Design for manufacturing (DFM) is an extremely important process for designing your product in the right and efficient way. If you want excellent processing accuracy, product durability, and customer satisfaction then it is imperative employing the principles of Design for manufacturing (DFM). It is about creating the process for the product as much as the product itself.
Poor product design will have substandard ramifications on the process. That will affect every stage of the production from project costs, deadlines, quality and ultimately, leave a bad impression. Any inventor, creator, or entrepreneur who is passionate about launching his product, and willing to beat the competition then he must take into account DFM for better product development and excellent results.
When a designer is elaborated on a product idea and it is desired that the idea is to be converted into a superb product. But this idea will always be an idea unless it is not manufactured using machines, tools, and materials. So, to achieve premium product quality and win customer’s trust, the principles of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) must be followed. Otherwise, results will not be the same as they would be desired and an inferior quality product will be ready to ruin your market reputation.
This article will light on Design for Manufacturing (DFM), its importance, and how you can get benefit from using DFM. If you are interested in learning everything you need to know about DFM then read till the end.
What is Design for Manufacturing (DFM)?
A critical part of the product development cycle that necessitates optimization in product design for its manufacturing and selecting the adequate production method as per the design requirements is called designing for manufacturing (DFM). Applying DFM in a precise manner will surely result in outstanding product quality, superb processing accuracy, and high precision.
Implementation of DFM involves considering many characteristics regarding product design such as shape, material, proposed production method, etc. Those methods can include CNC machining, 3D printing, injection molding, or other suitable methods.
On the other hand, a poor design can cause problems in many ways and even if it is a low-volume part production. Starting the manufacturing process without implementing design for manufacturing will lead to many mistakes. But these issues can be avoided by applying DFM.
You can think of DFM as a give and take strategy that only intends to produce deluxe quality end products by intelligently utilizing all the available resources. The designer may have put a great effort into designing. But if a particular design feature requires more resources than available or expensive to manufacture then it should be changed. In this case, you can think of DFM as a reality check.
While implementing DFM, a situation may reach where many segments within a company or even other companies need to participate and corporate. Because some projects may require the consultation of designers, programmers, engineers, and technicians to evaluate their different aspects.
Importance of Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
Executing mass production is a very censorious process. DFM application may yield substantial benefits for both the workshop owner and the consumer. But at the same time, it might feel like an old-fashioned technique for product design. Conversely, not contemplating DFM can cause poor processing accuracy and hence, poor product quality. The prime advantage of implementing DFM is that it enables us to wisely guess the practicability of the manufacturing process and ensures anticipation against workpiece failure.
Implementation of design for manufacturing (DFM) before executing the product prefabrication process ensures that the technicians will not face any problems in any step of the process. Because all the considerations for the product have already been finalized wisely. If we talk about the CNC machining process then CAD design, CAM code, appropriate tools, machining processes, lubrication methods, etc., would have been selected already. That guarantees an excellent product outcome.
DFM has been manifest to save resources in the product development cycle. You will be amazed to know that, in some cases, it saved the costs and reduced the deadlines by half. In the early phase of product development, integrating design for manufacturing with your preferred production method will reasonably lessen the number of revisions. As a result of that, your manufacturing process will be much faster and meet the deadlines early.
Implementing DFM to Your Part Manufacturing Process
Knowing the merits, constraints, and methods of your product manufacturing process is the initial outset that will assist you to get an excellent product.
Since DFM is a critical process and needs more than just knowing a few prerequisites about the manufacturing process. Some important points are being discussed as follows that will assist you to get a superb quality product.
- Form a working team that consists of seasoned experts. These should be able to assess the design censoriously and recommend necessary changes.
- Keep things easy and simple to improve the design and in turn, the whole manufacturing process will be simplified.
- Design symmetrical parts which will not require orientation during assembly.
- Understand the need of the user or the intended use of the part and make decisions accordingly that result in high-precision and cost-effectiveness production.
A designer having little knowledge of engineering and manufacturing techniques can incorporate DFM principles if he takes care of the blow-mentioned points. Since each project has its manufacturing processes, materials, and other factors so a thorough evaluation is mandatory.
Below we elaborated some common rules that can be implemented to almost every product design.
Keep Things Simple
While designing the product, it is advisable to keep things as simple as they can be. Because simplicity in the whole process will assist others to understand the project better. In this way, they will be able to accomplish the task comfortably and early. Which leads towards faster task completion, and resource savings.
Utilize Standard Components
Try always to use standard components in every process than using customized components. Because performing tasks with standard comports are beneficial. Unless it is required to utilize a customized component otherwise standard ones are highly recommended.
Choose Materials Wisely
While selecting the material, keep two things in mind. Firstly, it should be machine friendly and secondly, environment friendly means the selected material should be recycled easily. In the end, if a selected material is not feasible for the production processor will not be able to fulfill the intended task. Then it not worth it.
Prefer Loose Tolerances
Prefer such materials that offer loose tolerances where feasible. Because tight tolerances demand much machining time that ultimately wastes more time and money. But take care whether the quality should not compromise.
Conclusion
Design for manufacturing (DFM) is an outstanding technique if you want to optimize your whole project. The successful incorporation of DFM will result in many benefits. These include premium quality end product, superb processing accuracy, savings of money, time, and it helps in organizing the whole manufacturing process.
If you want a trouble-free manufacturing process then you must implement the above-mentioned points to get the required product quality. We hope that you like the article and find it helpful.
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