
The designer should avoid use of parts that can easily
become tangled in the container or that are difficult to
pick up and handle. This slows production and can
increase waste due to damaged, dropped or lost parts.
When possible design parts that are symmetrical along
both axis. This allows for ease of fabrication and correct
assembly.
Parts should be designed so that they may be easily
grasped, oriented and placed in an assembly or weld
fixture. Examples would be parts with flat, parallel
surfaces that are easily picked-up and assembled by the
operator. Another instance to think about could be if the
part is picked up by a suction or magnetic gripping
device when used in a “pick and place robot” application.
Always avoid parts with sharp edges, burrs or points. Use
radii and chamfers when possible to reduce chance of
operator injury.
Avoid heavy or oversized parts that will require lifting
devices or may increase worker fatigue and risk of injury.
Always consider assembler and operator safety in all
designs.
When designing a workstation it is good practice to plan
for minimum worker travel time. Minimize the distance to
access and move a part or assembly. A good rule of
thumb is that most components should be within two
steps from the point of assembly and common hardware
and tools within easy reach.
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Design for Ease of Assembly
There are many methods to design for ease of assembly.
When designing for assembly, remember the simpler the
design the easier it is to assemble. The designer should
consider where the assembly is going to be performed and
the tools or equipment that will be available. For example, if
the product is sold as a kit and assembled in the field by the
customer, it is different than if it will be assembled on an
assembly line or in a work cell. There are many guidelines for
ease of assembly. The following list contains some examples:
Incorporate simple patterns of movement in your
assembly process and minimize steps. If that is not
possible, consider breaking it down into logical sub-
assemblies.
Avoid multiple set-ups or re-orientation during the
assembly process. This creates wasted movement and
time.
Parts should incorporate lead-in features and chamfers.
This allows for easier insertion of pins or bolts.
Design the product so it may be assembled from the
bottom up using gravity to your advantage.
Always allow for adequate tool clearance and assure the
operator can see what they are assembling, with no
hidden interfaces or attachment points.
Limit the variety of hardware sizes and configurations in
an assembly. This will help prevent incorrect hardware
being used or used in the wrong location.
Example: One design recently observed utilized one
size and type of self-tapping screw for every sub-
assembly and the parent assembly. Only one type
of hardware was required in the production cell.
Reduce / Eliminate Flexible Parts and
Interconnections
The designer must consider the usage and environment in
which the product will operate. Many product failures are due
to the component parts not being robust to the application.
Let’s look at one example. There was a display system that
operated a piece of equipment used outdoors which has
inherent vibration during operation and experiences heavy
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usage. The displays were failing due to a fragile ribbon cable
that became brittle over time and would break. It was also
found that the cable connectors did not lock into place and
would sometimes vibrate out, breaking the connection. The
product was redesigned to include a locking connector
attached to a temperature resistant cable robust to the
operating environment. Here are a few ideas to think about:
Design for use of robust connectors and connection
points
Avoid flimsy flexible cables, tubing and gaskets when
possible
Minimize the use of wire harnesses – instead design
boards that stack and /or plug directly to one another
when possible
Utilize direct drive instead of pulleys and belts
When harnesses are used, error proof the connectors by
using unique connectors that cannot be attached in the
wrong orientation or to the incorrect mating connection
Incorporate Easy and Efficient Fastening
Methods
Threaded bolts, washers and nuts are time consuming to
assemble. If they are required, consider weld nuts or nuts that
are captured in the part. The designer must look at alternative
methods of attachment.
Minimize the variety of hardware required for assembly
Consider the use of connections integrated into the parts
such as snap fit or tab and slot
Evaluate other bonding techniques with adhesives
Match fastening techniques to materials and product
functional requirements
Consider ease of disassembly for service and repairs
Modular Product Design
Modular design is becoming more prevalent in many
industries. It has various advantages for the manufacturer, the
dealer and the customers. Some of the advantages to modular
design are listed below:
Modules help minimize cost by reducing the number of
different parts within a family of products
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Modules may result in shorter learning curves when new
employees require training on the assembly of the
products
In some cases it allows the manufacturer to balance
production throughout the year based on projected
seasonal sales
In addition, the dealer can stock most sold items for fast
delivery to customer. Customized combinations of the
modules can be delivered to the site and installed
quickly.
Modules allow for greater outsourcing of parts and
assembly modules, freeing-up manufacturing capacity
and increasing the number of products delivered on time
Modules provide for easy and quick installation of
products at the site saving labor and time
Modules improve servicing and maintenance of products
as well as reduces the number of service parts that need
to be stocked at the dealer
Modular assemblies can also be improved with minimal
effect on the rest of the product
Design for Automation
There are many obvious advantages to designing products or
parts for automation. A few of them are listed below:
Increased process throughput or efficiency.
Improved quality or more predictable process results.
Consistency in the process output.
Reduced operator labor costs and indirect labor costs
Something else to consider is the fact that automated
production can require less flexibility in design than manual
production. The product must be designed so that it can be
handled with automated equipment like gripping or magnetic
lifting and placement equipment. Avoid any requirements for
gripper / tool change. You must also use self-locating parts,
simple parts-presentation devices and avoid the need for
clamping or securing parts during assembly or processing.
Design for Manufacturing and Design for Assembly are both
important and often interwoven and referred to simply as
DFM/A. The primary goal is to design a product and process
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to be as efficient as possible. Whether a product is assembled
by machines or by operators, the designer and the mechanical
engineer should work together to ensure that labor cost,
overhead and materials are reduced as much as possible. We
should always strive to produce a quality product the first time
and every time and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly
can help! When DFM/A is applied, your company can run at
higher profit margins, with higher quality and at a greater
level of efficiency.
DFM/A - Three Path Model
Learn More About Design for
Manufacturing / Assembly (DFM/DFA)
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